With family and friends in town for the holidays, it’s a perfect time to introduce them to West Tennessee’s best food, and this fall’s #OurJacksonTable recap is a great place to start. Check out what we tried the last few months, then join us as we hit 150 restaurants visited by the end of spring.

Matlock’s Food Truck

Food truck | 31.215.0201 | $$

Matlock’s offers a unique variety of meaty sandwiches, from grilled chicken and burgers to steak and tenderloin, not to mention the amazing toppings like Gouda, horseradish bacon cheddar spread, and umami sauce. Sandwiches run $7 to $9, and you can always add chips and a drink for $1 each.

Wood Smokin Good

Food truck | $$

Elote! The Wood Smokin Good food truck specializes in BBQ and street corn, meeting somewhere between Mexico and Tennessee. Sandwiches are $8, and the $10 plates include baked beans, potato salad, and a drink, but the corn is where the real fun begins. For $5, you can try traditional Mexican corn or venture out with Cheeto or Dorito corn.

Mama Baudo’s Chow Bella

429 Walker Road, Suite A | 731.240.1550 | $$

Mama Baudo's Chow Bella is here, and we’re piling on the pasta! This fast casual spot offers create-your-own-pasta for $8, where you can choose between eleven different pastas and six different sauces, as well as a variety of proteins for an additional $4 to $6. Indecisive? Try the $12 daily specials, not to mention the salads, soups, and desserts for $4 to $6.

Don Pancho

1081 Vann Drive | 731.664.2000 | $$

This Jackson staple has all the Mexican classics you crave, from fajitas and quesadillas to burritos and enchiladas. Their diverse lunch specials range $7 to $9, dinners are $8 to $16, and a la carte items start as low as $2.29. Make sure to check out their specialities and favorites like the Armando Special, Monster Chimichanga, and Tacos Don Pancho, or stick with their Healthy You menu for a variety of low-calorie, low-fat dishes.

Cloud 9 Nutrition / Hub City Nutrition / Life Up Nutrition

2162 South Highland Avenue | 731.426.3131
865 Vann Drive, Suite D | 731.803.2320 | $$

Looking for a healthy lunch with some pizazz? Try Cloud 9, Hub City, or Life Up Nutrition! Between their $8.50 meal replacement protein shakes, $7 loaded teas, and $3 kids’ drinks, there’s something for everyone—especially with over 100 unique flavor combos! From teas like cool cucumber lime, fuzzy navel, and Arnold Palmer to shakes that taste like banana pudding, cookie dough, and s’mores, you’ve got endless options, and your kiddos will love drinks with names like Peppa Pig, Cinderella, and Batman.

La Michoacana

566 Carriage House Drive | $

This Memphis shop has come to Jackson, and we can’t get enough of their pops, cones, and other yummy snacks. Whether you’re feeling like tres leches, guava, key lime pie, or another of their three dozen other flavors, you can get your sweet fix for just a $2.25 popsicle or $3 to $5 ice cream, not to mention their 16 oz. fresh fruit cups. And if you’re craving something on the saltier side, check out their nachos, papas locas, of elote for under $7, and pair it with a refreshing aguas fresca for just $3.

RipRock’s GrillPub

Food truck (103 Highway 18) | 615.804.2628 | $$

If you’re wondering what a brisket grilled cheese looks like, make sure to pop over to the RipRock's GrillPub food truck next time you’re out south (it’s right beside Lowe’s), where you’ll smell the smokey goodness for miles. RipRock’s specializes in brisket and pork, which you can enjoy in the form of a sandwich or potato, alongside some unforgettable baked beans, spicy pickles, and roasted potatoes. Meals run $8 to $10, and they accept cards, too!

3 Kool Kids

3100 North Highland Avenue | 731.343.1219 | $

This shaved ice biz run by the children of Saucy Jake’s Street Food’s owners is where it’s at. Whether you’re feeling something fruity or more in the vanilla side, you’ll be refreshed for just a couple of bucks. Who says you can’t enjoy shaved ice in cold weather?

The Wagon Wheel

1649 South Highland Avenue | 731.240.1583 | $$

Nothing brightens a rainy day like some down-home cookin’, and the recently opened The Wagon Wheel really knows how to hit the spot. Either choose a plate like fish, burgers, or BBQ nachos for $6 to $10, or enjoy the full scope of their buffet for just $10 at lunch and $13 on evenings and weekends. Other specialties include loaded potatoes, soups and salads, and some fantastic desserts.

Doughsserts

Food truck | 731.446.2856 | $

Christmas cookie season has us daydreaming of this 731Day treat. The Doughsserts food truck is best known for their edible cookie dough—ranging from chocolate chip to peanut butter to brownie batter—but they’ve also got ice cream, shaved ice, and a huge range of other desserts. Scoops start at $5, shaved ice ranges $2 to $4, and everything else is under $5.

Callahan’s Grill

Food truck (Corner of South Royal Street and East Chester Street) | 731.202.1513 | $

Any gyro fans out there? Check out Callahan's Grill on the corner of Royal and Chester. From sausages and steak sandwiches to wings and ribs, you’re bound to leave full for just $4 to $8. All meals come with fries, and make sure to ask about the $5 daily special that includes a drink, too. Wanna feed the whole fam? Order ahead their ribs or chicken dinners and pick up before closing at 4:30pm.

LIFT Wellness Center Café

101 Jackson Walk Plaza | 731.427.7048 | $

Did you know you can get Nashville’s Bongo Java coffee right here in Jackson? This December the LIFT Wellness Center cafe is offering $1 off lattes on Fridays, so head over for yours today, available with flavors like mocha, caramel and even some sugar-free options! Plain coffee starts at $2.25, frappes are $4.50, and cappuccinos and americanos run $3 to $4.

Originally from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Katie Howerton moved to Jackson in 2011 to study Graphic Design and Drawing at Union University. She discovered Our Jackson Home in January 2015 and used it as a guinea pig for her senior design project, creating the first issue of Our Jackson Home: The Magazine. After graduating she was given leadership over Our Jackson Home at theCO, where she now runs the blog, designs the magazine, and coordinates events. She lives with her husband Jordan and daughter November in Midtown and loves her community at City Fellowship Baptist Church.

Photography by Katie Howerton.

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