Food Review: Tallgrass Bar and Grill in Harrison, AR

Wow! I’m going to start by saying this is the best restaurant I have eaten at in Arkansas in a looong time. This eclectic spot has so many healthy, beautiful, DELICIOUS options. I wish I could eat every meal here. So, let’s dig in.

 

***Before you get too excited, this restaurant is NOT open on Saturdays and Sundays. Only Monday-Friday, so plan accordingly.

 

ENVIRONMENT

This adorable restaurant is connected to the newly named “Almond Branch”, which sells Patagonia attire, and lots of health-centered items like vitamins, herbs, local soaps, etc. Both this shop and Tallgrass face away from the street and have a huge parking lot that allowed our camper to drive through. Thank you!

The interior of Tallgrass is so modern, clean, and adorable. There’s lots of little details that really spruce the place up. For instance, this little succulent garden that floated next to our table was so cute!

You order at a counter and then find a seat and they will serve your food to you there. I must say, I was so impressed with their cleanliness. They are definitely concerned about keeping their staff and customers healthy. Thank you, again! Each time someone brought out food or cleaned a table, they changed their current gloves for new ones. If you need a refill, they bring you a clean glass because dirty ones aren’t allowed in that area. I’ve not seen such close attention to cleanliness detail and I so appreciate it!

 

FOOD

The menu is pretty large and it took me a good 15 minutes to decide what to order, because I wanted it all. You can find their menu on their facebook page here.

Overall, for lunch and dinner, there are many pita sandwiches/ gyros, tacos, burgers, regular sandwiches, many delicious looking salads with homemade dressings, and pita pizzas. It must be noted that the pitas are house-made, as much as many other menu items.

What did we get?
1. The Berkenstock Plate, $7.50: house-made sundried tomato hummus, broccoli, cucumber, tomato, avocado, and feta with seasoned crispy pita chips.
We took most of this home since there was so much else we got, but it was delicious. Best pita chips I’ve ever had. they were so flavorful!

2. Cup of the soup of the day (pumpkin chicken chili), $3: This came with a couple of those delicious pita chips and the chili was divine. It was creamy and not too spicy at all, but with a rich pumpkin flavor and tons of shredded chicken and blended in beautifully. I loved it. I even tried to make it at home the next day, but my version can’t touch theirs! This was also a very heft bowl for $3!

3. $1 side salad with fresh greens, tomatoes, and choice of house-made dressing. I went for the ranch, which I regretted. It tasted more like greek yogurt than a ranch. However, their pesto vinaigrette sounds delicious and I’m going for that one next time.
And who else sells a fresh salad with field green and tomatoes this size for $1??? No one. This is amazing.

4. Lemon Chicken Gyro and fries, $13: Sun dried tomato hummus, lemon pepper chicken, tomato, onion, cucumber, lettuce, feta, and tzatziki sauce.
I saved the best for last. This gyro was absolutely perfect! It was massive, first off. The pita was grilled, so it stayed crispy through the entire experience. Nothing peeves me off more than soggy bread. Not a problem here! The chicken was flavorful and so juicy and tender. The veggies and tzatziki sauce were of the perfect amount. I swear they made this gyro just for me.
The fries are fresh cut and seasoned, but they weren’t my favorite. They were a little soggy and greasy, so most of those were left uneaten. Next time, I’ll request a different side, but I will always order this gyro.

 

OVERALL

I loved my experience here. I left full of house-made, healthy, absolutely delicious food and enjoyed my hummus plate later that evening, with those delicious crispy pitas and veggies.
The staff was so kind. The place, even the bathrooms, were immaculately clean. And for the food I got, it was surprisingly cheap. I can’t find a place like this around Little Rock that is so fresh for these costs.
Go check this place out if you’re in the area on a weekday and let’s encourage them to be open on the weekends!

What’s for Dinner? The Most FLAVORFUL Sloppy Joe’s

I can’t believe I haven’t blogged this recipe before. It’s one of my fall/winter favorites that freezes and reheats in the microwave perfectly.

I would never say that sloppy joe’s were a favorite of mine, but this recipe is very unique. There’s a ton of veggies snuck in there, so this is great for kids or if you’re looking for a healthier option of the classic. With a variety of textures and flavors, you’ve never had sloppy joe’s like these before. In fact, I also enjoy eating this like chili, with fritos, straight from the bowl. No matter how you choose to enjoy this recipe, I hope it becomes one of your favorites, too.

I will warn you…there’s a lot of chopping ahead. You can do it!


***Also, this is a massive recipe, one for us to eat on for a couple days and then freeze a bunch for later. Feel free to halve this recipe!

Ingredients:
-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
-4 lbs ground meat (I do half turkey, half chuck….do what you love)
-2 yellow onions
-6 bell peppers (the more colors, the prettier it is)
-2 poblano chilis
-6 celery stalks
-8 tablespoons minced garlic, or 8 cloves
-1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
-2 tablespoons chili powder
-1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper
-2.5 cups of your favorite bbq sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray’s)
-1/2 cup ketchup
-2 tablespoons dijon mustard
-4 teaspoons Worcestershire
-2 tablespoons honey
-2 tablespoons brown sugar
-2 tablespoons agave
-1/2 cup water
-4 teaspoons red wine vinegar (or apple cider)
-1 cup cilantro (or any other favorite herb, such as parsley)

Directions:
1. Chop all the veggies…you can skip arm day for this.
2. In a LARGE bowl, add your EVOO, all ground meat and all chopped veggies minus the garlic and cilantro. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked.
3. Add the garlic, stir, and cook for another couple minutes.
4. Add the cajun seasoning, chili powder, salt and pepper. Stir well.
5. Add the bbq, ketchup, dijon, water, honey, agave, brown sugar, and
Worcestershire. Stir until it comes to a light boil, then turn the heat down to medium low. Let it cook for 15 minutes.
6. Add the red wine vinegar and cilantro. Let it cook another 15 minutes.
7. Turn the heat off and let it cool for 15 minutes.
8. Enjoy on a toasted bun or however you like!

The Most Flavorful Sloppy Joe’s!

This is a fantastic recipe to use with your kids (or adults) who don't love veggies. These sloppy joe's are packed with veggies without giving themselves away.
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 day 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 lbs ground meat I do half turkey, half chuck
  • 2 yellow onions
  • 6 bell peppers use ALL the colors!
  • 2 poblano chilis
  • 6 celery stalks
  • 8 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp cajun seasoning
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2.5 cups bbq sauce I use Sweet Baby Ray's Original
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 2 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 4 tsp Worcestershire
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp agave
  • 1/2 cup water or beef broth if you want to make it even better
  • 4 tsp red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup chopped cilantro

Instructions
 

  • Chop all the veggies…you can skip arm day for this.
  • In a LARGE bowl, add your EVOO, all ground meat and all chopped veggies minus the garlic and cilantro. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked.
  • Add the garlic, stir, and cook for another couple minutes.
  • Add the cajun seasoning, chili powder, salt and pepper. Stir well.
  • Add the bbq, ketchup, dijon, water, honey, agave, brown sugar, and Worcestershire. Stir until it comes to a light boil, then turn the heat down to medium low. Let it cook for 15 minutes.
  • Add the red wine vinegar and cilantro. Let it cook another 15 minutes.
  • Turn the heat off and let it cool for 15 minutes.

Video

Keyword sloppy joe, healthy, vegetables, hide veggies, flavorful, recipe, amy westerman