In 1935, George Kountouris and John Gouras, Greek immigrants from the small island of Patmos made their way to Mississippi. The dream started small - a hamburger stand - but soon grew into the iconic restaurant of Mayflower Cafe.
Some argue that what makes the Mayflower Cafe special is its consistency, that it’s kept its charm and passion for good food for over 80 years now. Waitresses have stayed on for decades, some twenty years or more, and greet their regulars by name, repeating their same order back to them. Our homemade Comeback sauce has been prepared by the same hands for the past thirty years, a tradition that goes back even farther to Jackson’s Greek immigrant community and their long-standing relationship with restaurant work. Did you know that the famous sauce was born here in Jackson, at another Greek restaurant just around the corner from The Mayflower? “The Mayflower is where people meet. It’s where people take guests. It’s where people return to.”
- Malcom White -
But The Mayflower has always experienced change. At one time a ribeye was seventy-five cents, at another the menu included Chinese dishes like chop suey. Regulars have come and gone, remembered by plaques and pictures and memories. The next chapter would start when third-generation owner Jerry Kountouris, who had been at the helm of the restaurant since 1990, announced that the restaurant would finally be closing its doors.
In 2024, Hunter Evans and Cody McCain, co-owners of Elvie’s, brought in a new generation of ownership and purchased the restaurant. Fresh off a recognition as a James Beard Award Finalist for Best Chef South, the two Jackson natives made the decision to purchase the 89-year institution dubbed “Mississippi’s Original Seafood House.” More change was afoot as the pair hired Sydney Roberts to build a bar program from the ground up with the help of Brandi Carter, of Levure Bottle Shop. They also revamped the iconic neon sign you might recognize from films like The Help, dusted off the empty seafood bins in the front window, and, of course, added a first-floor bathroom, no longer requiring customers to venture through the busy kitchen and up a precarious flight of stairs. You can still catch a peek of the line in action, however, through a newly added window on your way to freshen up. These renovations were all inspired by the storied history of the restaurant, bringing back design elements that were found through old photographs and newspaper articles.
Generations have dined at the Mayflower Cafe, from senators and mayors to writers and blues musicians and even your grandmother, probably. Larry is still out front to find you parking and make you feel like royalty. Frank and Terry are still here to bus your table and chat with you about this week’s football matchups. Qunika and Shug still make sure your blue plate is hot, and Monroe still cooks your redfish in the same fish sauce you remember from all those years ago.
Our menu tells the story of this place, of the Greek immigrants who came to Mississippi with a dream and the citizens of Jackson who kept that dream alive with their loyalty and patronage. A new chapter doesn’t mean the past becomes forgotten. So join us for lunch or make plans for dinner. Whether you’ve been coming here since before you were born or you’re just passing through town, we’d love for you to be a part of this very old story made new again. The Comeback and crackers will be waiting for you at the table, just like it always has been.