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Ground Zero Blues Club
Categories: Arts & Entertainment Jazz & Blues Nightlife Jazz & Blues Restaurants Jazz & Blues, Restaurants [Edit]
252 Delta AveClarksdale, MS 38614
(662) 621-9009
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Yes
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- Yes
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
17 reviews for Ground Zero Blues Club
Review Highlights
"...always glad to support Morgan Freeman in all his endeavors..."
(in 4 reviews)
"During the festivals " Juke Joint and Sunflower" this is..."
(in 5 reviews)
"We saw Stan Street and the Hambone Blues Band."
(in 6 reviews)
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17 reviews in English
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Review from Iosua T.
Salt Lake City, UT
10/20/2011
If you're within 100 miles of this place, drop everything and get there. Fantastic southern fried foods, and top notch service. Stick around til after 8pm and get a full dose of the best live music to your hearts desire. Should the owner be there when you are he will treat you as if you were kin. A gem of a place. Don't skip it if you have the opportunity to experience it!
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Review from Hibiscus O.
Tuscaloosa, AL
7/12/2011
The short:
Blah for a lunch spot. Probably pretty good at night as a blues club (though locals will tell you to go to Redds instead).
The deets:
My salad was smallish but came in a big bowl. It was basically a bag of iceberg tossed with tomatoes and 6 grilled shrimp. It was $9. It was *not* a $9 salad. Fortunately, I also ordered turnips--oh wait, what's that in my turnips? HUGE HAM CHUNKS. The server had told me the sides were *not* prepared in meat. It seems to me that ham is a type of meat.
My husband got the po-boy, which he reports was just ok.
It's smoky in there, which in fairness should be expected from a blues club. But when everyone around us started lighting up their cigarettes, we got antsy for the check.
This place received a "B" inspection rating. (I think we can do better than that, Mr. Freeman.)
Service was friendly and nice but slow (and wrong about meat-free sides).
The John Lee Hooker guitar over the bar's pretty cool, and the atmosphere's casual and comfy. I guess I just think it's trying to do too much and should probably stick to only being a nightclub. -
Review from John M.
4/17/2011
Great Blues Club!
To note, I am always glad to support Morgan Freeman in all his endeavors, 'cause Lord knows he needs the money! :-)
Ground Zero is a great blues club in the very center of the world's blues scene. Because of its notoriety, you are going to get the traditional, electrified acts. So, if you are looking for the earthier type acts, you are not as likely to find them here. For that, best to come to each April's Juke Joint Festival in Clarksdale, and see the sidewalk acts!
The atmosphere is decidedly roughed up, but that is the idea! Lots of graffiti, bare metal, wood, that kind of thing. The food is fine, fairly straight forward, and the service is serviceable. :-) -
Review from Yonnie B.
Lookout Mountain, TN
7/1/2010
I didn't meet Mr Freeman but I did enjoy some pretty high quality blues music.
It's working class. Gritty. Mainly white clientele tonight. Not cool in a slick sense, more cool in a unpretentious sense.
Drinks reasonably priced. $5 cover. -
Review from jessica m.
Fort Collins, CO
7/15/2007
Chances are, you WILL meet Morgan Freeman- nice to know the man patronizes his own restaurant- that's always a good sign. My group even had the pleasure of sharing the dance floor with him and his wife honky'tonkin around to the live band.
You can order something called a BBQ Sundae. I did so without asking too many questions, and it looked like this:
ooOOnion Ringgggg
oooOOOnnionnRRingggg
ccCCColllllleeessLLLaaawww
ccCCCCColllllleeessLLLaaawww
BBBBBBQQQQQQQQQQBEANS
BBBBQQQQQQQQBEANS
BBBBBBQQQBeaNS
mmEMMME
eeAAATT
Mmme
eatMe
at
With a long handled spoon sticking out of the top. Dinner in a fountain glass- not for those squeamish about their food touching!
Fun fun place. It's also really fun to write on the walls to commemorate your visit. -
Review from Phil M.
Baton Rouge, LA
7/29/2011
For the Blues Lover, like me, I must say, Ground Zero is right up there, with Teddy's Juke Joint in Zachary, LA, Club Ebony in Indianola and Po' Monkeys in Merigold, although I've never actually been inside of Po Monkey's! A trip to Clarksdale is a must. Then, whe you are done there, come down the Blues Highway to Baton Rouge on Thursday night at Phil Brady's (by way of Teddy's, of course.) Then you tell me where you can find the real deal.
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Review from Mark L.
Sarasota, FL
4/26/2009
This is a rare find and a unique opportunity.
You'll come here to discover the home of muddy waters and the origins of the Delta Blues...
You'll come here to visit Clapton's "Crossroads"...
You'll come here at night for the music...
You might even come here for the drinks and the people watching...
The food is southern, which is fun, the service is painfully slow... but then one should slow down in Clarksdale and get a taste of slower times... -
Review from Frank B.
Milton, MA
Updated - 6/12/2010
True Blues fans know you have to travel to to "Crossroads" at least once to get the sense of what the blues are all about. When in Clarksdale MS, Ground Zero is a must. As so many "Juke Joints" have fallen to the wayside GS has given new life to what was the Blues experience.
Great Blues entertainers,good food ,cold beer.
During the festivals " Juke Joint and Sunflower" this is fun spot to see top blues acts and blues legends.
Located a stones throw from the Delta Blues Museum stop in for lunch and stay for evening show.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/6/2009
If you're a blues fan than you do realize that you have to do to the Cross Roads in Clarksdale MS.… Read more »
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Review from David M.
Memphis, TN
5/24/2007 1 photo
Morgan Freeman's blues club is THE place in Clarksdale for live music.
Even though its a 'new' place (in the comparative lifetime of southern juke joints) it has that down home, authentic feel.
A stocked bar (and wait staff) and great menu add to the appeal.
The menu is an easy read of sammiches, chicken, catfish and burgers -all have a dash of somethin' that make the experience a step above 'pub-grub'.
Need a place to stay and sleep off the blues? You can rent rooms upstairs for the night or a week.
During the week you can get a plate lunch (including drink & desert) for $7, a damn fine deal & worth ordering.
What? Does it take a meteor to hit you in the head, or are you just punch drunk? Lord Almighty, its about time you drove down with a friend to redeem yourself and grab some of the glory of the delta blues.Listed in: Favorite Dive Bars
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Review from Mark P.
Washington, DC
7/25/2009
This is the kind of place you'd think only appears in a novel.
It is EXACTLY what you think a low class, hi-fi, rockin and rollin blues juke joint ought to look, smell, act and sound like.
We saw Stan Street and the Hambone Blues Band. They played a five hour set, by the middle of which locals were joining in to swap out on he drums, keyboards, add in a trombone or another vocal. And goddam if there isn't some deep talent in this place. It was pretty amazing how everyone was switching instruments, but still cranking out some fabulous music.
And absolute "must visit" if you are anywhere in northern mississippi. -
Review from Jason S.
Austin, TX
1/18/2011 10 photos
One of the world's great blues clubs, Ground Zero also serves food. For the most part, we're talking regular bar food, but on the appetizer menu you'll find deep fried chunks of tamales. Yes, you might run into co-owner Morgan Freeman, and your friend might get on stage to play along with the house band, and you'll meet travelers from all over the world who made pilgrimages to the birthplace of the blues, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DEEP FRIED TAMALES HERE PEOPLE.
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Review from Lisa C.
Lake Villa, IL
7/12/2011
Nice place for music...$3 cover on Thursday night. Local band with open jam sign up to play with the band. Bartender very friendly and on the ball. Gotta love 6 bottles of beer and the total bill was $15!! Not PBR either, mix of MGD, BL and a couple of local craft brews. Don't get all dressed up in a dress and 4 inch heels, you will look ridiculous. I don't care whether is is "authentic" or not... it has great beer prices, good music and great bartenders. What more do you want?
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Review from Michelle W.
Atlanta, GA
8/18/2010
We went to Ground Zero while visiting some friends who in a nearby (for MS) town. It was a great meal in an authentic-feeling place. I think it's a must to get the whole experience of visiting the Delta. Very cool.
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Review from Michelle T.
Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA
1/18/2009
Loved this place! Only reason it doesn't get 5 stars is the food is only so-so, but the atmosphere in the club and the quality of the music are first-rate. Definitely a keeper. Food was generally greasy and fried, although the grilled catfish was delicious and light (if you avoid the bacon). I also enjoyed the not-so-light fried green tomatoes, which were the first fried green tomatoes I've tried. They were tasty, although I don't have any others to compare them to. Band was great, crowd was fun, decorations were fun. Only major negatives were the smoking where we were sitting near the front, and the group of people that came in late and decided to stand in front of us, blocking our view.
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Review from Vajira N.
San Francisco, CA
7/29/2010
Went there in 2008 during a road trip. Still remains one of the best memories of the trip, if not the best. Stopped in the town, trying to find a place to eat. Saw the place a couple of times but didn't think it was even open - looked like a run down place with an old worn-off couch outside. Finally, after not finding any other place to eat, ended up going in. Liked the place so much that when we were back home, decided to write a Yelp review. It was a surprise to find that the place belonged to Morgan Freeman. It's not a fancy club type place, more like a dive bar, so it would be great to meet Morgan Freeman there and hang out with him :)
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Review from Steve B.
Monee, IL
1/31/2008
A great blues place in the Delta. The food is ok, nothing really special. Lots of beer choices. This place has writing EVERYTHING so bring a marker and mark your spot. The music is great. I visit here everytime I pass thru.
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Review from Charu K.
San Francisco, CA
12/7/2008
On our way from Memphis to New Orleans, we decided to take a small detour for lunch in Clarksdale.
It was a saturday afternoon and the downtown looked super dead with hardly any people on the street and no restaurants open. Were about to take a U around a big parking lot and go hit a Sonics by the highway when we noticed that this dilapidated warehouse like building had a sign saying - "The Ground Zero Blues Club". Checked it out - and surprisingly they were open as well.. Old couches on the porch, a barbQ grill by the side. You open the door, and this big warehouse kinda space.. white walls paled with age had scribbles in black ink all over them..some guitars and a saxo hanging from the roof, pool tables in front, bar on the right and a stage of sorts in the far left..Perfect setup/vibes for a perfect blues club !!!
Anyways ordered a drink..they seem to have a huge collection of cocktails - but Im not a cocktail person, so ordered a beer..I think the beer collection was just average (for me coming from San francisco) ..But that doesnt matter..
Then comes to food - We ordered Fried Okra (my fav. thing on this trip to down south). Fried green tomatoes - Yummmm and a must order for all and one. And a melting-in-the-mouth-BbQ-pulled-Pork sandwich. Super Yummm..
Also ordered a turnip leaf 'healthy' dish which was nice..but doesnt beat the fried stuff :)
People were nice as well..
We were so glad that we found this place luckily and hope to go back there sometime - but next time would be at night when the live blues play..and the fried green tomatoes and BbQ are still there and as the girl behind the bar put it - "when the real action is".
