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Staff Author, Sarah Bisacca
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You can’t help but fall in love with this Mississippi gem.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/TAL-lead-image-TUPELOMS1026-2acf736304714752bbd71b312b67cf05.jpg "An Elvis Presley statue in Tupelo, Mississippi.Credit: Chad Robertson/Adobe Stock")
An Elvis Presley statue in Tupelo, Mississippi.
Credit: Chad Robertson/Adobe Stock
Growing up in the South means constantly being surrounded by music. Every state line down here has its own sound, but Elvis Presley’s voice echoes through them all. I’ll admit that I never considered myself an Elvis fan. Years covering the South as a travel writer have brought me to plenty of his greatest hits—Graceland in Memphis and RCA Studio B in Nashville—but it wasn’t until I arrived in Tupelo, Mississippi, that I really got it.
This town, roughly 100 miles southeast of Memphis, Tennessee, is where it all began. Elvis was born here in 1935 and stayed until he was almost 14. He bought his first guitar for $7.75 at Tupelo Hardware, and you can still visit his birthplace. As the 50th anniversary of his death approaches in August 2027, fans from around the world are planning pilgrimages. “They may not know where Mississippi is, but they know Elvis, Memphis, and Tupelo,” says Tom Brown, an Elvis historian and former entertainment reporter.
But Tupelo’s story stretches beyond its most famous son. Long before Elvis, this was Chickasaw Homeland, and in spring 2027, the Chickasaw Heritage Center will open beside the Natchez Trace Parkway. And much like the King, Tupelo has its own charismatic magnetism. Kris Del Grande arrived from Australia in the early ‘90s for what was supposed to be a short visit. Today, he runs downtown sister restaurants Downunder and Hachi Machi. Visitors feel that same draw today, says Jennie Bradford Curlee, deputy director of the Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Elvis is our hook, but Tupelo is this amazing, progressive town in Northeast Mississippi that has … a story of renewal, and we call it the Tupelo spirit. If we can just get them here to see Elvis, they keep coming back.”
Here’s what you need to know before planning a trip to Tupelo, Mississippi.
A guest suite in Hotel Tupelo.
Credit: Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau
Tupelo’s first boutique hotel embraces its rock-and-roll roots with midcentury design details, such as globe lighting, fluted wood paneling, and low-slung suede furniture, which I was particularly fond of. Its historic address in the heart of the Fairpark District, once the county fairgrounds, places it within walking distance of just about anything downtown, and free parking is an added perk. Hotel Tupelo‘s signature restaurant Jobos adds a bohemian edge and a lively bar scene.
Two miles from the Elvis Presley Birthplace, Holiday Inn & Suites Tupelo North keeps things simple with 121 spacious rooms accented by botanical wallpaper and an indoor pool with a hot tub. The multi-story atrium doubles as a gathering place, with Grata Bar & Grille’s round bar and gold lattice screens breaking up the lobby lounge.
Free hot breakfast and in-room kitchens are among the perks at the 89-room Home2 Suites by Hilton Tupelo, about four miles from the Elvis Presley Birthplace. Between pilgrimage stops, swim in the indoor pool, work out in the Spin2 Cycle Center (which also has laundry facilities), or catch the sunset by the firepit-equipped outdoor patio.
Exterior view of the Elvis Presley Birthplace.
Credit: CRobertson/Getty Images
The two-room shotgun house built by Vernon Presley for $180 in 1934 is where it all started and is now considered something of a pilgrimage site for rock ‘n’ roll fans. After his 1956 homecoming concert, Elvis donated the proceeds to the city to help purchase his childhood home and the land around it, which became a park for East Tupelo’s children. Executive director Roy Turner, an East Tupelo native, says that generosity is Elvis’s legacy here. Today, you can tour the house, a museum dedicated to Elvis’s early life, and the church where he was first introduced to gospel music. A life-size statue of Elvis at 13 anchors the grounds, which Brown says helps put the site in perspective. “At the birthplace, we wanted people to realize when he lived here, this is little Elvis,” he says.
The 100-year-old family-owned hardware store where Elvis bought his first guitar recently shuttered its doors, but it’s just preparing for its next chapter. The Tupelo CVB currently offers group tours with plans to restore and transform it into an interactive museum and visitor center. The interior will remain largely unchanged, down to the antique appliances and ledgers left behind by the original owners. “We want to preserve the history, but tell it in a new and unique way,” says Curlee. “We want people to come to Tupelo and hear that story and be inspired by that $7.75 purchase.”
What started as a passion project by local teacher Jeri Carter is now Mississippi’s only meadery. Queen’s Reward Meadery produces 13 types of fermented honey wine, ranging from traditional dry to blackberry-sweetened, each made with 100 percent Mississippi honey. You can try them all at the flagship tasting room on McCullough Boulevard, but you’ll want to save room for the seasonal wine slushies available, naturally, as a flight.
After hosting an impromptu cooking class with Japanese transplants to Tupelo, speech pathologist and food blogger Lauren McElwain realized that she could help foster connection through food. Her nonprofit, Cooking as a First Language, keeps things informal with classes held in neighbors’ kitchens, focusing on local chefs’ native cuisines. Quarterly classes can feature cuisines spanning Italian and Greek to Caribbean (St. Kitts and the Dominican Republic have both been represented), Korean, and Ghanaian.
In keeping with Tupelo’s creative spirit, independently owned coffee shops are among the most-loved businesses in town. Grab a cup made from house-roasted, single-origin beans at Tupelo River Coffee downtown, or head slightly further afield to Lost + Found Coffee Company in East Tupelo (Elvis’s side of the tracks), where housemade syrups and wacky concoctions like lavender espresso lemonade and the Trix cereal milk latte come straight out of “The Lab.”
Interior sale room in Relics Antique Marketplace.
Credit: Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau
Nicole Kidman, Eli Manning, and Luke Bryan have been known to wear Blue Delta Jeans, but there’s nothing particularly exclusive about getting fitted for a pair at the company’s Tupelo factory. “If you’ve got an ESPY, a Grammy, or an Academy Award, we probably touched your butt,” says CEO and cofounder Josh West. The experience is exactly that laid-back: You’ll work with a fitter to choose your denim and dial in the details of your custom pattern before the local sewing team crafts them by hand, a three- to five-week process that I can personally attest is worth the wait. And don’t worry if your first pair needs a tweak. “Don’t be nice, be happy,” says West. “That’s part of the service; we’re gonna fit you until we get them right.” Once your pattern is dialed in, it’s saved for future orders.
Vintage radios, glassware, robes, and even Beanie Babies line the walls of Relics Antique Marketplace, a two-story warehouse in East Tupelo. You could easily spend hours sifting through the 117 stalls of treasures (I tried not to get offended by the VHS tapes stored among the vinyl records), many of which were handmade in Mississippi. The building itself is historic, too, housing the former Tupelo Garment Company factory where Elvis’s mother Gladys worked while pregnant with the future superstar.
Part record store, part boutique, Bolt Tupelo is the embodiment of modern Tupelo. Beneath the historic embossed tin ceilings, you’re likely to run into owners Monica and Megan, who are more than happy to throw on an Elvis record (or Taylor Swift) while you peruse the store’s collection of plaid pants, pleather skorts, and knitted blouses. I was thrilled to find inclusive sizes among the racks.
From the street, Reed’s has the vintage charm you’d expect of a family-owned Tupelo institution that’s been around since 1905. Inside, the surprise is in the juxtaposition: you’ll find modern wares, from clothing to shoes, jewelry, gifts, and books, displayed amid midcentury details like carved alcoves and checkerboard floors. Four generations of local retail history share the racks with brands like Vuori, L.L. Bean, and Birkenstock.
Don’t underestimate the popularity of this live music venue, even on a weeknight. I recently found myself there in a standing-room-only situation, and was still happy for the privilege. Billing itself as “Tupelo’s loudest living room,” Blue Canoe has hosted acts like Leon Bridges, Gary Clark Jr., and Alabama Shakes before they were household names, so you never know who might be gracing the stage. Order from one of 46 rotating taps, and save room for the bread pudding made with local favorite Connie’s Chicken Tenders‘ famous blueberry doughnuts.
Backline Music Hall only opens when there’s an event on the books, which makes a night here feel like a party. A recent addition to Tupelo’s music scene, Backline packs touring artists and local talent into an intimate, 100-person room, with board game nights and vintage markets filling out the calendar, usually on weekends. Gourmet grilled cheese joint, Bleu Collar Toasties, runs the kitchen, serving warm sandwiches on its signature garlic focaccia.
Australian expat Kris Del Grande’s original subterranean pub, a cheeky nod to his roots, has been a hit since it opened its doors in 2019. Vintage arcade games, red neon lights, and live music set the tone of a slightly less rowdy college bar, but Downunder‘s cocktail menu suits a finer palate. The Malibu Barbie, made with Malibu rum and a slew of fruits, is surprisingly well balanced, and the Mississippi Queen, crafted with local Queen’s Reward Blackberry mead and honeysuckle vodka, offers the perfect Tupelo sip.
This locally owned coffee shop is beloved for its desserts, which is why it keeps its doors open until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. The line stretches out the door for the fresh-out-of-the-oven skillet cookie—I’ve been told it’s well worth the wait. If cookies aren’t your thing, bread pudding, turtle cheesecake, and strawberry cake (among other options) round out Crave‘s sweets menu.
Interior dining room of Park Heights Restaurant.
Credit: Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau
There’s not a bad seat in the house at Park Heights Restaurant. Whether you choose the rooftop or patio overlooking downtown and the former fairgrounds (where Elvis played his 1956 homecoming concert) or the reclaimed hardwood floors and retro mood lighting of the main dining room, you’re in for the seasonal stylings of chef Dan Schroeder. Expect plates with a heavy Southern accent, such as New Orleans barbecue shrimp, classic tomato pie, or a Duroc pork chop served with bourbon sweet potatoes.
Located on the corner of West Main Street and South Broadway, this tiki-themed fever dream restaurant is a sister concept to Downunder. Hachi Machi‘s Asian-fusion menu comes courtesy of a Thai-born chef and a touch of necessity. When Del Grande was quoted $80,000 for a vent hood, he decided he didn’t need it. “We can make a whole menu around an oven and steam,” he says.
Standout dishes on the menu include a triple protein-packed Tropic Thunder Pho and a sous vide teres major with shiitake soy demi glace. Don’t skip the tiki cocktails (the drinks menu was created by a former Trader Sam’s, a Disneyland hotel bar, employee) and take in the quirky details, including a mini Elvis riding a toucan, Blue Hawaii playing on TV, and maximalist jungle wallpaper in the bathroom.
What began as a way to keep a struggling bait-and-tackle shop afloat has become one of Tupelo’s best-known barbecue joints. Clay Coleman opened C.H.O.P. in 2017, turning a back room into a kitchen and putting his family’s smoking tradition to work. Today, his crew carries on his legacy with hickory-and-pecan-smoked ribs, loaded barbecue taters, and saucy nachos.
Inspired by a Puerto Rican neighborhood of the same name, Jobos puts a Gulf Coast-goes-global spin on the surf ‘n’ turf concept tucked inside Hotel Tupelo. “The whole premise was to have fun,” says chef Kyle Smith, who churns out creations like Oysters Rock-N-Roll Feller and ginger scallion noodles with pork belly and blackened shrimp. Pull up a seat at the bar and order the Ex-Factor cocktail, made with gin and blackberry mead from Tupelo’s Queen’s Reward Meadery.
An analog beauty in a digital world, Johnnie’s Drive-In is a cash-only, vintage diner with 80 years of Tupelo history. Elvis was a regular here long after he moved to Memphis (you can still sit in his original booth), returning in his Cadillac to order dough burgers, a Depression-era holdover in which the ground beef patty is stretched with flour. You can order one for yourself, or opt for other breakfast-through-dinner diner staples like country fried steak, chicken salad, and funnel cake fries.
The entrance archway to Tupelo Fair Park.
Credit: csfotoimages/Getty Images
Summer is the best time to plan an Elvis pilgrimage. The Tupelo Elvis Festival takes place each June, followed by Fan Appreciation Day in August, which the Birthplace expects to be one of its biggest yet as the 50th anniversary of Elvis’s death falls on August 16.
“The Birthplace is really looking for ways to honor Elvis throughout 2027 because of this big anniversary,” says Curlee. “So if you can’t make it in August, there are other times throughout the year that will be a time to celebrate and remember Elvis.” Those include January’s birthday celebrations and the inaugural Shake Rag Blues Festival in May, which honors the musical legacy of one of Tupelo’s historically Black neighborhoods.
If Elvis isn’t your priority, fall and the holiday season are the best times to enjoy cooler weather and lower crowds.
A street in Tupelo, Mississippi.
Credit: DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images
The most convenient way to reach Tupelo is by flying into Tupelo Regional Airport (TUP), less than four miles west of downtown, where Contour Airlines offers nonstop service from Nashville International Airport (BNA) and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). For more flight options, fly into Memphis International Airport (MEM) and drive about 100 miles southeast on I-22, which takes roughly an hour and 45 minutes. Tupelo is also an easy road trip from Birmingham (about 120 miles), Atlanta, and Nashville, and the Natchez Trace Parkway, which runs through the city, makes for a scenic route.
While downtown itself is easily walkable, Tupelo is a driving town, and a car is the easiest way to reach the Elvis sites spread across it. Budget and Hertz have on-site counters at Tupelo Regional Airport, while U-Save and Enterprise operate nearby. I was pleasantly surprised to find ample free parking all around downtown.
Without a car, Tupelo Transit runs an on-demand, curb-to-curb service Monday through Friday, 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Fares are $2 one way or $4 round trip, and guaranteed seats must be requested 48 hours ahead by phone. Uber and Lyft also operate in Tupelo, as do local taxis like Tupelo Cab Co. and City Cab.
If you do drive, the CVB’s Elvis’ Tupelo Driving Tour has a downloadable list of 16 stops, from Johnnie’s Drive-In to the Birthplace.
An Elvis Presley statue in Tupelo, Mississippi.
Credit: Chad Robertson/Adobe Stock
Tupelo, Mississippi
- Rest up in midcentury style at Hotel Tupelo, the city’s first boutique hotel, in the heart of the Fairpark District.
- Get fitted for bespoke made-in-Mississippi denim at Blue Delta Jeans.
- Take a walk in Elvis’s blue suede shoes through his childhood home at the Elvis Presley Birthplace, now home to a museum, chapel, and gift shop.
- Snack on bread pudding made with Connie’s Chicken Tenders’ famous blueberry doughnuts while listening to live music at Blue Canoe.
- Order a dough burger at Johnnie’s Drive-In, where you can still sit in Elvis’s favorite booth.
Growing up in the South means constantly being surrounded by music. Every state line down here has its own sound, but Elvis Presley’s voice echoes through them all. I’ll admit that I never considered myself an Elvis fan. Years covering the South as a travel writer have brought me to plenty of his greatest hits—Graceland in Memphis and RCA Studio B in Nashville—but it wasn’t until I arrived in Tupelo, Mississippi, that I really got it.
This town, roughly 100 miles southeast of Memphis, Tennessee, is where it all began. Elvis was born here in 1935 and stayed until he was almost 14. He bought his first guitar for $7.75 at Tupelo Hardware, and you can still visit his birthplace. As the 50th anniversary of his death approaches in August 2027, fans from around the world are planning pilgrimages. “They may not know where Mississippi is, but they know Elvis, Memphis, and Tupelo,” says Tom Brown, an Elvis historian and former entertainment reporter.
But Tupelo’s story stretches beyond its most famous son. Long before Elvis, this was Chickasaw Homeland, and in spring 2027, the Chickasaw Heritage Center will open beside the Natchez Trace Parkway. And much like the King, Tupelo has its own charismatic magnetism. Kris Del Grande arrived from Australia in the early ‘90s for what was supposed to be a short visit. Today, he runs downtown sister restaurants Downunder and Hachi Machi. Visitors feel that same draw today, says Jennie Bradford Curlee, deputy director of the Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Elvis is our hook, but Tupelo is this amazing, progressive town in Northeast Mississippi that has … a story of renewal, and we call it the Tupelo spirit. If we can just get them here to see Elvis, they keep coming back.”
Here’s what you need to know before planning a trip to Tupelo, Mississippi.
Best Hotels & Resorts
A guest suite in Hotel Tupelo.
Credit: Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau
Hotel Tupelo
Tupelo’s first boutique hotel embraces its rock-and-roll roots with midcentury design details, such as globe lighting, fluted wood paneling, and low-slung suede furniture, which I was particularly fond of. Its historic address in the heart of the Fairpark District, once the county fairgrounds, places it within walking distance of just about anything downtown, and free parking is an added perk. Hotel Tupelo‘s signature restaurant Jobos adds a bohemian edge and a lively bar scene.
Holiday Inn & Suites Tupelo North
Two miles from the Elvis Presley Birthplace, Holiday Inn & Suites Tupelo North keeps things simple with 121 spacious rooms accented by botanical wallpaper and an indoor pool with a hot tub. The multi-story atrium doubles as a gathering place, with Grata Bar & Grille’s round bar and gold lattice screens breaking up the lobby lounge.
Home2 Suites by Hilton Tupelo
Free hot breakfast and in-room kitchens are among the perks at the 89-room Home2 Suites by Hilton Tupelo, about four miles from the Elvis Presley Birthplace. Between pilgrimage stops, swim in the indoor pool, work out in the Spin2 Cycle Center (which also has laundry facilities), or catch the sunset by the firepit-equipped outdoor patio.
Best Things to Do
Exterior view of the Elvis Presley Birthplace.
Credit: CRobertson/Getty Images
Visit the Elvis Presley Birthplace
The two-room shotgun house built by Vernon Presley for $180 in 1934 is where it all started and is now considered something of a pilgrimage site for rock ‘n’ roll fans. After his 1956 homecoming concert, Elvis donated the proceeds to the city to help purchase his childhood home and the land around it, which became a park for East Tupelo’s children. Executive director Roy Turner, an East Tupelo native, says that generosity is Elvis’s legacy here. Today, you can tour the house, a museum dedicated to Elvis’s early life, and the church where he was first introduced to gospel music. A life-size statue of Elvis at 13 anchors the grounds, which Brown says helps put the site in perspective. “At the birthplace, we wanted people to realize when he lived here, this is little Elvis,” he says.
Tour Tupelo Hardware
The 100-year-old family-owned hardware store where Elvis bought his first guitar recently shuttered its doors, but it’s just preparing for its next chapter. The Tupelo CVB currently offers group tours with plans to restore and transform it into an interactive museum and visitor center. The interior will remain largely unchanged, down to the antique appliances and ledgers left behind by the original owners. “We want to preserve the history, but tell it in a new and unique way,” says Curlee. “We want people to come to Tupelo and hear that story and be inspired by that $7.75 purchase.”
Go Mead Tasting
What started as a passion project by local teacher Jeri Carter is now Mississippi’s only meadery. Queen’s Reward Meadery produces 13 types of fermented honey wine, ranging from traditional dry to blackberry-sweetened, each made with 100 percent Mississippi honey. You can try them all at the flagship tasting room on McCullough Boulevard, but you’ll want to save room for the seasonal wine slushies available, naturally, as a flight.
Take a Cooking Class
After hosting an impromptu cooking class with Japanese transplants to Tupelo, speech pathologist and food blogger Lauren McElwain realized that she could help foster connection through food. Her nonprofit, Cooking as a First Language, keeps things informal with classes held in neighbors’ kitchens, focusing on local chefs’ native cuisines. Quarterly classes can feature cuisines spanning Italian and Greek to Caribbean (St. Kitts and the Dominican Republic have both been represented), Korean, and Ghanaian.
Grab a Coffee
In keeping with Tupelo’s creative spirit, independently owned coffee shops are among the most-loved businesses in town. Grab a cup made from house-roasted, single-origin beans at Tupelo River Coffee downtown, or head slightly further afield to Lost + Found Coffee Company in East Tupelo (Elvis’s side of the tracks), where housemade syrups and wacky concoctions like lavender espresso lemonade and the Trix cereal milk latte come straight out of “The Lab.”
Best Shopping
Interior sale room in Relics Antique Marketplace.
Credit: Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau
Blue Delta Jeans
Nicole Kidman, Eli Manning, and Luke Bryan have been known to wear Blue Delta Jeans, but there’s nothing particularly exclusive about getting fitted for a pair at the company’s Tupelo factory. “If you’ve got an ESPY, a Grammy, or an Academy Award, we probably touched your butt,” says CEO and cofounder Josh West. The experience is exactly that laid-back: You’ll work with a fitter to choose your denim and dial in the details of your custom pattern before the local sewing team crafts them by hand, a three- to five-week process that I can personally attest is worth the wait. And don’t worry if your first pair needs a tweak. “Don’t be nice, be happy,” says West. “That’s part of the service; we’re gonna fit you until we get them right.” Once your pattern is dialed in, it’s saved for future orders.
Relics Antique Marketplace
Vintage radios, glassware, robes, and even Beanie Babies line the walls of Relics Antique Marketplace, a two-story warehouse in East Tupelo. You could easily spend hours sifting through the 117 stalls of treasures (I tried not to get offended by the VHS tapes stored among the vinyl records), many of which were handmade in Mississippi. The building itself is historic, too, housing the former Tupelo Garment Company factory where Elvis’s mother Gladys worked while pregnant with the future superstar.
Bolt Tupelo
Part record store, part boutique, Bolt Tupelo is the embodiment of modern Tupelo. Beneath the historic embossed tin ceilings, you’re likely to run into owners Monica and Megan, who are more than happy to throw on an Elvis record (or Taylor Swift) while you peruse the store’s collection of plaid pants, pleather skorts, and knitted blouses. I was thrilled to find inclusive sizes among the racks.
Reed’s
From the street, Reed’s has the vintage charm you’d expect of a family-owned Tupelo institution that’s been around since 1905. Inside, the surprise is in the juxtaposition: you’ll find modern wares, from clothing to shoes, jewelry, gifts, and books, displayed amid midcentury details like carved alcoves and checkerboard floors. Four generations of local retail history share the racks with brands like Vuori, L.L. Bean, and Birkenstock.
Best Nightlife
Blue Canoe
Don’t underestimate the popularity of this live music venue, even on a weeknight. I recently found myself there in a standing-room-only situation, and was still happy for the privilege. Billing itself as “Tupelo’s loudest living room,” Blue Canoe has hosted acts like Leon Bridges, Gary Clark Jr., and Alabama Shakes before they were household names, so you never know who might be gracing the stage. Order from one of 46 rotating taps, and save room for the bread pudding made with local favorite Connie’s Chicken Tenders‘ famous blueberry doughnuts.
Backline Music Hall
Backline Music Hall only opens when there’s an event on the books, which makes a night here feel like a party. A recent addition to Tupelo’s music scene, Backline packs touring artists and local talent into an intimate, 100-person room, with board game nights and vintage markets filling out the calendar, usually on weekends. Gourmet grilled cheese joint, Bleu Collar Toasties, runs the kitchen, serving warm sandwiches on its signature garlic focaccia.
Downunder
Australian expat Kris Del Grande’s original subterranean pub, a cheeky nod to his roots, has been a hit since it opened its doors in 2019. Vintage arcade games, red neon lights, and live music set the tone of a slightly less rowdy college bar, but Downunder‘s cocktail menu suits a finer palate. The Malibu Barbie, made with Malibu rum and a slew of fruits, is surprisingly well balanced, and the Mississippi Queen, crafted with local Queen’s Reward Blackberry mead and honeysuckle vodka, offers the perfect Tupelo sip.
Crave
This locally owned coffee shop is beloved for its desserts, which is why it keeps its doors open until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. The line stretches out the door for the fresh-out-of-the-oven skillet cookie—I’ve been told it’s well worth the wait. If cookies aren’t your thing, bread pudding, turtle cheesecake, and strawberry cake (among other options) round out Crave‘s sweets menu.
Best Restaurants
Interior dining room of Park Heights Restaurant.
Credit: Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau
Park Heights Restaurant
There’s not a bad seat in the house at Park Heights Restaurant. Whether you choose the rooftop or patio overlooking downtown and the former fairgrounds (where Elvis played his 1956 homecoming concert) or the reclaimed hardwood floors and retro mood lighting of the main dining room, you’re in for the seasonal stylings of chef Dan Schroeder. Expect plates with a heavy Southern accent, such as New Orleans barbecue shrimp, classic tomato pie, or a Duroc pork chop served with bourbon sweet potatoes.
Hachi Machi
Located on the corner of West Main Street and South Broadway, this tiki-themed fever dream restaurant is a sister concept to Downunder. Hachi Machi‘s Asian-fusion menu comes courtesy of a Thai-born chef and a touch of necessity. When Del Grande was quoted $80,000 for a vent hood, he decided he didn’t need it. “We can make a whole menu around an oven and steam,” he says.
Standout dishes on the menu include a triple protein-packed Tropic Thunder Pho and a sous vide teres major with shiitake soy demi glace. Don’t skip the tiki cocktails (the drinks menu was created by a former Trader Sam’s, a Disneyland hotel bar, employee) and take in the quirky details, including a mini Elvis riding a toucan, Blue Hawaii playing on TV, and maximalist jungle wallpaper in the bathroom.
Clay’s House of Pig (C.H.O.P.)
What began as a way to keep a struggling bait-and-tackle shop afloat has become one of Tupelo’s best-known barbecue joints. Clay Coleman opened C.H.O.P. in 2017, turning a back room into a kitchen and putting his family’s smoking tradition to work. Today, his crew carries on his legacy with hickory-and-pecan-smoked ribs, loaded barbecue taters, and saucy nachos.
Jobos
Inspired by a Puerto Rican neighborhood of the same name, Jobos puts a Gulf Coast-goes-global spin on the surf ‘n’ turf concept tucked inside Hotel Tupelo. “The whole premise was to have fun,” says chef Kyle Smith, who churns out creations like Oysters Rock-N-Roll Feller and ginger scallion noodles with pork belly and blackened shrimp. Pull up a seat at the bar and order the Ex-Factor cocktail, made with gin and blackberry mead from Tupelo’s Queen’s Reward Meadery.
Johnnie’s Drive-In
An analog beauty in a digital world, Johnnie’s Drive-In is a cash-only, vintage diner with 80 years of Tupelo history. Elvis was a regular here long after he moved to Memphis (you can still sit in his original booth), returning in his Cadillac to order dough burgers, a Depression-era holdover in which the ground beef patty is stretched with flour. You can order one for yourself, or opt for other breakfast-through-dinner diner staples like country fried steak, chicken salad, and funnel cake fries.
Best Time to Visit
The entrance archway to Tupelo Fair Park.
Credit: csfotoimages/Getty Images
Summer is the best time to plan an Elvis pilgrimage. The Tupelo Elvis Festival takes place each June, followed by Fan Appreciation Day in August, which the Birthplace expects to be one of its biggest yet as the 50th anniversary of Elvis’s death falls on August 16.
“The Birthplace is really looking for ways to honor Elvis throughout 2027 because of this big anniversary,” says Curlee. “So if you can’t make it in August, there are other times throughout the year that will be a time to celebrate and remember Elvis.” Those include January’s birthday celebrations and the inaugural Shake Rag Blues Festival in May, which honors the musical legacy of one of Tupelo’s historically Black neighborhoods.
If Elvis isn’t your priority, fall and the holiday season are the best times to enjoy cooler weather and lower crowds.
How to Get There
A street in Tupelo, Mississippi.
Credit: DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images
The most convenient way to reach Tupelo is by flying into Tupelo Regional Airport (TUP), less than four miles west of downtown, where Contour Airlines offers nonstop service from Nashville International Airport (BNA) and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). For more flight options, fly into Memphis International Airport (MEM) and drive about 100 miles southeast on I-22, which takes roughly an hour and 45 minutes. Tupelo is also an easy road trip from Birmingham (about 120 miles), Atlanta, and Nashville, and the Natchez Trace Parkway, which runs through the city, makes for a scenic route.
How to Get Around
While downtown itself is easily walkable, Tupelo is a driving town, and a car is the easiest way to reach the Elvis sites spread across it. Budget and Hertz have on-site counters at Tupelo Regional Airport, while U-Save and Enterprise operate nearby. I was pleasantly surprised to find ample free parking all around downtown.
Without a car, Tupelo Transit runs an on-demand, curb-to-curb service Monday through Friday, 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Fares are $2 one way or $4 round trip, and guaranteed seats must be requested 48 hours ahead by phone. Uber and Lyft also operate in Tupelo, as do local taxis like Tupelo Cab Co. and City Cab.
If you do drive, the CVB’s Elvis’ Tupelo Driving Tour has a downloadable list of 16 stops, from Johnnie’s Drive-In to the Birthplace.