Some of Hot Springs most favorite restaurants are located a good distance from the National Park Bathhouse Row and downtown Hot Springs. But when we visit we are there for the camping, hiking, and history that the National Park offers so when we eat out, it is downtown near the park headquarters.
Famous and Infamous people like Babe Ruth, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis, Jr., Al Capone, Bugsy Segal and others have sat at this historic bar.
Located across the street from Bathhouse Row, the historic Ohio Club has been doing business since it opened in 1905 as a Casino and Saloon, with brief periods of closure due to fires, floods, and illegal gambling. During prohibition it disguised itself as the Ohio Cigar Store and continued to offer gambling and drinking services to those who knew the password. Over its history, the Ohio Club has served many notable figures in entertainment as well as infamous gangsters who were drawn to its casino operations and clandestine betting parlors.
Both in its exterior and inside, the Club maintains the character of 100 years ago. Its opulent back bar goes back even further than its 1905 beginning, estimated to have been made around 1880. The story is the bar was originally in a Cincinnati tavern and was purchased by the Club’s original owner and transported to Hot Springs where it became the back bar of the Ohio Club. The bar and the interior furnishings give the Club an A+ for atmosphere.
Service Grade A, Food a B+, and the Beer a B.
The service from the wait staff was excellent and very attentive. Grade A. My water glass was refilled without having to ask, one indicator I use to gauge if the wait staff is on the ball. We had sandwiches and beers. Jo ordered her signature Mushroom & Swiss Cheese burger, topped with lettuce and tomato. I had the Portobello Mushroom Veggie Burger. Both came with a helping of thick fries and a dill spear. Adequate size portions and served on a tasty bun. Loved the fries. We rated the food a B+, decent quality for an under $10 burger basket. Our tap beers were a Porter and a Milk Chocolate Stout. OK, but I felt a bit pricey for tap beers – $6 and $7.
A fun place to stop in, soak up some neat atmosphere, and have a sandwich and beer. And if you like live music, they have it seven nights a week.
Other Good Restaurants in downtown Hot Springs near Bathhouse Row
Another Hot Springs Restaurant we like a lot is Steinhaus Keller. They are on Central Avenue a few blocks south of the bathhouses. They have a decent selection of brews, great German cuisine, and a unique Biergarden. We’ve dined there a couple of times and always came away very happy with the food and the service. See our earlier Restaurant Review of Steinhaus Keller here.
Another unique pub is the Superior Bathhouse Brewery, located in the actual National Park, along Bath House Row and across the street from the Ohio Club. Their beer is brewed with the same 144 degree thermal spring water that serves the other bath houses and the water fountains that are along Bathhouse Row. The Brewery also offers a selection of pub food to accompany your craft brewed beer. Two years ago, we stopped in there shortly after the Brewery first opened and the food service was limited. From reading reviews in Zomato, the menu has expanded dramatically and is getting some very favorable comments. So next time we are Hot Springs, we must eat there (as well as sample the brews).
Rolando’s Restaurante is another downtown restaurant that gets good reviews for its atmosphere and food. If you like Southwestern, Latin and Central American dishes this is the place you should try.
If you are Irish or like Irish dishes, try the Copper Penny Pub. We’ve only had a few brews there during the very crowded post-St. Patty’s Day Parade Celebration (see our video). In the reviews, some have liked the Fish & Chips and other Irish fare, but others not so enthused. So we’ve got to try them ourselves on the next visit.
The Shiloh Visitor Center is an important stop on your tour of Shiloh.
Travelers on the historic Natchez Trace Parkway should consider taking a 45 mile detour to visit Shiloh, a large, well preserved National Historic park and the most significant Civil War site in the Mississippi River valley.
Brief History of the Battle
The historic two day Civil War battle at Shiloh is closely tied to the town of Corinth, 22 miles south of the Shiloh Battlefield. General US Grant had encamped at Pittsburg Landing along the Tennessee River and was awaiting arrival of General Buell and the Army of Ohio to then advance on Corinth. Corinth was at the strategic rail cross roads between east-west and north-south rail lines. So Shiloh itself was not the object; it was Corinth. Capturing it from the Confederates would substantially impair their movement of troops and supplies. Confederate General Albert Johnston, commander of the Corinth region, recognized this threat and was aware of the Union Army advancing on them from the north. Rather than meet the Union forces at Corinth, he decided to seize the initiative and move his 44,000 men to attack Grant at his encampment at Pittsburg Landing and near the Shiloh Church. The battle of Shiloh began at dawn on April 6th, 1862 when a Union patrol discovered the Confederates advancing through the forest and fields near a small log church named the Shiloh Meeting House. In two days of bloody fighting (Grant’s 40,000 man army vs Johnston’s 44,000) Grant with the help of Buell’s army arriving on the second day repealed the Confederate attack. Johnston perished during the battle and was replaced by General PGT Beauregard who to save his Army was forced to retreat Corinth. In the bloody two battle, 23,746 lives were lost.
Sunken Road separating the thicket where Wallace’s line confronted Johnston’s advancing Confederate troops.
Later in April, a Union force of 100,000 troops advanced from Pittsburg Landing with the goal of capturing Corinth. Their arrival within cannon range of the Confederate encampment at Corinth and the overwhelming size of the Union forces forced Beauregard to withdraw his forces south to Tupelo, Mississippi. So Union troops occupied Corinth and the strategic railway crossroads. But that wasn’t the end of things. In October, Confederate General Earl Van Dorn launched a surprise attack on the Union Garrison in Corinth but after 3 days of fighting was forced to retreat. The three day battle of Corinth cost another 6,500 lives and marked the last Confederate Civil War offensive in Mississippi.
Corinth Civil War Interpretative Center
Corinth Military History Visitor Center
The Corinth Interpretative Center is worth a visit before touring the Shiloh Battlefield Park. It has an excellent film telling the story of Corinth and how it connects to the epic battle at Shiloh. There’s also several educational exhibits on the Civil War and some interesting artifacts. Theh center is built on the former cite of Battery Robinett. The center is conveniently located on the west side of town, with an ample parking lot, and handicap accessibility. There are a few other Civil War sites of interest in the Corinth area including the Corinth Contraband Camp. Now a park, a portion of the old camp has been set aside with a commemorative trail with bronze figures depicting the lives of residents of the camp. Navigating to visit Shiloh from the center is simple (just go north about ½ mile and turn right on Shiloh Road and follow the signs).
Shiloh Battlefield
Shiloh Map
Pittsburg Landing was the southern-most landing for river steamboats on the Tennessee River. The river afforded General Grant the opportunity to move large amount of men, supplies, and armament towards the military objective of Corinth. Above the landing was a high plateau of forest and farm land occupied by a scattering of small farmers who worshiped at a log cabin known as the Shiloh Meeting house. It was an ideal spot for Grant to encamp and use as a base of operations for the Corinth assault.
Fortunately over 4200 acres of the original battlefield have been preserved as the Shiloh Military Park. The park has an extensive network of roads throughout the park joining several key battle sites, each with a commemorative monument (cannons and other military artifacts) and plaques describing the conflict that occurred at that point or the strategic importance of the site. Visitors to the park should first stop at the Shiloh Visitor Center to pick up maps and guides to touring the park. You can take a driving tour or hike trails within the park. There are also interesting exhibits in the visitor center as well as a bookstore for more detailed accounts of the Shiloh and Corinth battles and other Civil War history. Another resource at the Visitor Center is the staff itself. They are more than just courteous hosts or park service agents; you’ll find them quite well-steeped in Shiloh history – a human interactive educational resource to complement the more high tech interactive exhibits!
Shiloh was at the time the bloodiest battle of the Civil War and the ninth overall most costly battle. If you include the casualties at Corinth, which was part of the same campaign it would rank in the top five Civil War battle sites. Visiting Shiloh Military Park is an impressive educational experience. I look forward to a return visit to Shiloh and plan to do some advance reading of Shiloh history as a guide to my next visit.
Our Reviews of Best Restaurants and Pubs in Natchez, Mississippi
In March of 2017, we spent a few days sampling visitor attractions in historic Natchez, Mississippi including food and drink establishments. Here’s some reviews of places we tried, plus some we missed and plan to sample the next time we are in town.
Reviews on this page: The Camp Restaurant, Bowie Tavern, Steampunk Coffee Roasters, and Fat Mama’s Tamales.
The Camp Restaurant Review
Great river views from the outdoor dining deck of the Camp Restaurant
We wanted to dine within view of the river and found The Camp was listed among the Top 10 Natchez Restaurants in Zomato so we gave them a try. Great location on Silver Street below the bluff and on the waterfront in an area called Natchez Under-the-Hill. It is part of a collection of historic old buildings set off from the rest of Natchez (Natchez proper is on high ground above the bluff). Their website tag line is “Cold Beer. Good Food . . . at one of the best restaurants in Natchez.” We agree.
They have outdoor seating in their beer garden in back and out front on the porch overlooking the Mississippi River. Inside there are two or three dining rooms including one that has a wall that kids can draw on. So it’s a family friendly kind of place that also has a sport bar character.
Their intimate tap room commanded by friendly bartender Mike offers 18 beers on tap, mostly from southern breweries. Finding out we were dark beer lovers, Mike recommended a coffee porter from Natchez Brewing Co. An excellent choice, stands up to the best of porters we’ve had.
18 beers on tap in the Camp’s cozy bar.
While more of a sports bar, The Camp takes a great deal of pride in its food service. They make their own bread for burgers and sandwiches, cut their own potatoes for frys, and hand-form their own patties. Food is made to order, not pre-made and then microwaved. The menu includes a wide variety of sandwiches, burgers, taco baskets, soups, salads, and choice of three entre dinners with fresh side veggies. As we had a mid-afternoon snack, we weren’t ready for a large meal so were attracted to their “Slider Menu.” These are mini versions of their regular burger baskets. The Sliders have all the fixings of their big brother version and the pattys were thick and juicy even though small in diameter. Likewise the bun was very tasty but scaled down in size fitting the burger. They came with an order of fries and cole slaw. Jo had her signature Mushroom & Swiss burger and pronounced it excellent. She could tell fresh mushrooms were used vs. ones coming from a can. I had the Brisket Slider – sliced smoked brisket, Sweet Heat BBQ sauce, cole slaw, house pickles. We loved the sliders and the “concept.” It gives you a smaller portion but in every other way its quality and amendments matches the full menu version. A tasty meal that was surprisingly filling.
BTW For younger readers, the name “slider” comes from the famous mini-burger produced by the White Castle hamburger palace, a fast-food chain that pre-dated McDonalds. The burgers were about the size of your palm, the pattys were square with a holes in the middle so they could cook fast. As a teenagers, we found a bag of five sliders would be about the right meal size! Link to their menu.
Bowie’s Tavern occupies the former 1840s warehouse, across the street from Bluff Park.
We were attracted to Bowie’s Tavern because of its historic architecture and it was located on Broadway Street across from the Riverwalk Promenade and Gazebo that overlook the Mississippi River.
It was too early in the day for dinner, so we opted for some brews and a Nacho basket on their outdoor patio overlooking the park. Inside the interior is highlighted by a huge antique mahogany bar and other appointments that give a clue to the building’s history in Natchez, originally a cotton warehouse built in 1840.
We dined at Bowie Tavern’s outdoor patio overlooking the Mississippi River Bluffs.
Not everything inside is old-tyme due to several large flat-screen TVs creating a sports bar atmosphere. Their menu also reflects their sports bar theme, featuring wings, burgers, Po’Boys, seafood platters, soups and salads, and some specials. Rated by TripAdvisor #18 out of 66 rated Natchez restaurants, it gets some good recent reviews . . . but also a few disappointed customers. I’d rate it as a fun place to have some brews, watch some games and have good to passable bar food. Reviewers noted happy hour prices are very good.
Have coffee and pastries inside or if the weather is nice, enjoy the attractive outdoor patio at Steampunk Expresso Bar.
Steampunk isn’t a full service restaurant, but rather a coffee house/expresso bar that does serve some bakery items, chocolate, and yogurt to accompany your fresh roasted coffee drink (see the menu here). As their coffee is roasted in the back room of the cafe, you can be assured it is fresh roasted and have a nice selection of brews. You can also get your coffee in a variety of brewing concoctions (expresso, cappuccino, latte, french press, turkish, iced, etc.). We had a dark roast, traditionally brewed with two huge blueberry muffins. They roast and brew a decent cup of coffee and the muffins very good. Comfortable, cozy coffee house atmosphere and good service. Located in a re-purposed historic 1868 cabin, they also have an attractive patio for outside service. Steampunk gets almost a perfect 5.o rating on Trip Advisor so they have lots of satisfied customers. Great place for excellent coffee and light breakfast or afternoon snack.
In March of 2017, our RV was parked at the Natchez Visitor center. From there we walked to the downtown and historic district and passed Fat Mama’s on Canal Street only a few blocks from the Visitor Center. But every time we went by them either we weren’t ready for a meal or had already eaten. They had an attractive looking outdoor patio that seemed an appealing place to dine. It looks like a fun place to eat and I regretted not including it during our visit to Natchez.
Jo enjoying her Fat Mama’s Margarita out on the dining deck.
But we corrected that omission on a later trip. See our Fat Mama’s Restaurant Review. Rated 3rd best Natchez Restaurant on Zomato, people generally love the Tamales, although their menu also includes Po’Boys, Salads, and Casseroles so you aren’t limited. People also rave about the Margaritas, but if that isn’t your favorite, there are also several tap beers and other mixed drinks available.
More Best Natchez Restaurants and Pubs We Must Try on our next Visit
A place we somehow missed on our walk through the Natchez historic district, King’s Tavern is the oldest standing building in Natchez, dating back to 1789. In addition to its history, Kings is noted for its specialty mixed drinks and exceptional flatbread cuisine. The menu doesn’t offer a broad variety of items but what is available is as several reviews have commented “awesome.” But it isn’t a restaurant in the conventional sense. More properly it is a Pub that serves food, which you order at the bar itself. King’s is the #2 rated Natchez restaurant by Trip Advisor, The second floor of the tavern has some ghost history exhibits plus a small gift shop. For the history, ambiance, and a lighter meal, we will make sure to stop here the next time we are in town.
Roux 61 isn’t actually located in Natchez proper but south of town on Route 61. Its rural location offers lots of parking and is an attractive setting. Lots of seating inside and a very popular place with both locals and Natchez visitors. It seems to be the consensus place to go for Seafood and Cajun and Creole dishes in the Natchez area. But if seafood or Cajun isn’t what you want, they get rave reviews on their steak, chicken, pasta, burgers and a wide variety of other dishes. Superb, friendly service. It rates out at the #2 of Best Natchez restaurants on Zomato.
Natchez, Mississippi celebrated its 300 year anniversary in 2016. Rich in historic preservation, Natchez is the oldest city on the Mississippi River and the southern terminus of the historic Natchez Trace, now a Scenic National Parkway which runs over 400 miles through three states.
Antebellum Homes, Historic Mansions & Structures
Natchez was fortunate to have a large number of its historic structures survive the great Civil War. Several Antebellum Homes are open for tours year-round and special Pilgrimage Tours are offered in the spring and fall. Maps for walking tours around town identify numerous other historic buildings, some open to the public for tours. Sprinkled among the historic buildings in the downtown historic district are arts and crafts studios, antique emporiums, specialty shops, and bars and taverns offering southern cuisine and blues music.
Rosalie Mansion (1832) was constructed on the former site of the French Fort Rosalie, built in 1716.
In addition to the Spring & Fall Pilgrimages of historic homes ( March and April, September & October), other annual Natchez events include a month long music festival (in May) and a Food & Wine festival in July.
The Darby Fudge Factory is one of many interesting shops in the downtown historic district.
Natchez National Historic Park
There are two National Park facilities in Natchez. One is the William Johnson House Museum and Visitor Center. William Johnson was a barber and prosperous business man who built this house in downtown Natchez in 1840. The park service has restored the building and furnished it with pre-Civil War furnishings similar to those used by the Johnson family. There are also interactive exhibits depicting the lives of Johnson, his family, and the era that he lived, gleaned from a diary that Johnson kept from 1835 to 1851. What makes this exhibit especially interesting is that Johnson was a free black man and he himself owned several slaves.
The second Natchez National Historical Park facility is located on the edge of town. The 80 acre park includes the former Melrose Plantation estate. The estate includes the main Mansion and numerous out-buildings including the kitchen, dairy, octagonal cistern houses, smoke house, privy, carriage house, barn, and the last remaining slave quarters in Natchez. Some think it is the most complete restoration of a southern plantation in Mississippi. Here’s an excellent article and photos of touring the Melrose Plantation.
Walking Tour City of Natchez Trails
Natchez has organized five walking trails (links lower down the page) covering interesting natural and historic points of interest. One trail runs along the bluff park promenade with scenic views of the Mississippi River; another traces through the downtown historic district. Plaques and kiosks located along the trails give background on the history of some of the more impressive structures. Walking the trails gave us some good exercise and we saw lots of beautifully restored antebellum mansions, smaller private historic register homes and other historic structures. During our stay in Natchez, we boondocked our RV in the parking lot of the Natchez Visitor Center and each day took a different walking tour.
The Natchez Visitor Center should be your first stop on visiting Natchez.
Slide Show of the Natchez Bluff Trail
Scenic views and historical markers along the Bluff Trail
The upper Bluff Trail Walk offers a nice view of the Mississippi River
The gazebo, built by the Spanish in 1790, is the centerpiece of the Bluff Parkway
Thw Ealey Brothers commemorative fountain is along the Bluff walk and is also part of the Blues Trail of historic events and people
The "Bridge of Sighs" is an attractive point of interest along the Bluff Top Trail
A stairway from the Bluff Trail leads to another lower river front trail that runs below the bluff along the river.
Slide Show of Natchez Historic Private Homes
Just a few of the many beautiful restored historic homes in Natchez
Myrtle Terrace was built in 1844
The Parsonage of the Methodist Church was built in 1852
The Dorsey House dates back to 1835
The Cherokee House was built in 1794
Best Restaurants & Places to Eat in Natchez Mississippi
The Camp Restaurant, Bowie Tavern, Fat Mama’s are some of the fun places to dine or just have a burger and beer. See our reviews of these Natchez restaurants and more here: Best Restaurants in Natchez, Mississppi
A family posing with their catch from the morning’s charter fishing cruise
The Margaritaville is one of several bar-dining-shopping-entertainment venues along the Destin Harborwalk.
Destin was founded in the early 1800s as a fishing village by Captain Leonard Destin. While now home to 15,000 year round residents, it retains its connection to the fishing industry with over 150 commercial and charter fishing boats in its fleet. It is a mecca for sport fisherman as well as offering opportunities for anyone who wants to experience cruising in a charter boat and fishing in the gulf. You are not likely to come away without catching some fish.
Destin’s unique protected harbor and white sugar sand beaches made it an ideal spot for development of a gulf coast beach community. Hotels and condos line its beaches offering lots of entertainment for its guests. In addition to the hotel and condo beaches, there are about a dozen public beach access points along the Destin shoreline. There is also a popular beach front state park, Henderson Beach State Park, with over a mile of public beach front for day visitors and campers to enjoy. In total the greater Destin area offers over 24 miles of beach along the emerald green gulf coast waters.
Jo stops to view the schedule for the Dolphin Cruises.
Jo and I stopped for a pair of Bloody Mary’s at one of the many outdoor bars along the HarborWalk.
If you are just visiting for the day, the must-see place in Destin is the Destin Harborwalk village. It is built along an extensive boardwalk and walkway along the Destin’s protected harbor. All sorts of amusements and fun things to do and see are offered along the harborwalk: charter fishing, boat excursions, kayaking, paddle boards, jet skis, parasailing, zip line, dining, seafood, musical entertainment, nightlife, specialty shops are among the many enjoyable recreational pursuits.
We enjoy just walking along the quarter-mile long boardwalk with the fresh gulf air and sights and sounds of so many things going on. We’ll generally stop at one of the outdoor cafes along the boardwalk to get a bite to eat, have a beer, and enjoy the musical entertainment.
