Brownsville, the county seat of Haywood County in West Tennessee is in most respects a fairly typical Southern town. It has the typical town square with the county courthouse in the center, and a number of historic homes. But it also has a talented and bizarre hometown artist named Billy Tripp, whose outdoor permanent art installation The Mindfield towers over the buildings on the square. For many years, The Mindfield shared its name with one of Tennessee’s very best restaurants, the Mindfield Grill, but that community institution was not able to survive the COVID-19 pandemic.
Early in 2022, Brownsville gained a replacement when Livingston’s Soda Fountain and Grill opened in the town’s old post office just off the square. The new restaurant has a very different vibe from the old Mindfield Grill, which was somewhat upscale. Livingston’s, on the other hand, has the look and feel of a Norman Rockwell painting. If the atmosphere is nostalgic, it is also cheerful and bright. Unlike the Mindfield Grill, Livingston’s sells breakfast, milkshakes and ice cream floats. But there are a number of similarities, too. Both restaurants had reasonable prices, and both restaurants had amazing food. And they share something else…..former cooks for the Mindfield work at Livingston’s. At any given time, the place can be filled with local residents and out of town visitors, but there is rarely a wait for a table, and the food rarely takes very long to come out. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, but hours can be different on different days, so be sure to contact them if you are visiting from out of town.
Livingston’s Soda Fountain and Grill
60 S. Washington Av
Brownsville, TN 38012
(731) 734-2041