The Top Local Restaurants In Searcy, Arkansas

Slader’s Alaskan Dumpling Co. serves up something a bit different from the traditional Southern fare. Slader Marshall was born in Arkansas and brought up in Juneau in Alaska before returning to Arkansas as a student at Harding University. In January 2014, he set up the Dumpling Co. to serve up traditional pel’meni, a classic Alaskan dish brought to the states by Russian settlers. It consists of beef, potato, or pork dumplings with a blob of butter or sour cream on top. The restaurant has picked up plenty of press coverage focusing on the curious taste of Alaska on offer in Arkansas, and it’s become a favorite of Harding students.

You can go to Starbucks in Searcy if you want, or you can head to the Midnight Oil Coffee House for some real coffee and local culture. Just north of the Harding University campus, the coffee house is the ideal place to relax, study and enjoy some homemade cakes and coffee. Owned by the non-profit Kibo Group who works with communities in East Africa, the coffee house uses beans roasted by RoZark Hills Coffee Roasterie in nearby Rose Bud. Among the signature coffees on offer are the café Vienna, a latte with French vanilla syrup and cinnamon, and the Valencia, a latte with chocolate and orange added for extra flavor. There’s work from local artists on the walls and regular sessions from Searcy musicians.

Kibo Midnight Oil Coffee House, 801 E Race Avenue, Searcy, AR, +1 501 268 9014

Casa Brava is a local favorite in Searcy and regarded as one of the best spots in town for Mexican cuisine. You’ll find the family restaurant in central Searcy just south of Harding University on East Beebe Capps Expressway. It’s also right next to the Searcy Bike Trail, making it the ideal place to eat if you’re out on a walk or cycle ride. The menu features Mexican classics like tamales, fajitas, tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and burritos. Among the signature dishes are steamed shrimp with onions, tomatoes and avocado and poblano peppers stuffed with Monterey Jack cheese and then battered and deep-fried.

Fuji Steakhouse and Sushi Bar is the place to go in Searcy to sample some Asian cuisine. With a traditional Japanese menu, the steakhouse and sushi bar offers a huge menu packed with Japanese classics like sushi, teriyaki and hibachi combos. You’ll find the restaurant just off Highway 64, ideally placed across from the Holiday and Microtel Inns — perfect if you’re staying in town and need somewhere local. The dishes to sample include hibachi chicken, steak, salmon and shrimp, sashimi, tekka and sake don, or karashi, or for something simpler and a little less exotic, try katsu don, a dish of pork tenderloin with vegetables and eggs and rice.

Burrito Day Cafe opened up in 2013 in historic downtown Searcy on East Center Avenue close to Spring Park and the Robbins Sandford Grand Hall. Burrito Day Cafe serves up quality fresh burritos and tacos for breakfast and lunch. You can build your own burritos packed with eggs, salsa, sweet potato, steak, pulled pork and enjoy with guacamole, a muffin topped with cream cheese icing or chocolate chip scones. All of the ingredients and produce used at the café is locally sourced from Arkansas farms and suppliers, and along with burritos, you can pick up nachos, quesadillas, and tacos.

Burrito Day Café, 108 E Center Avenue, Searcy, AR, +1 501 368 5545

The Greek House Grill on East Beebe Capps is another favorite place to head to if you’re working on campus at Harding University. The grill serves up classic Greek and Mediterranean fare and often caters for big parties like weddings and birthdays. The menu is packed with salads, platters, gyros, flatbread dishes and soups like Greek lemon chicken. Amongst the classics on the menu like calamari, tzatziki, spanakopita and Greek flatbreads are dishes such as pork medallions served with sun-dried tomato chutney and charbroiled local Arkansas lamb with traditional mint jelly.

Greek House Grill, 1211 E Beebe Capps Expressway, Searcy, AR, +1 501 268 3202

The Rock House Restaurant is a venture in Searcy that opened at the start of 2015. The restaurant is packed with music memorabilia and hosts live sessions, all the while serving up American classics like huge steaks and catfish. You can enjoy your dinner whilst perusing posters from the days when The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix were playing live across the USA. One artist that appeared live at the Rock House was the up and coming country star, Tim Hadler. On the menu are dishes like 14oz rib eye steaks, grilled and fried shrimp, blackened tilapia and Philly cheese steak sandwiches.