Neal's Cafe — Restaurant in Springdale

My husband and I ate dinner here last night -- our first visit. The whole experience was PERFECT! First we drove up to a Pink painted building...we might not have gone in, but my husband had seen a picture of their pan-fried chicken fried steak... I'm so glad we went in! The first thing I noticed was how cheerful and clean and well loved(taken care of) place it was. They have a variety of table types to sit at. I mention this because some appear beautifully handmade out of cedar wood. The staff was very welcoming and proud to tell us about the various menu items or answer any questions. The restaurant, per the menu description, is known for their skillet fried chicken. We wanted to order other items, but also wanted a sample of their fried chicken. So, while we waited for our order they brought out a wing and thigh and they had a wonderful texture and taste! Joe had ordered the chicken fried steak and 3 sides. I ordered the cornmeal fried catfish and 3 sides. I was given the choice of whole filets or cut up in smaller pieces, which is what I did. Rolls and cornbread came with the meal. First, everything we ate was cooked PERFECTLY! Even the sides of fried okra (thin batter just the way we like), brown beans, coleslaw, onion rings, broccoli, and mashed potatoes. We later learned everything is handmade daily, including their breads. In addition to the wait staff asking how we were enjoying the meal and making sure we had everything we needed, the owner, Neal, stopped by and asked how things were. We shared how impressed we were with our whole experience. He told us some history, and said the Pink was his grandmother's favorite color so the building will always be Pink😊. When my husband told him how good the chicken fried steak was, the owner explained he has his Butcher do a special cut that ensures no grizzle. Last, we ordered a piece of "fresh out of the oven" Cocunt Cream pie. It was packed for our trip home. One more detail, the owner said they bake over 300 pies for special orders the day before Thanksgiving. The pie was mouthwateringly delicious..I enjoyed each cocount flake in the filling. If you are ever in Springdale, AR this is definitely a stop worth making. I could see this diner on FoodNetwork's...

This restaurant has been in business for over 70 years. It is a family owned and operated restaurant of at least 4 or more generations. They offer home cooked old fashioned cafe style food. Home made roles and home made deserts. Like all things over time there are some changes. The interior used to house a multitude of Hunting and Fishing trophy's. Including buffalo,elk,feasent,dear, stripper bass trout and even a stuffed alligator. And a huge collection of antique hunting rifles. At one time there was even a built in bee hive for collecting honey. It was made of glass and you could see the bees busy making honey that would end up on your table.In the 1970s the burgers were plate sized and fries were pilled up plenty. And the daily lunch specials were large portions that would fill you up. But like all things today the portions are smaller and the checks are larger. Unfortunately most of the stuffed and mounted animals that I always got excited to see when visiting have been removed. Along with the Riffles an other wall decorations. Even though it's not as exciting to visit and the foods not quite like it used to be I still visit from time to time remembering the meals I shared with family and friends. It's still unique in its own way from pink walls inside and out and a few of the old relics still adorn the walls. And the food? Well it's not the the best but it's not bad. Its one of those places that you can say "I've eaten there". It won't hurt to just stop in and try it for yourself. I'm sure you will still see something you didn't expect to see and there's still enough to keep the kids...

I went to Neal’s Cafe around 1pm looking for breakfast. I was highly disappointed when I found out that it was a café that did not serve breakfast all day. I looked at the menu to see if there was anything appetizing that I could have for lunch, nothing seemed appealing to me at the time. My step-son wanted to try the ham sandwich, so we decided to stay. I ordered some coffee that tasted like warm water. I asked for a slice of apple pie and they were out. I settled for a slice of blueberry pie. The scoop of ice cream was delicious. I got a little bit of crust and a big blob of blueberry filling that was way too sweet. About 15 minutes later, my stepson received his ham sandwich and fries. The fries were out of a freezer bag.The ham sandwich was pretty good.I’ve had better coffee at a gas station. The only time I saw our waitress smile is when she saw us leaving. There was a 3 1/2% fee for using a debit card or credit card, on top of the four dollar tip that we gave her. If management is reading this, don’t bother reaching out I will then we’ll go back. Northwest Arkansas is about to become gentrified with all the money moving in from around the country.If a place like Neal’s Café wants to survive they are going to have to step...