Status: OPEN
Rest Haven in Clarksdale, Mississippi has gotten complicated with all the Restaurant Impossible follow-ups flying around. As someone who’s been tracking these restaurant rescues for years, I learned everything there is to know about this incredible Delta institution. Today, I will share it all with you.
And honestly? Rest Haven might be my favorite Restaurant Impossible story. A Lebanese restaurant in the Mississippi Delta that’s been going since 1947? You can’t make that up.
Lebanese Food in the Mississippi Delta Since 1947
Probably should have led with this section, honestly. Rest Haven has been a Clarksdale institution since 1947 – that makes it one of the oldest family restaurants that Restaurant Impossible has ever stepped foot in. Think about that for a second. This place has been serving Lebanese food in the Mississippi Delta for nearly 80 years. It’s survived things that would’ve killed most restaurants ten times over.
Paula’s father built Rest Haven into a beloved community gathering place where Lebanese cuisine and Southern hospitality somehow fused into something that just works. When Paula took over, she inherited his recipes and, well, his stubborn streak. I say that with affection, but you’ll see why it matters.
The Episode (Season 20)
Title: “Holding on to the Past”
Filming: October 2021
Location: 419 S State St, Clarksdale, MS
Robert Irvine found an owner who ruled her kitchen with an iron fist – and I mean iron. Paula’s unwillingness to change anything was slowly destroying her father’s restaurant and her son’s chance of ever inheriting a viable business.
But here’s the tricky part, and I think Robert caught onto this right away: the food wasn’t the problem. The Lebanese recipes were still excellent. People still loved eating there. The problem was Paula’s blanket refusal to adapt anything, even the stuff that desperately needed updating. She’d confused “honoring tradition” with “changing absolutely nothing,” and those aren’t the same thing.
What Makes Rest Haven So Special
One reviewer said it perfectly: “The Rest Haven is more like 1954 than 2024. You will love it.” And that right there captures everything. Walking into Rest Haven isn’t just eating a meal – it’s stepping into a time capsule. The kind of place where everything feels authentically, stubbornly, beautifully itself.
That’s what makes Rest Haven endearing to us Restaurant Impossible fans. It’s not trying to be trendy. It’s not chasing Instagram food culture. It’s just being what it’s been for nearly eight decades – a Lebanese family restaurant in the Mississippi Delta that feeds people good food in a warm room.
Restaurant Impossible helped Paula find the balance between preserving the traditions that matter and letting go of the stubbornness that was holding everyone back. Some things should stay exactly as they were – the family recipes, the welcoming atmosphere, the sense of history. Other things needed a fresh coat of paint, literally and figuratively.
Still Going Strong
Rest Haven keeps chugging along with great reviews:
- Still serving authentic Lebanese specialties that you won’t find anywhere else in the Delta
- Warm, welcoming staff that recent reviewers can’t stop praising
- A solid variety of Lebanese options on the menu alongside some Southern staples
- A genuine part of Clarksdale’s cultural tourism – visitors come for the blues and stay for the kibbeh
And speaking of tourism – Clarksdale is world-famous for its blues heritage. People travel from all over the globe to walk the streets where the blues was born. Rest Haven has quietly become part of that cultural pilgrimage. You go hear music at Ground Zero Blues Club, and then you go eat Lebanese food at Rest Haven. That’s a Clarksdale Saturday night, and it’s been that way for a long time.
Visit Information
Address: 419 S State St, Clarksdale, MS 38614
Hours: Mon-Sat 6:00am – varied closing (Closed Sun)
Established: 1947
Cuisine: Lebanese, Southern
View Rest Haven on Google Maps →
Nearly 80 years and counting. Rest Haven proves that tradition and adaptability aren’t enemies – they’re partners. Paula just needed a little push to see that.
Last verified: January 2026
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