"Jump, Sim, while you have the time...."

July 5 (Sunday)-Jackson, TN
Day 4
Old Country Store in Casey Jones Village I-40 exit 80A

At 7pm the country buffet was dwindling down but the best thing on the menu was still the famous Baba’s Cracklin’ Cornbread (Hoe Cake) listed in the “100 Southern Foods You Absolutely, Positively Must Try Before You Die” in an article written by John T. Edge in the November issue of the Southern lifestyle and sporting magazine, Garden & Gun. This restaurant has a one diamond rating from AAA. True to their rating this is a “no-frills” basic hospitality establishment. The buffet cost $10.95 for adults, kids are priced at .50 times their age and kids 2 and under eat free. The new museum and the surrounding shops were closed but the gift shop and old fashion ice cream parlor are open until 9pm.

Throughout the evening we heard several crashes in the kitchen and although the tables were well cleaned in between patrons the floors were not. As we left, the restaurant was packed 30 min before closing the day after a national holiday. They could have used more staff to man the buffet and rotate dining areas to give the staff time to clean.

Would Mama Camp stop there again? Yes, to let the kids visit the museum and ice cream parlor. No, to the buffet…we’ll take our Cracklin’ Cornbread to go, thank you. Camp Daddy thought the greens and other southern fare on the buffet were “quite tasty”. The Camp Directory couldn’t get past the filthy floor that looked like it hasn’t been cleaned in 50 years. The restaurant had pristine dining rooms that can be seen through the large front windows but diner beware…this is not where YOU will be dining.

Activity Fee: $22.40 plus tip
(We received an unsolicited discount…all diners that night received a discount for the buffet being “low”) Maybe we were there on an off night?

Restaurant Link: Old Country Store in Casey Jones Village
List: “100 Southern Foods You Absolutely, Positively Must Try Before You Die”
City Website: Jackson, TN