We’ll set the scene. You are looking for weekend activities in Tupelo. We’re going assume you’re a fan of Elvis, or even just curious about him. You may have listened to Mojo a bit too much, and you believe that Elvis is everywhere This is especially true in Tupelo. Here’s what we are going to do. We’ll take you on a weekend trip in Tupelo, with as many Elvis references as we can. Please accept my heartfelt thanks .
Arrive at Hilton Garden Inn on Friday afternoon
It’s not a hotel of heartbreak. Elvis didn’t sing a song about an upscale hotel with a great location. Hilton maintains high standards of quality for its price range, and Tupelo Hilton Garden Inn is very clean and tidy.
We were most excited to be in the heart of downtown. The BancorpSouth Arena, the largest indoor multi-purpose arena in Mississippi and the Tupelo Visitor’s Center were just a few steps away.
You’re missing out if you haven’t been to downtown Tupelo. Tupelo has been named All-America City 5 times, the only Southern city to have done so. Tupelo is not only known for the Elvis Guitar Trail or self-guided Elvis Tour but also because of its vibrant local shops that make shopping an experience.
Enjoy the late afternoon on Friday in Downtown Tupelo
Downtown Tupelo is a great place to visit if you enjoy boutique shopping, street artwork, local restaurants and even a passing interest for The King of Rock and Roll. You should check out the Caron Gallery, which specializes in local Mississippi art. RAW Furniture Company creates handmade furniture using reclaimed Mississippi hardwood. Tupelo hardware is another must-stop store. This is where Elvis purchased his first guitar.
Plan ahead because most of these stores close at 5:30 on weeknights. They are also only open a few hours Saturday morning and are all closed on Sunday. After the shops close, you can take the Elvis Tour to places like the Lee County Courthouse where Elvis sang his first song on radio in 1946 and the Elvis Homecoming statue where Elvis performed to a large crowd in 1956 and received the key to the City.
You can make your own comfort food tour. Start with the Crave Coffee Peanut Butter Smash. It’s a creamy and cold peanut butter pie topped with an Oreo cookie crust. Imagine you want something (just a bit) lighter. PoPsy has an Elvis PoPsy gourmet popsicle that is made from peanut butter, honey, bananas, and bananas before being covered in organic milk chocolate. There’s also the HOLLYPOPS Banana Peanut Butter Cupcake. This banana-flavored cupcake is shaped like a guitar and has peanut butter icing with chocolate drizzle. Mixing peanut butter with chocolate and bananas will give you Elvis comfort food.
Kermit’s Outlaw Kitchen – Friday Night Dinner
Kermit’s Outlaw Kitchen is not associated with Muppets or green frogs. The restaurant is always on lists of must-eats in Mississippi because it’s committed to serving up home cooking done right. It’s the place where Mississippi farms meet Mississippi plates, as they say.
Don’t Ask Me Why. I tried to find a link between Kentucky Rain and Pocket Full of Rainbows but couldn’t. I love Wood-Grilled Meat and craft cocktails. I’ll just have to leave it at that.
Saturday Morning – Breakfast at Butterbean
Butterbean is a famous coffee and breakfast place known for its biscuits. We are fueling you for a busy Saturday. Such a Simple Question was our response when asked what we wanted to eat for breakfast. We ordered a selection of biscuits with gravy, and gourmet coffee.
We’ve never seen a flight of biscuits and gravy before so we thought It’s now or never. The biscuits and sweet gravies were perfect. The savory sauce was ok but you have to try it.
Saturday Day Trip / Tanglefoot Trail or Natchez Trace
You can do this if you arrived too late on Friday night to visit downtown. The 45-mile Rails-to-Trails Hall of Fame Tanglefoot trail can be swapped for a self-guided Elvis Bike Tour. You ain’t nothing but a hound dog. Cycling all the time.
You can drive the Natchez Trace if you don’t like riding or aren’t able to eat all of that delicious food in Tupelo. The Natchez Trace is one of America’s most scenic roads. Its headquarters are located just outside Tupelo.
Romie’s Grocery: Saturday Dinner
This former neighborhood grocery turned local hangout place says, “Put a little South into your mouth.” They’re underselling themselves, I think. Romie’s will put a little South into your mouth, feet, ears and, most importantly, soul. “Rhythm is a quality that you either possess or lack, but once you do, it’s all over.”
On Saturday, there is a Crawfish boiling and live music in the patio. “I don’t know anything about the music.” You don’t need to in my line. I realized how much I missed live music when we were eating at Romie’s on the patio.
Sunday Breakfast at Strange Brew
Strange is an adjective which means surprising or unusual in a manner that is difficult to understand. Strange Brew is an old gas station that has been turned into a coffee shop. It’s important to remember that strangeness can be positive. Being unusual or surprising is a good thing. The coffee was excellent, and as the King said, “I would like to be treated as a regular customer.” We felt at home, welcomed, and like regular customers coming in daily for a cup of coffee.
Strange Brew: A Pilgrimage
Elvis is too easily pictured as a Las Vegas show or a boy gyrating to Ed Sullivan. Elvis was poor in Tupelo before Graceland. ” Ambition with a V-8 engine” is an apt description of Elvis’s early years.
The Birthplace has a museum. It also includes the shotgun house where he grew up, as well as the church he attended in his youth. ” An image is just one thing. The human being is quite another.” You can meet Elvis the man, and not Elvis the rock and roll king, by walking through these exhibits.
Sunday Brunch in Tupelo: The Search for the Best Sunday Brunch
We went to The Grillehouse Sunday brunch on our weekend trip to Tupelo. The prime grade dry-aged Ribeye aged 45 days was delicious. They have discontinued their brunch service so it is best to try them another day.
Johnnie’s Drive-In, another Tupelo institution, is decorated with Elvis memorabilia. This includes the table at which Elvis ate as a child. The Forklift offers handcrafted, locally sourced southern cuisine. We’d call it Southern Elevated. Both of these restaurants are closed on Sundays (Forklift also closes Mondays), so it’s not a great choice for a Sunday Brunch.
We loved Brick and Spoon. It is open daily until 2:00. Travel + Leisure rated them as one of the 10 best breakfasts in America. The perfect place to fuel yourself up before the trip home. This isn’t Elvis Meatloaf but it does the job.
Tupelo MS Things to do: A Wrap-up
Tupelo has plenty to offer Elvis fans and non-Elvis fans alike. This is the perfect-sized town to feel comfortable while enjoying delicious food and learning about the rich history. Expect southern hospitality and warmth, not a posh town. Try something sweet, like banana and peanut-butter, and remember that the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, was born in this area.