“Comeback sauce is a culture, not just a sauce,” says chef Hunter Evans. The Mississippi chef is known for his Jackson restaurant Elvie’s, but his latest project is taking over the city’s historic Mayflower Cafe, where bottles of the iconic Mississippi condiment have long been stocked on every tabletop.
While Evans has been busy revamping the space, bringing back its iconic seafood bins for displaying fresh catch, he’s also focused on preserving what has long made the place special, and that includes its legendary comeback sauce.
What Is Comeback Sauce?
Depending on the proprietor, comeback sauce ranges from a pale coral to a vibrant burnt orange. But the ingredients remain fairly consistent no matter who’s making it: mayonnaise, ketchup, chili sauce, and Worcestershire are among its key pillars.
To the uninitiated, one might mistake it for thousand island dressing or remoulade. It shares some DNA with both, but neither has the same tangy, spicy bite as comeback sauce. And although you’ll see it slathered on burgers or used as a dip for shrimp, one of the best (and most classic) ways to enjoy it is simply on saltines…