Ice Cream Delights

This is an ice cream parlor/sandwich joint in Eureka Springs, out near the Railway Station.  And they don't take plastic; cash or checks only.  They're a small place, with small tables and small chairs, and a bit of a Coca-Cola theme.  I had the Chopped BBQ Brisket Sandwich and Frank had the Reuben.  They each came with a pickle wedge and a small package of Lay's Potato Chips.

The Reuben was on a pumpernickel-rye swirl bread, about normal sandwich size.  Frank liked it, but said it had more Thousand Island dressing than he prefers.  My BBQ sandwich was pretty good.  Not a huge amount of meat, but enough, and an okay sauce.  It was on a large hamburger bun.

Overall, not bad.  The sandwiches were about $6 a piece, which isn't too bad for Eureka Springs.  The owners were nice and kept filling up my ice tea.  Say 3 to 3-1/2 stars.

Bubba's Barbecue

We were exhausted after spending all day hiking up the hills, so Frank got the BBQ to-go.  We both had Pulled Pork Sandwiches, I had the Potato Salad, he had Baked Beans, and he got an order of Chili.  The sandwiches came with a container of Sauce and a container of Coleslaw (to put on the sandwich).  There were also Rippled Potato Chips and a Garlic Pickle.

The Sauce was pretty generic, and so was the Coleslaw.  The Pork itself was good, but the big burger bun it was on started to break apart as I ate it.  Frank liked the Beans; he said they were spicy and had flavor.  The Chili was mild but good.  I didn't like the Potato Salad, it was kind of odd.  Not a mustard or a mayonnaise potato salad.  Frank said he didn't dislike it.

Overall, it was kind of generic.  Frank said the service was very good, but the food was only okay.  So 3 stars.

Main Street Cafe

Another Eureka Springs restaurant, and this one does take plastic.  We were walking there anyway and ran into a guy handing out 10% off coupons.  We always eat breakfast there because they have some good ones.  This time I had the 3-Egg Denver Omelet, without cheese, with Wheat Toast.  Frank had the Main Street Favorite: Pit Ham with Biscuits and Gravy.

There's nothing fancy about this place.  It's mostly booths, with a few tables, and an antique radiator in the back by the bathrooms.  The food is just plain food, but there's plenty of it and it's good and reliable.  Good hearty breakfast food, just what you need for tanking up before a day walking the hills in Eureka.  3-1/2 stars.

Bavarian Inn

This is a German-Czech restaurant in Eureka Springs.  It's one of our favorites!  We started off our dinner with Cream of Sauerkraut Soup and fresh Rye Bread.  I really like their rye bread because there's no caraway in it.  For our entrees, this time I had the Sauerbraten and Frank had the Goulash.  We also shared an Optimator (really good German beer).  For dessert I had the German Chocolate Cake (to go, because I was stuffed!).

Sauerbraten is like a roast beef, but the vegetables are all kind of ground up into a sauce.  And there are these amazing dumplings - kind of like a not quite cooked bread consistency.  The Goulash is hunks of meat in a paprika sauce, again with dumplings.  (If you've only had goulash in a cafeteria, then you've never had goulash!)  The German Chocolate Cake is 3 layers of chocolate with 2 layers of a coconut-nut mixture between them.

This is one of my absolute favorite restaurants.  The service is always great, the food is amazing, and there's German music playing in the background.  The ambiance is a bit dark and, well, German lodge-looking.  Also, they do take plastic.  I'd have to say 4-1/2 stars!

Garden Bistro

The Garden Bistro is a small restaurant in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.  They try to use local produce and cook everything from scratch.  The section we were in had 8 tables, and there's an outside dining area too.  The music was good but just a bit loud for us.

Appetizers run about $5.95, sandwiches $8-$11 and entrees more around $12.95.

I had the Chicken and Vegetable Stromboli (looked like a calzone to me).  It was really good!  There were mushrooms, jalapenos, feta, cooked tomatoes and fresh tomatoes inside it.  In fact, I couldn't eat the whole thing.  Of course, I ate most of the honey-oat-wheat bread in a pot.  That was excellent!

Frank had the 1/2 Club Sandwich with Potato-Cheddar-Bacon Soup.  The Club has turkey, bacon, provolone, avocado, tomato, fresh greens, cucumber, sprouts, and an avocado-dill ranch sauce.  Frank liked the club and said the soup was okay.  I tried his potato salad and it was a bit pickley.

Overall, I liked them.  Especially the bread!  Frank thought they seemed slightly pretentious, but I didn't get that.  But they are one of those places with food like strawberry-lavender soup.  I'd say 3-1/2 to 4 stars.  They do take plastic (not everywhere in Eureka does).