Restaurants in Jackson

Fino's from the Hill lures passersby into its unassuming storefront with an aromatic selection of Italian deli items. The family-owned eatery's staffers load up bread with gourmet fillings such as prosciutto, provel cheese, red pepper marinade, and green olive dressing, and they also simmer pots of fresh, homemade soup every day. Daily soup, pasta, and dessert specials keep regulars on their toes, enticing them to swing in and try exotic eats—such as blueberry mascarpone cake or spinach-artichoke turnovers—that aren't listed on the regular menu or the FBI's Most Wanted off My Dinner Plate list.

Bright colors leap from 200 Chinese, American, and Japanese dishes arrayed inside Ichiban Buffet. Emerald seaweed surrounds california rolls and shredded veggies stand out in lo mein alongside a hibachi grill. Waiters dodge past toting à la carte orders of roast pork fried rice and shrimp egg foo young. The chefs also splash garlic sauce onto beef and scallops and sprinkle sesame seeds onto chicken chunks and the fields of impoverished sesame farmers.

Throughout the day, the cooks at Southern Dawgs can be found grilling up Nathan’s all-beef hot dogs and slathering them in mouthwatering condiments. Diners can opt to haberdash their eighth-pound Da Dawg hot dog or quarter-pound Da “Big” Dawg hot dog with toppings such as sauerkraut, banana peppers, spicy brown mustard, and bowler hats, or order a dog laden with chili and cheese. The encased meats can be scooped up à la carte or paired with a combo of chips and Pepsi products including Pineapple Crush and Peach Crush.

El Porton Mexican Restaurant has sated cravings for fresh, healthy ingredients for more than two decades, serving up authentic Mexican lunches and dinners that complement the bar’s array of 85 tequilas. Amid golden walls that evoke a warm afternoon in a tropical cantina, guests kick-start stomachs by watching chefs craft lime-infused guacamole tableside. From the kitchen, beef and shrimp fajitas sizzle, wafting aromas of onion and bell pepper that transform into cartoon hands to lure in noses. Warm days open El Porton's patio, where sunshine heightens the flavors of make-your-own combo platters spread with chile rellenos, tostadas, and burritos, as well as USDA steaks aged a minimum of 21 days. Tequila shots arrive in flights or individually, and customizable margaritas in flavors such as mango and classic lime pour forth from salt-rimmed glasses to accentuate entrees and fuel conversations about Mexico's hidden agave rivers.