Big Apple Inn — Restaurant in Jackson

A Mississippi friend had insisted that I try the pig ear sandwich next time I went through Jackson. He told me it was world famous and had been featured on several national programs so I was looking forward to trying it. I really had no idea what to expect, I just put the name in my GPS and followed the onscreen directions.

Imagine my surprise when it took me to this tiny little "hole-in-the-wall" that didn't look all that impressive on the outside. But when I opened the door the aroma proved I was in the right place! Plus the long line of locals lined up waiting to order!

Interestingly there was a tour group in the back from out of state that was being given a wonderful orientation by an animated fellow (the owner?) who stood on the counter and recounted the history and the uniqueness of the place. I loved hearing his enthusiasm and passion for all things Big Apple Inn. He was delightful.

The ladies filling the orders worked NON-STOP and were like machines. They were obviously very experienced and very good at what they did.

I didn't really know what to order so I stepped up to the counter and told them I was from out of state but had been told I just had to try their pig ear sandwich. They laughed and suggested I pair it with another type of sandwich so I followed their suggestion and placed my order.

It took about half an hour because there were so many orders in front of mine and I enjoyed watching the staff methodically fulfill the orders while I listened to the banter of the faithful locals and listened to the excellent narrative from the impassioned orator.

I had gotten mine to go and when I got back to the truck I was excited to dig in. I ate the pig-ear sandwich first and actually enjoyed it. The consistency was like a lasagna noodle and the pairing with the Cole Slaw, mustard and excellent BBQ sauce made it superb. The other (regular pork?) sandwich was just as delicious!

I can see why people rave about this place and look forward to returning on a future trip through Jackson. We need more great places like this that unpretentiously offer culinary and cultural delights. We'll done, Big Apple...

Bottom line- You can try everything here for under 7 bucks!!

This place is the first of three and the original from the owner Geno Lee. You can order a sandwich for about 1.50 which i tried all three... the menu is short and straight go the pount... sandwiches, who wants one? I had the smoked bologna, smoked sausage and the smoked pig ear (local favorite) each sandwich came with coleslaw and a special mustard which blended perfectly with the smokeness. I also had a hot tamale which wasnt that hot. The taste was different but quite tasty. Get your drink but no matter what, you have to get a peach drink or sunkist peach soda. Peach drink is all they had here back in the day so its a local staple here. What i really enjoyed apart fromBaltimore the meal was the stories from Geno on the civil rights. This area is apart of history and leaders held meetings inside this very place. So im sitting and eating in this very place which was fascinating to me. This was not just a meal i was eating, this was an experience that i felt while eating; which is something far more special. Thanks to a friend of mine i was given the opportunity to enjoy and learn while experiencing this great establishment with the best service ive encountered while traveling. Some may be turned off by the outside but the food is great, the staff is great and the experience... priceless. I highly recommend......

Big Apple Inn is what I would call "a hole in the wall" serving up sliders. Simple, straight-forward menu. The sliders are called smokes and consist of hot or mild link sausage that's ground up and then sauteed on a flat grill and served with Cole slaw. They also have pig ear sandwiches. I tried a hot, mild, and pig ear because when my friends rave about a place I like to give it a fair shot b/c I love food. But there was nothing special here. Staff was very friendly though. The meat to bread ratio of these sliders left something to be desired. And I just wasnt feeling the pig ear. I didnt think I would, but it's not every day you get a pig ear slider so I had to try it. I think it would've been better if it was a fried pig ear on the slider. The Red Apple Inn was also the only business I noticed in a somewhat desolate and abandoned historic looking area. It seemed to be popular tho b/c several other folks came in while we were waiting for our order. We had interesting convo in line with some folks about what it may take to revitalize Jackson's once booming historic areas. I hope that day comes. Glad I tried it, but I'll probably check out other places next...