Oxford Is Losing a BBQ Joint

With the closing of Lamar Lounge, the town of Oxford, Mississippi, is losing a much respected barbecue joint.

By Robert F. Moss

The Oxford Eagle reports that noted chef and restauranteur John Currence of Oxford, MS, has temporarily closed down the Lamar Lounge and is shifting the format away from barbecue.

The restaurant's wood-cooked whole hog barbecue—a rarity these days in Mississippi—had drawn much praise, but Currence told the Eagle that it just wasn't generating the revenue. The Lamar Burger, in fact, outsold the barbecue by 4 to 1.

Must be a pretty damn good burger.

About the Author

Robert F. Moss

Robert F. Moss is the Contributing Barbecue Editor for Southern Living magazine, Restaurant Critic for the Post & Courier, and the author of numerous books on Southern food and drink, including The Lost Southern Chefs, Barbecue: The History of an American Institution, Southern Spirits: 400 Years of Drinking in the American South, and Barbecue Lovers: The Carolinas. He lives in Charleston, South Carolina.