The Old Country Store and the BEST Fried Chicken in the World

At mile marker thirty of the Natchez Trace Parkway, you get off on highway 522 and head toward Lormar, Mississippi. You go about a mile then take a right, About a mile further down on the right you come across an old, old building, kind of run down and not really very appealing. I’m pretty sure after 40 years of marriage that we wouldn’t have stopped had someone hadn’t told us about this place, The Old Country Store.

And old it is. The building itself is 130 years old. Believe me, it looks it, too and that’s why we probably wouldn’t have stopped. But we did. So, how did we get there? Wha tmade us stop? Well, while traveling up the Trace Parkway, which is gorgeous and well worth the trip, we stopped at one of the original Inns on the Trace. The Inns were actually called “Stands.” Mount Locust Stand was one of the first stands and the only surviving stand. It was restored and set up to show both what travelers on the Natchez trace saw and how the owners lived on the plantation/farm after the stand closed.

Ranger Rick, the Park Ranger, was very knowledgeable and friendly. When the tour was finished, Ranger Rick asked if we wanted a good place to eat lunch. I said, “Sure.” Ranger Rick directed us to The Old Country Store and told us it was “the best fried chicken you’ll ever taste.” So, off we went to Mr. D’s Old Country Store.

You have to climb steps or walk up a long wooden ramp, to get there. The hand rail was loose and wobbly. Everything needed at least two coats of paint. When we entered the door screeched and all the floor boards creaked but we were greeted warmly and told to sit anywhere. We were then welcomed to the buffet where the chicken was.

Let me tell you about the buffet. Everything was fresh made. There was nothing canned. Mr. D, Arthur Davis, cooks it all. I got a cucumber, onion and tomato salad. The old southern kind with vinegar and some other seasonings. Of course, I got the fried chicken but I also got one of Mr. D’s ribs. Then there was dirty rice, blackeyed peas (thick with ham and hulls); and cornbread stuffing. I also orderd sweet tea. I usually drink unsweetened but this was recommended.

We sat down, said grace and dug in. I went after that cucumber salad first. It was just right. I looked over at Mary just as she was taking her first bite of chicken. One bite and her eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning. And even though it is impolite to talk with your mouth full, she let out a little moan and said, “Ohhh, this is good!”

Well, I couldn’t wait any longer then. And was she ever right. All it took was one bite and I was in taste bud heaven. I honestly have to say that this was THE BEST fried chicken I have ever ever ever tasted. And as a United Methodist minister I’ve had plenty of opportunity to eat my share of fried chicken. Sorry Mom. Sorry Mary. Thanks Mr. D.

Mr. D. says the recipe and cooking technique was passed from his grandmother to his mother and then on to him. When I get to heaven, I’m going to personally thank his grandmother for passing it on so the rest of us could share. The chicken was moist and succulent, not overcooked or undercooked but just right. The crust was crispy and the balance of seasonings (whatever they were) absolutely perfect.

I’ve got to tell you, Arthur Davis can fry chicken better than any old man from Kentucky, any old sailor with a squinky eye, and while I “know what good is” I just discovered what “great” is and it’s not cornflakes, it’s Arthur Davis’ fried chicken at The Old Country Store in Lormar, Mississippi. Thanks for the tip Ranger Rick.

To top off our visit, Mr. D. came out to greet us all. Without even asking, he autographed a flier for the place to Mary and I and gave it to us. And then he serenaded the whole place with “My grandma was a cornbread making queen.” Beautiful voice. He told the whole place, “Don’t feel sorry for the man in the kitchen, this ain’t a job, it’s a hobby.”

When we checked out I told Mr. D that I fully expected he would be the chief cook for Sunday Dinner when we all got to heaven. He laughed and said, “Well, my Mama’s got that job right now, but when I die, I’m gonna relieve her so she can finally rest.”

If you’re ever traveling along the Natchez Trace be sure to stop in Lormar, just off the Trace, and sample Arthur Davis’ heavenly fried chicken at The Old Country Store, You won’t be disappointed.