The Wooden Spoon — Restaurant in Gentry

We came on a whim and a prayer on a random Wednesday afternoon and oh boy are we glad we did. Things to note: they are not open on the weekends (which is when we typically venture out to try new things) and they are only open from 10:30-2pm M-F and for supper on Fridays. But the place is that good they can set their own rules! Everything is homemade from their bread to their sauces to their desserts. My husband had the chicken fried steak special. You could tell it was a home cook recipe because I'm sure they use cube steak which can be thin and tough, which it was. But it was smothered in yummy gravy and mashed potatoes. Heck even the side of green beans was good! And the homemade roll was tender and Devine. But what I have not seen mentioned here nor pictures of (which I failed to as well) is the meatloaf sandwich. Let me say meatloaf is something I never order at restaurants. Ever. And for some reason I ordered the meatloaf sandwich. It was perfection. A perfectly grilled French bread with homemade BBQ sauce, cheese and meatloaf. I would order it every time. So I will say to those that complained about $16 for a sandwich, they are ordering the wrong sandwich. This is not your run of the mill Turkey or club sandwich. This is perfection and not something you'd get at home. I also got the side of Mac n cheese which was creamy but not soupy and the noodles were still Al dente not mushy. We shared the caramel pecan cheese cake for dessert and man it was a flavor bomb of homemade simplicity. We will 100% drive the 35 min to come back. The place is a cool old barn renovated and so inviting. The service was wonderful. Yes plan on a wait. But take your sweet southern time and sip on some sweet tea and enjoy home away from...

Awesome atmosphere, great food, wonderful service! Here's what I love specifically about this place: -everything is homemade -they offer a daily flavored tea -there are usually 15-20 dessert options -there is usually a bit of a wait to get in but there's a gift shop to occupy your time -baked goods are available and can be purchased independent of a sit down meal -they offer "take and bake" options for meals and cookies, and breads are available on the shelf or frozen -some rotation on their menu to accommodate seasonality of some foods, so you know it is fresh -holiday pies can be purchased, just have to have your order in by the date listed on their website -I always check their special list on the website before I plan my visit

I recommend the following: -chicken salad sandwich -brisket sandwich -ribs -quiche -strawberry salad -baked potato soup -to go orders are quick and portions are as good as sit down portions -also recommend being there before they open for lunch or for dinner, or waiting to get there about 1 hour and 45 mins after opening. This will make your wait time much shorter, because if you get there 10 minutes after opening your wait may take a bit. BUT do not let this deter you...it is...

The Wooden Spoon is a gem hidden in little ole Gentry Arkansas. Everything on the menu is homeade and made with love. They have a complete menu and then offer daily specials. Their desserts are absolutely amazing if you have any room left to put it! I went with my son, father and aunt. We all 3 elected to get the daily special which was the open face roast beef with mashed potatoes and substituted the carrots for macaroni and cheese and potatoe salad. Every single bite was soooo delicious. Afterwards, we got the bumblebee pie which is a pie filled with a mixture of blackberries/blueberries/strawberries and raspberries and we had it topped with a scoop of ice cream.

The prices are very reasonable. The restaurant is clean with a welcoming atmosphere. The staff works very hard to keep everyone happy and drinks filled. There was a bit of a wait prior to being seated as I can tell is more than likely a common occurrence, but there is plenty of seating and rocking chairs out front to lounge in while waiting....and it's definitely...