Crystal Grill

Posted By Michael Stern on October 2, 2005 2:07 PM

At the corner of Lamar Street on Carrollton Avenue, halfway between the plush Alluvian Hotel and the great old restaurant Lusco's, is a Greenwood cafe that has been around for a century. Originally a small diner called the Elite catering to C&G Railroad men who'd stop their train on the tracks just across the street for late-night supper, the Crystal Cafe used to be open from 4am until midnight. It's now a lunch-and-supper spot, and a favorite among folks from every walk of life.

We were originally clued into this roadfood find by a barber up in Clarksdale who said that Crystal Grill pies were the best in the Delta. The baker is Annie Johnson, who has made pies her specialty here for the last fifteen years. Her coconut and chocolate pies are lofty meringue monuments, and the lemon ice box pie is an only-in-the-South delight.

The pre-pie menu is an eccentric spectrum of traditional Dixie vegetables, excellent hot tamales, Gulf seafood, and a few kitschy diner delights such as pink velvet frozen salad, which is crushed pineapple, Cool Whip, cherry pie filling, and condensed milk, and a canned pear half topped with mayonnaise and grated yellow cheese.

Remodeled and expanded many times over the years, the Crystal Grill today is a cozy maze of small dining rooms that are near enough together that the tone at lunch is noisy and boisterous, like a town birthday party to which everyone is invited.

Posted By karl hattensr on November 21, 2011 11:38 AM

Extensive menu, service is excellent, price reasonable. One of the best restaurants in Mississippi.