Every neighborhood has its share of locally owned restaurants that are popular with area residents when they want to kick back, chat, have a stress-free lunch or dinner, and take a break from the pace of the world outside.
InArkansas.com asked readers to share the names of their favorite local restaurants, and what makes them special. Here's what we found out:
Here are some of your comments:
My husband and I love going to Cafe Bossa Nova. Even before the restaurant expanded and had roughly 10 tables, it was worth the crowded room! The food is incredible, and the staff is really friendly. The decor is breezy and unassuming yet appropriate for a date or a business lunch, and I know I can please my vegetarian friends and carnivores alike when I introduce them to this great neighborhood place.
Bryant Home Plate Diner. This a locally owned eating establishment that has awesome home cooked food (seasoned like grandma used to make) that features daily specials. It's got a 1950s atmosphere complete with low volume juke box music playing in the background. A hidden treasure to say the least.
Ciao in downtown Little Rock is, by far, the best neighborhood establishment in central Arkansas for both food quality and value. Not only is the food fresh and delicious, it's obvious that the wait staff is passionate about serving patrons an incredible meal and a memorable dining experience. If you aren't signed up for their email newletters, you're missing out on tempting specials-- they regularly feature enticing offers for crab cakes, meatballs, desserts, and so forth. Be sure to start your meal with the bisque!
The House in Hillcrest for brunch.
My husband and I love Maddie's Place in Riverdale for its friendly staff and delicious food. Some of our favorite items on the menu include fish tacos, fried chicken livers, grilled oysters, fried chicken with mac and cheese and greens and shrimp and grits. It's our go-to place for a date night.
Lulav is my favorite place to go downtown for lunch or dinner. They also have a great bar and couches for happy hour.
Trio's has great food and service!
I can't believe no one has mentioned Argenta Market in North Little Rock. The deli there is absolutely fabulous and I particularly love the breakfast options. And the best part is you get to pick up some great foods from the market part as well.
My favorite restaurant is the best-kept secret in Conway and believe me, it's a secret that needs to be shared. O' Henry's at 283 Hwy 365 off Lake Conway on the Old Mayflower highway is the place to be. The menu is phenominal. I have honestly never had a better steak and that's not even to mention the pastas which are out of this world. Chef Cain Weaver also puts together the most amazing nightly specials. The staff is wonderful and the atmosphere can't be beat. With the live bands, the wonderul patio and the giant 300-inch TV outside to watch all your favorite sports teams, there's absolutely no better place to be.
I like Old Mill Bread Co. in west Little Rock. It has great sandwiches and soups, and you can taste samples too.
My absolute favorite restaurant in Little Rock is Terrace on the Green. Most people don't even know where it is, but once they find it, they go back. They have wonderful food, and their staff is very friendly and attentive (ask for Thomas). Start off with their heavenly hummus. The absolute best item on their menu, and the most original, would have to be the Chicken Cypress, a chicken breast smothered in a creamy spicy sauce with avocados and shrimp on top.
Dizzy's Gypsy Bistro in Little Rock's River Market. Best cheese dip ever. Other food, drinks, and service are all great. Carmen is the best server ever.
Taste of D-Light in Bryant has the best hot and sour soup around!
Cheers in the Heights is a true neighborhood restaurant. Everybody knows your name or you know theirs. Any given evening, you will seee a table of 13-year olds, a table of grannies fresh from bridge group, or a table of business men having dinner. It is the perfect place to catch up with neighbors, have a party or meet new friends. I love their food and my son always wants to go there first when he is home from college.
I love the Oyster Bar in Little Rock in the Stifft Station neighborhood. The wait staff is always very nice, helpful, and accommodating, and the food is always fresh and super taste-tastic. I love the grilled mahi-mahi.
Copper Grill is the perfect downtown neighborhood restaurant. Excellent food, great service, outstanding bar (and bartenders) all combine with a breezy patio. Downtown evenings are the best in the city.
We love Santo Coyote in North Little Rock. The food is great -- especially the steak fajitas -- and the margaritas are addictive! It seems like so many mediocre Mexican restaurants abound, but this one is high quality and really different.
Our favorite local restaurant is Smokin' Buns BBQ and Catfish on Highway 107 in Jacksonville. It's got a nice Southern family atmosphere and a great variety of food including the best barbecue around, plus fried pies and ice cream for dessert. Just prepare for a wait on Friday or Saturday night, but well worth the time.
I really have enjoyed Union Bistro down in Riverdale. It's family owned and operated, the food is great and there's a nice laid-back atmosphere.
Canon Grill is our "go to" spot! My husband and I split the Canon Queso and Chicken Nachos every time and it is just enough to fill us both up. The atmosphere is great! We never have to wait for a table. The food arrives very quickly and the waitstaff is always on top of their job. And it is definitely Hillcrest's neighborhood spot as we always run into to someone we know each time we eat there. If you've never been, you are missing out.
I love Chicken Country in Jacksonville. It has great food and great people working there.
Uncle Henry's Bar-B-Que in Sheridan -- best barbecue and beans around.
Red Door in Riverdale. Great patio, great food.
Sports Page in downtown has the best, juiciest cheeseburger in town. They remember me, my drink and my order every time. It's a great place to catch a breather during work days.
Cafe Prego is one of those restaurants where you immedately feel at home. The food, atmosphere and service is hard to beat. Complete dining encompasses great food, good service, and attention to beverages. Prego has all of those components to make everyone's dining experience special.
I love Your Mama's Good Food for lunch downtown, but they closed the end of August so they could move to another downtown location. The problem is that they were supposed to reopen at the end of September, but they're still not open. I could live on their purple hull peas, carrots and cornbread.
Ciao Baci on Beechwood in Hillcrest is in a house with a wrapp-around porch. It's cozy inside with great atmosphere for dinner, and has great outdoor seating during beautiful Arkansas weather. You can use the back part of the restaurant if you have a big party. It has a fireplace and a couch for when you just want to sit back and relax with a glass of wine. The restaurant has a really good wine list. The food is excellent, the owner knows her customers, and the drinks are great. Late night, it becomes a hip bar.
My favorite neighborhood restaurant is the Pantry. The service is always great and the food never fails to impress. It's tough to find consistency in restaurant quality, but we have never been disappointed in Tomas or his team. There is something to be said about a chef/owner who knows his customers, who takes the time to be sure his patrons are having the best possible experience. The atmosphere is lovely, especially the patio on a breezy evening. They're about more than just the food, they're in it for the full experience.
Dugan's Pub and Grill. After golf we love going there in the middle of the afternoon for a beer and the black and bleu burger. Its a comfortable, casual place and the staff makes you feel welcome.
Capers is a great place to go in west Little Rock. The atmosphere is soothing, the staff is very attentive and the selections are always delectable. I've seen patrons in shorts and in suits and no one is ever uncomfortable either way. The menu is constantly being revised so it's never boring and the wine selection is top notch.
The Villa, even back when it was on University. It's still the best -- old school and delicious.
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