Martin's Downtown

Martin Lassiter opened the doors to Martin’s Downtown in 1953 at the corner of Silas Brown and State as a simple grill serving breakfast and lunch.

In 1984 - two buildings and a liquor license later - one final move brought Martin’s Downtown to its current location at 214 South State Street (right across the alley from Hal & Mal’s). An illness meant Lassiter needed to sell his beloved restaurant and bar, but it was important to him that the place continue to grow and stay within the “family.” So longtime friend Calvin Stodghill purchased Martin’s Downtown in 1997.

Since then, Martin’s and Calvin’s legacies have lived on, and Martin’s Downtown is still a staple of the Jackson community. Joseph Stodghill, Calvin’s son, now owns the restaurant and music venue, and it’s still your neighborhood hangout.

Daily blue-plate specials – posted on chalkboards both outside and inside – feature generous portions of home-cooked favorites like pork chops, baked and fried chicken, pot roast and meatloaf, accompanied by traditional sides like fries, mashed potatoes & gravy, green beans, butter beans, okra, field peas and mac & cheese (plus bread or cornbread and sweet tea, of course). If you’re lucky, there’s still a serving of bread pudding left for dessert.

There’s also a full dinner menu complete with appetizers (wings, fried pickles, smothered “Boss Hawg” fries, nachos, gumbo, fried green tomatoes and more); salads; burgers, chicken and po-boys; pasta; ribeyes and filets; and a full range of seafood including catfish, Gulf shrimp, and redfish.

Martin’s also offers nightly drink specials and live music multiple times a week on the stage of the beautifully-renovated venue in the back room.