Fannin Mart is a 30-year family-owned restaurant in Flowood, MS where they serve tea in Mason jars and some of the metro area’s best fried chicken in a family-friendly atmosphere.
Fannin Mart wasn’t supposed to be a restaurant.
Over 30 years ago, the Page family opened the business as a country grocery store. Eventually, they started selling burgers and pizza, but Mrs. Barbara Page made sure to cook some vegetables for
her children while she was working. The smell of a home cooked meal brought in workers who were building Highway 25, and pretty soon the now-iconic Rankin County restaurant was born. Eventually, Fannin Mart added some of the metro area’s best fried chicken to the menu as well.
Fannin Mart was the first place I had ever seen sweet tea served in Mason jars. As a child, it was such a treat when we’d drive out there after church for Sunday dinner. The approachable home cooked meal was a family favorite. I will never forget the tastes and smells of the restaurant. I couldn’t wait to get a piece of their incredible homemade cornbread. The fried chicken and fresh vegetables that I love now were just something that I had to eat so that I could get dessert. And the desserts were always worth it.
Since then, Fannin Mart has moved closer to Jackson.
The food is still made fresh daily, and the fried chicken is still amazing. I don’t always get dessert like I used to, but sometimes I can’t resist the Banana Split Pie. The daily menu is written by hand on brown paper bags, and, because the Page family still runs it, there remains the definite feel of a family owned and operated business. The inside is as welcoming as ever with its bright, clean, and airy feel. The checkerboard table cloths and flowers on the table make it feel more like going to someone’s grandparents’ home than a restaurant.
I recommend stopping by for some amazing fried chicken and some of the friendliest service in central Mississippi. Fannin Mart is an enduring monument to the great Southern lunch. And, yes, the tea is still served in Mason jars.
Fannin Mart is open daily for lunch from 10:30-2:00 except on Saturdays.