Posted in Arkansas
January 02, 2017
The 11 Places You Should Eat In Arkansas In 2017
Who’s hungry? This year a lot of things lay ahead of us, and blessedly, some of those things are food. On this list you’ll find 11 of Arkansas’s most unique and exceptional eateries, and you need to put every one of them on your 2017 bucket list. All of these restaurants have had articles devoted to them over the course of the last year, and if you’ll click on their names, you’ll find articles that sing their praises. Happy New Year, everyone, may your food be delicious, affordable, and eaten in Arkansas’s most unique eateries.
This store made our list of notable eateries by being named the oldest restaurant in the state by Thrillist. You’ll find delicious food there that makes this little restaurant well worth the scenic drive you’ll take to get to this little mountain cafe. The Oark General Store is located at 117 County Road 5241 in Oark.
Cotham’s Mercantile is “where the elite meet to eat,” and that’s notable enough on its own, but the reason they drew so much of our attention is because they serve some truly enormous burgers. Their hubcap burgers are accurately named—if they were made out of metal instead of meat they could totally keep the tire on your car. Cotham’s Mercantile is located at 5301 AR-161 in Scott.
Ed Walker’s Drive-In has remained about the same since 1943—they serve delicious food with 1940s and 1950s era décor and a sweet southern smile. They’re famous for their French-dipped sandwiches, but patrons also love that they’ll serve beer to your car. You can step back in time by driving to Ed Walker’s at 500 Towson Avenue in Fort Smith.
Designed to resemble a steamboat, Dondie’s White River Princess is a great place to eat delicious sea food from a buffet while enjoying the splendor of the incredible White River. Dondie’s White River Princess isn’t just a place for a great meal, this eatery also offers a superb river boat themed dining experience. Dondie’s White River Princess is located at 101 East Curran Street in Des Arc.
Our pick for a restaurant out in the middle of nowhere isn’t actually in the middle of nowhere—it’s in the middle of Arkansas wine country. It is however, tucked away in the tiny town of Altus, miles and miles away from major population centers. You’ll find fantastic old world cuisine in this little eatery, and it’s well worth the drive to dig into all that European food. Weinkeller Restaurant is located on the grounds of Wiederkehr Wine Cellars, at 3324 Swiss Family Drive in Altus.
This restaurant was highlighted not only because of its fantastic seafood, but because it’s home of the world’s first Billy Bass adoption center. That’s right, you can enjoy your awesome seafood while sitting in an establishment where the walls are covered in novelty singing fish. This location of Flying Fish is located in the River Market District at 511 President Clinton Avenue in Little Rock.
For a restaurant in a truly unique setting in a remote place, you need to go to Cliff House Inn just south of the Ozark mountain town of Jasper. This restaurant is situated overlooking the Grand Canyon of Arkansas, and the food they serve there is totally worthy of the view. You’ll need to wait a little later in the year to go there, though, as their season runs from mid-March to mid-November. You can find the Cliff House Inn 7 miles south of Jasper on Highway 7.
Doe’s Eat Place in Bentonville came up on our radar by receiving rave reviews from diners on Foursquare. Folks just can’t seem to get enough of those enormous, hand cut, USDA prime steaks. And the atmosphere, friendly service, and incredibly enormous selection of beer doesn’t hurt either. Doe’s Eat Place is located at 2806 South Walton Boulevard in Bentonville.
If you’re looking for food so good that the restaurant that serves it can stay in business in a small town simply because the food draws people from all over the state, look no further than Rivertowne BBQ in Ozark. With mouthwatering ribs, huge sandwiches, downhome sides, and their own fantastic sauce, Rivertowne Barbecue is a must for barbecue enthusiasts. Their location is 205 South 3rd Street in Ozark.
Searcy County is the Chocolate Roll Capital of the World. Before you go off and Google the recipe for delicious chocolate rolls, there’s something you need to know: Ruby’s Diner in Marshall makes chocolate rolls that you can just walk in and buy. Ruby’s Diner also offers a full menu of homestyle diner fare, but you’d be remiss if you didn’t buy a chocolate roll (or five or ten) for the road. Ruby’s Diner is located at 607 Highway 65 North in Marshall.
You don’t have to worry about your fear of flying on this jet. This retired Boeing 737 is safely attached to the ground and has been converted into some of the most unique restaurant seating in the Natural State. Parachute Inn offers a scrumptious home-style menu that will keep you coming back for seconds, and best of all, you can eat it on a grounded plane. Parachute Inn is located at 10 Sky Watch in Walnut Ridge.
For road trips to take this year, click here. If you want to see more things you have to do in Arkansas in 2017, try this one.
