Restaurant Review: Leatha's Bar-B-Que Inn

Sometimes, I can't stand the sameness of this country. When you cruise down North Fairfield Road in Fairborn OH, Houston Road in Florence KY, Kingston Pike in Knoxville TN, or Hardy Street in Hattiesburg, MS you are guaranteed to see the exact same damn restaurants. Red Lobster. Applebees. Olive Garden. Outback. They'll all be there. So even though you have travelled hundred of miles you can still munch down the same damn meal you've been eating for the last 25 years.

Thankfully, if you look hard enough, you can find those hidden gems. Places that serve excellent food. Food that makes you start planning your next trip back after your first bite. And 9 times out of 10 the food is not only outstanding but also costs no more than your bland every city in America has one fare.

So when people visit me in Knoxville I feel I am obligated to share the great local places I've found. Come stay with me for a weekend and you will have some of the best barbecue you've ever tasted. On Sunday we'll go have brunch at the Sunspot and you'll be treated to some excellent nachos and a wide variety of innovative breakfast foods.

Recently, I had the pleasure of traveling to Hattiesburg, Mississippi. I had previously only driven through Mississippi on my way to New Orleans and was less than impressed. And after flying into the smallest airport I've ever seen (one gate) and having the hotel's clerk tell me "Applebees" when I asked what were some good local restaurants I didn't see myself changing this view.

Rather than take the clerk's advice, I used my complimentary free Internet access to do a search on Hattiesburg's Restaurants. It was here I found Leatha's Bar-B-Que Inn. The description sounded like a dream, and the website made the restaurant sound perfect.

Finding the restaurant proved a more difficult challenge. It was hidden off of the main route behind a maze of trailers. As I pulled into the parking lot I knew I was in for a treat. The building may have looked a bit old but the smell coming from it was heavenly.

Inside, the restaurant was full of folks enjoying the BBQ and watching basketball on the TV. I ordered the half and half (choice of two meats...I got chicken and pork), the secret recipe slaw, and the baked beans. The slaw was some of the best I've ever had, and the pork slid right off the bones. The meal was absolutely outstanding, and was right up there with the Smokehouse for the Best BBQ I've ever had.

I'm just amazed that the hotel clerk had no idea this little gem was less than 3 miles from his hotel. Or maybe he thought an out-of-towner like myself wouldn't appreciate some excellent cooking. But people I beg you. I implore you. When you go on vacation or business trips, take the time to check out the local cuisine. Don't go to Applebees!

Other places I checked out in Hattiesburg:

Crescent City Grill : As you no doubt know by the name, this restaurant serves up New Orleans cuisine. The service was great and the jambalaya was tasty. If you can only stop at one place go to Leatha's, but if you need another place I recommend this one.

Stricks Original Bar-B-Q : I saw this place on the way back from a run on the gorgeous Longleaf Trace Trail. The sign outside advertised crawdads and I decided I had to give them a try. 5 lbs of crawdads and much sweat and tears later and I've decided that next time I'll order 1 lb and a pulled pork sammich. The crawdads were good, but took waaaay too much work. And I still need to learn how to suck the heads.

Walnut Square Pharmacy and Ice Cream Parlor: This place was located in historic downtown Hattiesburg. They had an old fashioned ice cream counter and I highly recommend the Praline-N-Cream.