I grew up eating Southern cuisine in Mississippi, and I have enjoyed Ms. Mary's on several visits, usually during the lunch hour. Unfortunately, as of this writing (08/31/07) things seem to have changed. The service is nothing special now -- pretty much like what you'll find in a lot of places with waitstaff on automatic pilot. The meatloaf was a little dry and somewhat tasteless with some kind of tomato concoction slopped on it. The vegetables (green beans and yellow squash) tasted as though little effort or real seasoning had been added, and the corn bread tasted almost sour. The peach cobbler was a good as ever, though. Even the decor has changed somewhat with an overemphasis on cheap-looking art depicting stereotypical, or at the very least, done-to-death images of Africans or African Americam jazz musicians. All traces of the family history that had previously been depicted or hinted at seemed to be gone. In a nutshell, today's meal did not taste like good Southern cooking, the dining room had no down-home personality, and the service did not feel like anyone there was really into or had a clue about Southern hospitality. It's really sad to think that something so good might be ending.
Pros: It's still cheap and easy to get to.
Cons: The service is run-of-the-mill.
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