Mrs. P’s Bar & Kitchen

Though technically opened in 2021, the Wylie Hotel has a long history, dating back to the Great Depression. In the 1960s, the basement restaurant, Mrs. P.’s, reportedly became the city’s first openly gay bar. Today, the small Old Fourth Ward restaurant still brings a welcoming energy—you can vibe with a DJ spinning ’80s dance tunes over Sunday brunch cocktails and heaping bowls of cheesy grits topped with eggs and bacon and drenched with very tasty housemade hot sauce. But really, come whenever you’re in the mood for a good, Southern meal. Just tuck yourself into one of their velvety booths, order some drinks and the pimento cheese board—a polarizing Southern classic, yes. If you are into it, then the jar of pickled fennel and flat table crackers are just as nice as raiding your grandparents’ kitchen for the good stuff. 

photo credit: Amy Sinclair