On a drizzly Thursday evening, the porch light at 1611 Jackson Avenue glows like a beacon.
Inside Tarasque Cucina, the hum of conversation is interrupted only by the clatter of plates and the quick laughter of friends who, moments before, were strangers. The place is small, just a converted one-story ranch house tucked behind Kiamie’s, but the warmth inside feels boundless.
Tarasque Cucina is the brainchild of John and Lauren Stokes, a husband-and-wife duo who turned their dream of a neighborhood restaurant into Oxford’s worst-kept secret.
“We wanted dinner to feel like a house party, every night,” said Lauren, who greets guests at the door and keeps the playlist spinning.
John, meanwhile, commands the kitchen with a quiet focus, his hands stained by tomatoes and Mississippi dirt in nearly equal measure.
The menu is short, handwritten daily on a chalkboard, and driven by what’s fresh at the market.
“It’s a Southern larder with an Italian soul,” John said, sliding a tray of butter bean hummus across the counter. “We’re not reinventing the wheel, but we are trying to show people what’s growing around them.”
On a recent night, the kitchen sent out roasted kohlrabi with pink lentils and celery aioli, hand-rolled pappardelle tossed in sugo di pomodoro, and a meatball the size of a child’s fist, crowned with a ladle of red sauce and a snow of pecorino.
The Stokeses both grew up in Mississippi, but John’s cooking is equal parts Oxford and Old World.
“I spent a summer in Umbria learning to make pasta from women who didn’t speak a lick of English,” he said with a laugh. “But the best lessons, honestly, came from my grandmother.”
That sense of heritage is everywhere, from the slow-cooked ragù to the cast-iron skillet bread, thick with cheese and olive oil.
“We’re a mom-and-pop shop in the truest sense,” Lauren adds. “It’s just us. No investors. No corporate backing. Just a lot of sweat, and a lot of love.”
This hands-on approach defines Tarasque Cucina. John sources vegetables from local farmers and picks herbs from the backyard garden. The menu, anchored by a handful of pastas and rotating small plates, is built for sharing—family-style, if you’re willing.
“There’s a real generosity in the way the food comes out,” said regular guest Megan Whitaker. “It feels almost like you’re being taken care of by old friends.”
Oxford’s dining scene is famously competitive, boasting James Beard Award winners and deep-fried classics that draw foodies from across the South. But Tarasque Cucina stands out because it never tries too hard.
“It’s the kind of place you go to relax, not to be seen,” said Bob Keegan, a local writer. “You can BYOB, hang out on the porch, and end up swapping stories with the table next to you.”
That sense of community is deliberate.
“We only take walk-ins,” Lauren says. “If you want a table, just show up. Bring wine if you want. We’ll find a spot.”
Reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. Tripadvisor ranks Tarasque Cucina among the top 15 restaurants in town, with diners praising the “eclectic menu and huge meatball” and the “staff who make you feel at home.”
On Yelp, one customer wrote, “The owner is always on hand, and the food is as good as anything you’ll find in Memphis or New Orleans.”
Even the city’s business spotlight calls it “the hidden gem house party” of Oxford.
The restaurant’s name, Tarasque, is a nod to a mythical French beast tamed by a saint.
“It’s become kind of a metaphor for what we’re doing here,” John says. “Taking something wild—seasonal produce, old recipes, even the chaos of running a restaurant—and making it approachable.”
That philosophy extends to the staff, many of whom are former students or friends from the neighborhood. On a busy night, the line between guest and employee blurs as people help clear tables or pour water for the next group.
For visitors used to the formality of white-tablecloth dining, Tarasque Cucina can be disarming.
“We don’t have a dress code, and we don’t stand on ceremony,” Lauren said. “If you want to eat a big plate of spaghetti in flip-flops, we respect that.”
The couple’s two young children are often underfoot, adding to the sense that this is less a restaurant than a communal living room.
“It’s loud, it’s messy, it’s real life,” John said.
The food, though, is always precise. Each dish is built on a foundation of technique honed through years of trial and error.
“I want things to taste like themselves,” John says. “If you order the butter bean hummus, I want you to taste the butter beans, not just the garlic and lemon.”
The pastas are rolled out by hand each day, and desserts, like the olive oil cake with citrus zest, are made to order.
Tarasque Cucina’s success is testament to the power of simplicity, and to a community’s appetite for something genuine.
In a town where food trends come and go, the Stokeses have staked their claim on the basics: good ingredients, careful cooking, and a sense of welcome that borders on the radical.
“We believe in feeding people,” Lauren says. “That’s the beginning and end of it.”
The restaurant’s social media presence is as unfussy as its menu. Instagram posts show close-ups of blistered radicchio, family-style pasta platters, and the occasional homemade cocktail.
“We’re not influencers,” Lauren shrugs. “We just want people to know what’s for dinner.”
That transparency has built a loyal following among locals, college students, and even visiting food critics.
As Oxford’s dining scene evolves, Tarasque Cucina remains stubbornly itself.
“We’re not chasing awards,” John said. “We just want to keep the lights on and make sure everyone leaves full.” He glances at the kitchen, where a pot of ragù simmers on the stove. “If we can do that, it’s a good night.”
And as the evening winds down, the last guests linger on the porch, wine glasses in hand, savoring one last bite.
In a town built on tradition and change, Tarasque Cucina manages to feel both timeless and brand new—a little restaurant with a big heart, quietly feeding Oxford, one plate at a time.
For more information, visit Tarasque Cucina’s official website, or check out their latest menu and updates on Instagram. Reservations aren’t needed. Just bring your appetite and a sense of adventure.
