Ajax Diner, Oxford, Mississippi

Soul Food Sold Here

We found ourselves in Oxford, Mississippi meeting friends from Florence, Alabama who originally planned to meet us for a camping excursion at a nearby Corp of Engineers campground.

Winter weather, and some unusual associated conditions, factor large in our recent travels with two powerful fronts complete with thunderstorm and tornado warnings with large hail predictions. In a day or two we'll be faced with plunging temperatures that will force us south to the coast again.

Full time travel has it's challenges.

We left the gulf coast a day early a few days back to escape the first to these strong winter storms, the one that left parts of Panama City in ruin.

Our friends opted out of camping due to the weather and rented an Airbnb nearby. We cancelled our campground reservation to join them in Water Valley, Mississippi

When we agreed to meet our friends in Oxford, I texted Tim Hontzas, owner of Johnny's in Birmingham, Alabama knowing he worked in Oxford for, among others, John Currence owner of City Kitchen and Big Bad Breakfast. I asked for dining recommendations in Oxford. Ajax Diner was one of his picks. Like Johnny's in Birmingham, Ajax should be one of your essential meat and threes when in Oxford.

Since 1997 Ajax Diner has been serving Oxford’s finest Mississippi cuisine. Southern comfort food is our specialty. Chicken and dumplings, fried catfish, Mississippi pot roast, meatloaf, country fried steaks, along with an array of burgers and poboys are just a few of the standards.

Named after owner Randy Yates’ grandfather, A.J. Ajax was his nickname when he was his fraternity’s kitchen steward. A.J bragged that people came from all over campus to eat his food. A.J was also well known for his hospitality at the Neshoba County Fair. The late night sing he directed is named after him to this day. Ajax’ awnings and Christmas trees lights are fashioned after the family’s fair cabin. It’s that Mississippi hospitality that Ajax brings to the Oxford Square.
 
Ajax has been voted Oxford’s best plate lunch every year since opening. It has also been voted best restaurant several times, and twice has won Oxford’s Best of the Best. Mississippi Magazine readers have three times now voted Ajax as the best plate lunch in the state. From their website