Tupelo Honey is delicious, but be patient
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Tupelo Honey is known for its fried chicken, and the shrimp and grits dinner is as good as you'll find in Ohio. Photos: Tyler Buchanan/Axios
I recently saw the "Elvis" movie and once visited his hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi, so it made sense to try Tupelo Honey for a 614 Restaurant Week feast.
- The growing "southern kitchen" chain opened its first Ohio location in Upper Arlington two years ago.
The bad news: A severely backed-up kitchen was no longer taking three-course Restaurant Week orders when I visited Wednesday evening.
- Instead, I ordered a delicious peach sangria and a cast-iron pimento cheese dip, which was fantastic but came with criminally few tortilla chips.
After waiting over an hour, finally the main event: a gorgeous plate of fried chicken sprinkled with a sweet spice Tupelo calls "Bee Dust."
- The accompanying crispy potatoes were the surprise hit of the night, while the end-of-the-batch mac and cheese was nothing to write Colonel Tom Parker about.
Vibe check: Airy, modern-farmhouse chic — imagine a slightly healthier The Eagle with better lighting.
Reality check: This was a rare date night away from the 1 year old. I'd have paid for Tupelo's kitchen to take longer.
- Nevertheless, our server offered a generous drink and discount for the long wait.
The bottom line: Perhaps wait until the Restaurant Week rush is over … and bring a sudoku puzzle to pass the time.
If you go: Hours vary, reservations recommended. 1678 W. Lane Ave.
More Restaurant Week offers, through Saturday
