Little Rock Restaurants

[Aporkalypse]

I thought I'd take the opportunity to list a few of my favorite and see what some of you list as some of yours.

Chinese

1. Fantastic China - reasonable but gourmet quality, hard to find location in Heights

2. Hunan's - old standby, high quality

3. Fu Lin - Sunday brunch is best buffet LR has to offer, spicy calimari rocks

4. Chi's - best take-out

Mexican

1. Casa Manana/La Palapa - same food, authentic with great homemade chips and spicy sauces, lots of seafood

2. La Hacienda - Hot Springs original with unique salsas, authentic

3. Cozymel's - chain but really quality, authentic food

4. Senor Tequila - littered throughout Central AR but has reliable quality food

5. Juanita's - best Tex-Mex and fajitas

Italian (admittedly a weak field)

1. Bruno's and The Villa (both of these are old as dirt but reliably good, not what they used to be

2. Chains - Macaroni Grill, Carino's etc

Pizza

1. Damgoode Pies - the best bar none

2. US Pizza - salads are the money, you either love or hate the cracker-thin pizza, I love it

3. Shotgun Dan's - grease to the extreme

Burgers

1. Cotham's - original's the best but all 3 are damn good, high but worth it

2. Buffalo Grill - reliably good since I was a kid

3. The Box - hole in the wall in downtown with great, cheap burgers

BBQ

1. Sim's - great but dirt-cheap ghetto-Q, quirky vinegar-based sauce

2. Whole Hog - 6 sauces are great, good but kind of generic

3. There are a lot of others I couldn't distinguish - Lindsay's, Chip's, Suburb-B-Q, Corky's, etc

Upscale

1. 1620 - crab claws make the meal

2. Brave New Restaurant - great riverfront location, mixed grill is meatfest

3. Caper's - great menu

4. Acadia

Seafood

1. Cajun's Wharf - LR legend (and why we can't get any good seafood chains)

2. Vermillion Water Grille

3. Flying Fish -dive but beer and fish are cheap

4. Oyster Bar - has to be fried

Ethnic

1. Star of India - awesome, I miss it

2. Saigon Cuisine - high-quality Vietnamese food

3. Leo's Greek Castle - cheap lunch

Japanese

1. Ichibon - outstanding fresh sushi but slow as molasses

2. Sekisui - fast and fresh but high-priced

3. Mt Fuji - good quality but high as well

4. Chains - Benihana, Shogun, Kobe, etc

[Mith242]

Is there a La Hacienda there in Little Rock? I've heard about it being in Hot Springs. The same family has one in Fayetteville and one in Springdale but they changed the name to Oseguera's.

[Aporkalypse]

Is there a La Hacienda there in Little Rock? I've heard about it being in Hot Springs. The same family has one in Fayetteville and one in Springdale but they changed the name to Oseguera's.

The original was in Hot Springs at least 20 yrs ago, I went there as a kid. The one in LR has probably been there a dozen years or more. There's another in Benton as well.

The one in HS was the first Mexican restaurant I ever went to run by Mexicans. There were several tex-mex places in LR at the time - Browning's (a Heights institution, supposedly the state's first Mexican back in the 40s), Mexico Chiquito, etc but that was markedly different. It preceded the generic El Porton/Senor Tequila/Cancun/La Huerta, etc, etc, etc Mexican chains by more than a decade.

[Mith242]

The original was in Hot Springs at least 20 yrs ago, I went there as a kid. The one in LR has probably been there a dozen years or more. There's another in Benton as well.

The one in HS was the first Mexican restaurant I ever went to run by Mexicans. There were several tex-mex places in LR at the time - Browning's (a Heights institution, supposedly the state's first Mexican back in the 40s), Mexico Chiquito, etc but that was markedly different. It preceded the generic El Porton/Senor Tequila/Cancun/La Huerta, etc, etc, etc Mexican chains by more than a decade.

I wonder why the different name for NWA. And Hot Springs is close to southwest Arkansas. Before hispanics really started making the big influx to central and northwest Arkansas they were slowly establishing themselves in southwest Arkansas. I think I heard DeQueen was one of the first places in Arkansas that hispanics started showing up. I also think we didn't have any good Mexican restaurants till hispanics started coming to the area.

[Aporkalypse]

I wonder why the different name for NWA. And Hot Springs is close to southwest Arkansas. Before hispanics really started making the big influx to central and northwest Arkansas they were slowly establishing themselves in southwest Arkansas. I think I heard DeQueen was one of the first places in Arkansas that hispanics started showing up. I also think we didn't have any good Mexican restaurants till hispanics started coming to the area.

Danville is the first city in Arkansas to become majority hispanic. If you look at a map of Tyson's facilities in AR you'll see where the state's most Hispanic towns are located.

[mcheiss]

Did anyone hear the great news with the Restaurant The Living Room?

The restaurant shut its doors several months ago, but now the restaurant is being upgraded to an upscale seafood dining called So Restaurant & Bar.

[Mith242]

Did anyone hear the great news with the Restaurant The Living Room?

The restaurant shut its doors several months ago, but now the restaurant is being upgraded to an upscale seafood dining called So Restaurant & Bar.

No, but I hadn't heard of The Living Room either.

[turboturtle]

Did anyone hear the great news with the Restaurant The Living Room?

The restaurant shut its doors several months ago, but now the restaurant is being upgraded to an upscale seafood dining called So Restaurant & Bar.

I read that somewhere. It will be a challenge to make that space feel upscale. Parking is an issue that needs to be resolved. I hope it is successful.

I ate at Satellite for lunch today. It took an hour to get a salad with grilled tilapia. I would give the salad a C. The apple pie was an A. Service was an F. Price was an F. So if there is a next time, I'll order a slice of pie and coffee to go.

[Aporkalypse]

No, but I hadn't heard of The Living Room either.

It's on Kavanaugh in Hillcrest. It was a coffee shop/bar with lots of couches and places to chill out.

I haven't been home in a while to go out but I heard there is a new bar on Kavanaugh near there called The Fountain that is doing very well. Kavanaugh has always had a few bars in the Hillcrest area but kind of has this latent potential to becomes its own entertainment district.

[Aporkalypse]

I went to Dave and Buster's here in Dallas last night and was kind of surprised when I saw the history of the chain on the menu. Apparently Dave and Buster owned side by side businesses in Union Station in downtown Little Rock. Buster's was a very good LR restaurant and Slick Willy's was a bar with pool tables and an arcade located next door. Buster's closed years ago but Slick Willy's was still around until the River Market bar scene killed it off. Anyway, the guys became good friends and opened up the first Dave and Buster's in Dallas in 1982 and now it's a national chain mostly confined to large metros. I wonder if they would consider going back into LR now with one of their restaurants.

[Mith242]

I went to Dave and Buster's here in Dallas last night and was kind of surprised when I saw the history of the chain on the menu. Apparently Dave and Buster owned side by side businesses in Union Station in downtown Little Rock. Buster's was a very good LR restaurant and Slick Willy's was a bar with pool tables and an arcade located next door. Buster's closed years ago but Slick Willy's was still around until the River Market bar scene killed it off. Anyway, the guys became good friends and opened up the first Dave and Buster's in Dallas in 1982 and now it's a national chain mostly confined to large metros. I wonder if they would consider going back into LR now with one of their restaurants.

Yeah I thought I had heard they have Arkansas ties. It would be great to have them back in Arkansas.

[mcheiss]

There are three more Moe's in the works for Central Arkansas, but only the one planned for a summer opening in west Little Rock is set in stone.

One will open this summer in the Paris Plaza Shopping Center in Little Rock. One of the other locations will be in the Benton or Bryant area. The second Moe

[Architect]

Aporkalypse,

My list would just about mirror yours. However, why did you refer to "Flying Fish" as a dive? My definition of dive is local, dated, greasy and good. Perfect example: Doe's. Now that is a dive.

Flying Fish is new, hip, and the prototype that is being replicated through other major markets - same group as Flying Saucer, etc. Little Rock has been great to these guys.

There is better fried catfish to be had in LR - namely Cock of the Walk, but their grilled selection is excellent. Our family was their last night to eat before catching the streetcar to Alltel for the Twisters game - line was absolutely out the door and down the street.

[Aporkalypse]

Aporkalypse,

My list would just about mirror yours. However, why did you refer to "Flying Fish" as a dive? My definition of dive is local, dated, greasy and good. Perfect example: Doe's. Now that is a dive.

Flying Fish is new, hip, and the prototype that is being replicated through other major markets - same group as Flying Saucer, etc. Little Rock has been great to these guys.

There is better fried catfish to be had in LR - namely Cock of the Walk, but their grilled selection is excellent. Our family was their last night to eat before catching the streetcar to Alltel for the Twisters game - line was absolutely out the door and down the street.

When you talk about seafood, you generally mean one of two things:

1) Nice traditional restaurants - Cajun's Wharf,Vermillion Water Grille, etc

2) Casual, "Oyster Bar types - Flying Fish, The Oyster Bar, etc, I refer to these as dives

Little Rock needs more of both, IMO

[Architect]

When you talk about seafood, you generally mean one of two things:

1) Nice traditional restaurants - Cajun's Wharf,Vermillion Water Grille, etc

2) Casual, "Oyster Bar types - Flying Fish, The Oyster Bar, etc, I refer to these as dives

Little Rock needs more of both, IMO

Gotcha. Oyster Bar is definetely a DIVE!!!

[RLucas83]

Gotcha. Oyster Bar is definetely a DIVE!!!

When I was there on business a couple weeks ago we ate at Boscoe's for Lunch and Sonny D's ??(forget the name, but it was VERY upscale ($180 for 3) Both were in the river market and both were VERY good.

Best beer I ever had was at The Flying Saucer... you guys have some good places over there...

[Aporkalypse]

When I was there on business a couple weeks ago we ate at Boscoe's for Lunch and Sonny D's ??(forget the name, but it was VERY upscale ($180 for 3) Both were in the river market and both were VERY good.

Best beer I ever had was at The Flying Saucer... you guys have some good places over there...

Sonny Williams' Steakhouse I would guess as few restaurants in LR are that pricy. I agree, I like those places. Boscoe's is a small chain with restaurants in Memphis and Nashville as well. It's good food and pretty reasonable.

[mcheiss]

Isn't Bosco's one of Arkansas's few true Italian Restaurants?

Seems like I remember hearing about them in the news a few months ago.

[Architect]

Isn't Bosco's one of Arkansas's few true Italian Restaurants?

Seems like I remember hearing about them in the news a few months ago.

You are thinking of Bruno's, which is out in west Little Rock on Bowman. It is good, but not a place I regularly frequent.

Bosco's is a fairly snappy, upscale restraunt/brewery with locations in Little Rock (River Market), Memphis & Nashville.

[Aporkalypse]

You are thinking of Bruno's, which is out in west Little Rock on Bowman. It is good, but not a place I regularly frequent.

Bosco's is a fairly snappy, upscale restraunt/brewery with locations in Little Rock (River Market), Memphis & Nashville.

Bruno's was around on Roosevelt in the 1940s. I saw a great picture of the original out there once. The food is decent but not spectacular, I agree.

Little Rock is weak on Italian food (which isn't meant to be a knock, I think LR in general has spectacular original restaurants for a city its size). The Italian chains are probably better than any of the native restaurants. I heard the Italian Couple reopened, it's respectable.

[sleepy]

Whole Hog Cafe is opening up a restaurant in Memphis.

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/Editorial/...d.aspx?id=92821

[skirby]

Bruno's was around on Roosevelt in the 1940s. I saw a great picture of the original out there once. The food is decent but not spectacular, I agree.

Little Rock is weak on Italian food (which isn't meant to be a knock, I think LR in general has spectacular original restaurants for a city its size). The Italian chains are probably better than any of the native restaurants. I heard the Italian Couple reopened, it's respectable.

Bruno's on Roosevelt was a great place. Bruno had a house and pool next to the restaurant. It was right down the street from Hank's Dog House. Which at the time was one of the best restaurants in the city.

[mcheiss]

Whole Hog Cafe is opening up a restaurant in Memphis.

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/Editorial/...d.aspx?id=92821

Great. We had one open up in NWA not too long ago. They are amazing.

[skirby]

Little Rock restaurants were the subject of a Food Network show the week. Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels visited 12 local restaurants and showed a little of what was going on in LR.

[Architect]

Little Rock restaurants were the subject of a Food Network show the week. Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels visited 12 local restaurants and showed a little of what was going on in LR.

Cool. What restaurants were highlighted?