Ballots for our annual Best of Yazoo promotion are piling up, and I’ve been drawn to the Best Hamburger section since Hastee Tastee is now closed, and the restaurant has won this category every year since this newspaper first started taking votes in the 90s.
That got me to thinking about some of the other businesses in Yazoo that are no longer around that I won’t ever forget.
At the top of my mind is Little Yazoo Grocery, which for my family might as well of been Walmart. Every tank of gas we purchased came from there, and we probably bought a gallon of milk there every single day. The store’s owner, Johnny Davis, was like a member of the family, and I can remember many occasions when my Dad called him to hold the store open because we really needed something.
Before that, there were two booming stores in Little Yazoo. Bobby and Sally’s and the Davis’ store were almost next door, and both did good business.
I was a country boy, and when I was growing up the 10 minute drive to Yazoo City was “going to town.” Many of those trips were to Yazoo Cleaners once I got my driver’s license.
It seemed like just about everything my mother wore for work required dry cleaning, and I was constantly hauling loads of clothes to Yazoo Cleaners. The Kings would see me pulling into the parking lot and have Mama’s clothes waiting when I walked in the door.
Another place I’ll always remember on Broadway was Hassin’s. I don’t know if this says more about the quality of the shirts they sold or that I’m too cheap to buy anything new until it’s past its prime, but I still have a couple of dress shirts from Hassin’s that I wear occasionally. They look just like they did when I bought them.
KOK’s was a restaurant on Broadway that I loved. Mama introduced us to egg rolls there, and I don’t think I’ve ever had a better one anywhere. They also had some great hamburgers.
That may seem odd, but another long gone Yazoo restaurant that had a similar contradiction was Jang’s Burger House. The place may have been named for its burgers, but my favorite thing was the shrimp fried rice. A take out order was enough for two meals, and it was wonderful.
Speaking of hamburgers, the cheeseburger was always my favorite thing on the menu at Four Points. My Dad and my brother always preferred the hamburger steak. We also used to drive to Howell’s in Flora for catfish on Friday’s for lunch until Mr. Grady opened a restaurant in Yazoo City.
I remember trips to the Famous Store with my grandmother and stopping by the Jitney Jungle on Broadway on the way back home.
I remember my Dad purchasing a necklace for Mama for Christmas from Pat’s Jewelry on Main Street.
I remember when we had our own version of Bass Pro Shop with Sports World on Broadway.
I remember when the Dairy Queen in Yazoo City seemed better than any fast food place I’ve ever had. When they closed, I discovered the “ice cream with cream” snow cone at the Sugar Shack.
I remember when Mama would send me with a signed blank check and a list to buy grocery from Helton’s where Fred’s is today. Back then they stores always had paperback books near the register, and I almost always slipped one in.
I remember sitting on the stools while Dad purchased tractor parts at Richardson Brothers in Bentonia. He had a charge account there, and sometimes he’d send me to get something for him. I wouldn’t even have to tell them who I was or who to charge it to. I remember how sad those guys looked when I came in to close out Daddy’s account after he died.
I remember getting po boys at Patenotte’s, and how they were somehow better than any I’ve ever had anywhere else.
If you’ve been around Yazoo long enough, you’re probably thinking about some of these places or thinking about other places that are no longer around but still hold a place in your heart.
The good thing is that there are still locally owned businesses that have the same kind of people running them – people who genuinely care about this community. Some of those businesses have been around as long or longer than many of the places I’ve remembered. There are many other places currently operating in our little city that continue to be a part of our community’s identity.
People seem to get more excited about the prospect of a big chain store or restaurant coming to town, but it’s the good local stores and restaurants that leave a lasting impression and offer something unique to our community and give back the most.
I hope that will never change.
