On my final day in Jackson, Mississippi, I made my way back downtown to Two Sisters Kitchen for lunch.  During my wonderful morning ride, my friend told me that her husband loves fried chicken and considers this place to have the best. That is saying a lot. So I figured at some point, I would have to make my way here before I left.

Known as the taste of the South, Two Sisters Kitchen opened in June 1989 in a historic two-story home that was originally built in 1903. Located at 707 North Congress Street, Jackson, MS 39202 on the corner of Congress and George Street Congress is a residential and commercial street that is lined with beautiful trees which gives off a very Southern vibe. The restaurant is also located directly across the street from the Supreme Court Clerk. The entrance of the restaurant is also located on Congress as well as the entrance to the parking lot. Two Sisters looks like an old Southern House with a front porch, screen door, and rocking chairs. Off to the left side, there was an outdoor area for seating that was covered and a portion left covered. The restaurant is only open for lunch M-F from 11am-2pm and Sunday from 11:30am-3pm.

When I entered the restaurant, I was immediately in the buffet area. To the left of the entrance was the cashier and host area to be seated. What would had been a living room if in a traditional house with a fireplace, the room was made into a dining room with several tables. I was a little shocked by how small this buffet spread was compared to Mama Hamil’s from last night. There were no small tables for one available when I first arrived so I had to wait all of 3 minutes. The waiting area was located in a middle hallway that was the entrance of another dining room and right by the stairs that lead to additional seating. As I briefly waited, a nice server came by and made sure I was helped, and offered me a drink.

Once seated, I headed over to the buffet line and got started. The Friday lunch buffet included the following (all stared items are things I tried):

A rule of the South is that Fried Chicken is always served on Wednesday and Fried Fish, specifically Catfish is always served on Friday. Fri-day is a day for frying. I do not make the rules but it is a well-known fact! There is no official website for this place that I can find so the pictures on Facebook and my google search gave me a pretty strange impression. For this place to be considered some of the best chicken, the fried chicken color was a bit dark. It almost looked overcooked. But please do not be alarmed or discouraged, this is the seasonings, specifically paprika that darkened the meat and fish. The fried chicken was good, but the catfish was amazing!! It was piping hot and the seasonings were on point. While the chicken was good, I did not find it as amazing as the chicken from Mama Hamil’s. Plus, on my second plate, the chicken was slightly overcooked so it was not as good as the first plate.

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The breakout star of my lunch was the poppy seed chicken casserole. I literally was going to pass on this Southern treat, but the person attending to the buffet recommended that I try a little and I was instantly in love. I have this funny relationship with poppy seeds after seeing a hilarious episode about it on the sitcom Seinfeld called The Shower Head. But one bite will make you forget all about it! Basically, most casseroles are milk, cream, and/or cheese based and this is no different. The gentleman mentioned that it had cream of mushroom in it and shredded chicken, and crackers crushed on top. I went up for another serving trying to figure out how to recreate this at home. Apparently there is cream of mushroom or chicken and sour cream in the mix. Which is a lot and always reminds me of the ridiculously unhealthy recipes from Southern Cook Paula Dean.

As for the sides, the hush puppies were a hit! They were so flavorful and had a bit of a kick with the jalapenos. But the flavors were fantastic. The fried okra was good but not as flavorful as the hush puppies. As for the vegetable, I was not all that impressed with the selection. I got cabbage and corn but both, to me, were under-seasoned. I like to be able to enjoy the seasonings and I did not feel like it was much there. I’ve learned that I am not a fan of cornbread unless it is sweet, preferably Jiffy Cornbread. A lot of true Southerns like their cornbread more savory and less sweet. Here, it was the traditional way so it may not be for me but you may like it if that is your preference. I was bummed that there was not a pan of macaroni and cheese! This was a major disappointment. I’m not even sure they serve it at all.

Once I finished my meal, I remembered that I had not seen a dessert area. The blasphemy! While I waited in the beginning, I remember seeing a tray of banana pudding, but I was not sure. The waitress who had served me sweet tea with fresh lemon and cleaned my plates, asked me what I would like for dessert. This was a bit unexpected. And now, I am a little self-conscious because I wanted to try a few things but I’m not sure if that’s allowed and I don’t want to appear greedy. So I request the peach cobbler only. There was no ice cream either. Bummer! The peach cobbler was tasty! Nice and sweet, had a great broth, the peaches slices were a great size and the crust was flakey and paired well with the sauce of the cobbler.

Overall, I had a pretty good experience at the restaurant. It was extremely hot and humid in there! The windows were sweating along with the people and myself. Had I been wearing my hair straightened, I may have left with an afro unless I sat outside. I cannot imagine what it felt like on the second level. I was disappointed with the size of the buffet and the cost of $16 for such a little selection. But that catfish and that poppy seed chicken makes it all worth another visit. Be sure to check their Facebook page to see what will be served on the specific day for lunch. Bottom line, I will be back here again and you should give it a chance too but go before Mama Hamil’s so you will not get disappointed. The following is my Seven Mac Score for the restaurant:

Thank you for following journey in Jackson, MS in my Jackson, Mississippi in my Jackson, Mississippi Food Diaries! Please be on the lookout for my next post as I return to Baltimore and get back to 50 Best Baltimore Restaurants Challenge of 2016. Also, you can find me on Instagram @finediningdiva and twitter @moderndaybeauty. Also, if you would like to follow my blog to receive notification when a new blog is posted, please send your email to finediningdiva@gmail.com.

And remember: It’s a BIG world and we are going to eat our way through it!