This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune.
- Officials from Visit Hattiesburg have identified a variety of hamburger offerings at 33 restaurants around the city.
The city of Hattiesburg is known for many things. The University of Southern Mississippi. Stunning natural surroundings. Top class medical facilities. And hamburgers.
Officials from Visit Hattiesburg have identified a variety of hamburger offerings at 33 restaurants around the city and they have created a hamburger trail, complete with a ceremonial ribbon cutting. The trail runs west from Hattiesburg to downtown, and was developed to kick off Hattiesburg’s third annual Restaurant Week last fall.
“Fulfilling our mission of attracting visitors to Hattiesburg, we are always exploring best practices in the travel and tourism industry,” said Marlo Dorsey, executive director of Visit Hattiesburg. “Nationwide, foodie trails and tours are highly popular, and it’s certainly a big growth opportunity for us. Hattiesburg’s culinary sector draws people from far and wide, and this new addition of the Hatties[burger] Trail is now one more delicious and fun reason to visit the Hub City.”
Food trails have become quite popular in Mississippi. We have the Mississippi Tamale Trail, the Mississippi Seafood Trail, the Farm-to-Fork Foodie Trail in the Mississippi Hill country, and the Mississippi Barbeque Trail.
Most of those trails cross different parts of the state, but the Hattiesburger Trail is contained within the city limits of Hattiesburg. Hamburger stops on the west side of town include Pier 98 Bar & Grill, Cotton Blues Kitchen & Marketplace, Po-Boy Express and Sidelines Sports Café.
Midtown Hattiesburg includes several restaurants in The District at Midtown – including Ed’s Burger Joint – along with Strick’s BBQ, Burger Theory, Sully’s Tavern and more.
The Avenues features restaurants such as the iconic Gold Post, Colludium Brewing Company, Petra Café and Murky Waters.
Downtown Hattiesburg offers stops such as the historic Coney Island Café, opened in 1923 by Arthur Fokakis, a Greek immigrant. The restaurant is now owned and operated by a fourth generation in the Fokakis family. Other downtown burger offerings can be found at the Art of Roux Food Truck, and yes, even at Triangle Seafood.
Robert St. John, owner of The Midtowner, Crescent City Grill and Ed’s Burger Joint, said he is honored that Visit Hattiesburg chose those restaurants to highlight on the Hatties[burger] Trail.
“One of the best-kept secrets in town is the burger at Crescent City,” he said. “But at Ed’s, it’s what we do, and what we do best. At Ed’s we use Certified Angus beef with the two-patty method. When you use two patties, there is more surface area to grill and that’s where all of the flavor is developed. We appreciate the good folks at Visit Hattiesburg for showcasing all of the great burgers that are available in our area, and we are proud to be among that number.”
A full list of stops can be found online at www.visithburg.org, and brochures detailing the trail and its stops can be picked up outside the Hattiesburg Visitor’s Center.
“Download a copy of the new brochure, and then go try some hamburgers in Hattiesburg,” said Kristen Brock, director of programs and promotions at Visit Hattiesburg.
This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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