Tag: review

Food Review: Rock N’ Java is More Than Rocks and Coffee

I have driven past this “Rock N’ Java” shop multiple times. Whether we were heading to the Buffalo River or Branson, this shop always appeared to be a regular ole’ rock shop that happened to have coffee for sale, too. No thanks.
Then, on the way home from camping at the Buffalo this weekend, I was craving some good coffee. Besides gas stations, there aren’t many options around these parts of Arkansas for any coffee, so I decided to give this place a shot. And I kicked myself all the way back to my car when I realized what I have been missing out on for so many years!

A few miles south of Marshall, Arkansas, on Hwy 65, is where you can find this gem of a coffee shop, with a great view to go with it.

While it is a rock shop, it is unlike any rock shop I have encountered. Yes, it sells tons of cool rocks, but much more than that.  There were some local artists’ fare for sale, such as clay pottery and plenty of other unique finds. AND they not only sell ligit coffee, but food as well.

The inside is super fun and eclectic. This shop reminds of a few of the family-owned shops in small mountain towns in Colorado….hippies included.

When first entering, the super friendly barista was talking to a couple other young customers about the area. She then turned her full attention to us to answer any questions we had.
She suggested a simple latte with any flavor for me and an iced pomegranate green tea with mulled fruit mixed in for Drew.
She. nailed. it.
My 12 oz white chocolate latte for $2.99 truly hit the spot. She even asked what type of milk I preferred, so I got skim. Though, I’m sure soy or almond or whatever else kind of milk you prefer is available. Anyway, it was delicious.
Drew’s iced green tea stole the show, though. Placed in a large 32 oz styrofoam cup to go, it was full of ice, mulled fruit, and a delicious, flavorful, fruity green tea. Plus, it was only $3.29…can’t beat that.

There were just a handful of food options, which I opted out of since I had just finished a freeze-dried meal for breakfast. However, omelets and hash brown casserole were available for “breakfast all day”.
There was also a lunch special of a bbq sandwich, chips, and mac’n’cheese for $5.49. Also available was a grilled cheese and tomato soup.
Finally, there was also a case full of sweets, such as cookies and other pastries. I behaved myself and abstained….but next time, I’m not sure I’ll be able to pass the food up.

Overall, I’m so glad we stopped by this place. It will definitely be a must-stop-shop from now on. Give it a try and let me know if there is anything else delicious you enjoyed there!

Food Review: Mud Street Cafe in Eureka Springs

Drew and I made a quick trip through Eureka Springs after leaving Branson, MO to head to Bentonville, AR. According to many online reviews, Mud Street Cafe is the best place to get lunch. So, we gave it a shot. Here’s the breakdown:

The Environment

Located in downtown Eureka, this is a great location to grab breakfast or lunch. They do not serve dinner. Look for the sign, as the restaurant is located in the bottom floor of a building shared with other shops.

Once you enter, there is a pie/ dessert display, as well as a board full of the daily specials. So far, so good!

The actual interior is super cozy. There are dimmer lights than one might expect of a breakfast and lunch joint. Though, with no windows, I guess that should be expected.
There are “normal” tables, as well as couches to sit on. There is also some unique artwork on the walls. Finally, there is a corner full of some games you can play while waiting for or enjoying your coffee or meal.

The Menu

   

The menu is full of salads and sandwiches. Nothing that sounded too unique, and the prices seemed a little hefty.

The Food

We started off with $2 unlimited coffees. There is a coffee bar you can choose which, out of three, coffees you would like. There are plenty of additions to add to your coffee: cream, honey, many types of sugar/ fake sugar, cinnamon, cocoa powder, nutmeg, and vanilla. We had fun drinking about three cups each of this delicious coffee. There are even to-go cups to take with you when you leave. This is definitely a great deal for some great coffee.

Chicken Waldorf Salad, $10.95
Description: A grilled, seasoned chicken breast served with a traditional Waldorf salad of apples, celery, walnuts, pecans, and grapes with a honey lime dressing, accented with Cheddar cheese, dry roasted peanuts, and a wholegrain roll.

This is the dish I ordered and it was delicious! While it seemed a little small for a $12 salad, there was ample chicken and other toppings. The chicken was tender and well-flavored with a little spice. The house-made dressing was killer! It looked like a heavy ranch, but was rather very thin and light, as I prefer. It was sweet and worked perfectly with the salad’s components.
The wholegrain roll it came with was delicious all by itself. I would get this again.

Grilled Tuna Sandwich, $11.

Description: Grilled yellow fin tuna steak on sourdough toast with lettuce, tomato, and red onions.

Drew ordered this dish, and we have never ordered a tuna steak before. He ordered it medium, which ended up being a bit too overcooked/ dry. This is not the fault of the restaurant, of course. Next time, we’ll order it medium-rare, as the waitress suggested.
The sandwich was large, with the tuna being bigger than the bread…nice! There was a tangy remoulade sauce that came with it.  Adding all of the sauce to the sandwich helped with the dryness of the tuna and made the sandwich delicious!
The bread was too thin and because soggy quickly, though. I would prefer a heartier bread for this sandwich.
While I was not sold on this sandwich, Drew liked it a lot and said he would get it again.
Again, the price for this seemed a little expensive, as it just came with chips. Though, I suppose in downtown Eureka Springs, you must expect to pay a little more?

We did not get dessert, though most patrons did, and they looked delicious. There were also plenty of fancy coffee drinks that were tempting, but we skipped out on. There were even alcoholic dessert coffee drinks that sounded amazing. I think next time, I will skip out on the food and head straight for a delicious fancy coffee dessert.