Dixon's Diner Fish House

Willie Dixon’s Seafood or Dixon’s Diner Fish House as most know it.

A Mom and Pop Eatery

I love my fair share of Jackson Mom and Pop eateries, and admittedly, I’ve eaten at just about all of them. However, one place I have not had the good fortune of dining is Dixon’s Diner Fish House. Owned by Mr. Willie Dixon, this modest eatery has a mostly “to-go” customer base, with Mr. Dixon knowing most by name and their usual order. There’s also space for dining in and a television to catch some of Mr. Dixon’s Western shows or the local news.

Despite the name, the menu offerings go well beyond seafood and fish. You can find everything from chitterlings to pork chop sandwiches, ribs, and pecan pie at Dixon’s. Although I’ve heard great things about the other items, I cannot go to a fish house for the first time and not test out the fish.

Mr. Dixon took my order at the counter and was extremely helpful as I perused the menu. I admit, my attempts to call in my order, based upon the advice of a few others, and was met with frustration. The telephone number listed for the establishment has changed, and Mr. Dixon has the new number handwritten on his menus. He points out the new number to you as you review the menu, so you can have it for the next time you want to call in and pick up (like the regulars do it).

My Meal

I ordered the Catfish plate, which comes with your choice of two sides. Sides range from onion rings to fried pickles and everything in between. I went with the hand battered onion rings and French- fries as my sides. The plate came with three perfectly fried and seasoned fillets of locally sourced catfish; Flaky on the inside, crisp and flavorful on the outside. The onion rings were delicious and sweet, with the batter fried perfectly. The fries were your standard crinkle cut fries. I’ll try the fried pickles next time, as I hear they are quite the selling point of sides at Dixon’s; Back to the fish for a moment. Admittedly, this may be the best catfish plate I’ve had of all the places you can get such a dish in Jackson. As an added bonus, Mr. Dixon has small containers and lids for you to self-pour and go for the road. I appreciated that convenience a great deal. The price point for the plate pales in comparison to the quality and the quantity of the food. I now know why the faithful foodies patronize Dixon’s Diner Fish House as well as they do.

Cash Only

The hours of operation are pretty fluid, so it is best to call first. For you card and chip carriers, Mr. Dixon is old school and accepts cash only, so plan ahead. There’s a mysterious, and dated, property for-sale sign outside the restaurant, which was confusing to me as it may also be for others. But rest assured, Willie Dixon’s Seafood a.k.a. Dixon’s Diner Fish House is open, in operation, and will be around to stay for a long time. I look forward to calling the new number in the future for all of my call-in and pick-up orders, and you should too: 601-983-7234.

Carlyn Hicks

Carlyn Hicks, founder of Jackson Foodies, lover of all things culinary, pro-Jackson advocate. All opinions expressed in this post are the opinions of the writer and not necessarily those of Sipp Jackson.