GRAVETTE -- The start of a new year is traditionally a time for new beginnings, new ventures, and the In-Zone Restaurant in Gravette is following that path. Owner Nancy Cudmore has operated her business successfully for 10 years, but last week she teamed up with another cook, Jimmy Richardson, and they are making some changes.
Richardson has worked 15 years as a cook and managed various restaurants in Northwest Arkansas. He is bringing his skills in barbecue cookery, and a pulled pork barbecue sandwich is being added to the menu. The In-Zone offers daily specials, usually dishes that are not on the regular menu, and new specials will be featured, including Jimmy's barbecued ribs. The specials for New Year's Day were liver and onions and an open-faced roast beef sandwich.
The In-Zone is open seven days a week -- at least through March. Hours are from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and breakfast is served all day.
A friendly waitress offers advice on diners' favorites. "Everyone loves our ham steak breakfast," she says.
Both the ham steak and rib-eye steak meals include two eggs, hash browns and toast. Three-egg omelets are available for $6.95 and the "build-your-own-breakfast" is very popular. Diners can choose from a list of breakfast offerings and are charged $4.89 for two, $5.89 for three, $6.89 for four or $7.89 for five items. Offerings include scrambled or fried eggs, sausage, bacon, fried Spam, hash browns, breakfast potatoes, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, French toast, sliced tomatoes, a fruit cup and cottage cheese.
The waitress also says, "Our burgers are famous all over town."
The burgers she speaks of are 1/2 pound Angus beef patties. Regular hamburgers and cheeseburgers are on the menu, as well as bacon cheeseburgers, chicken bacon burgers, guacamole burgers and guacamole chicken burgers with fresh guacamole, mushroom Swiss burgers, chili burgers, Western burgers, taco burgers, pepper jack burgers and veggie burgers. All burgers are served with chips. Home-cut fries may be added for $1.50.
Diners who prefer a sandwich over a burger may choose a club sandwich, BLT, patty melt, tuna or egg salad, rib-eye sandwich, grilled chicken, grilled cheese or grilled ham and cheese. Fries, okra and onion rings may be added for $1.50. Salads are among other items on the menu. Customers can make a meal of the chef salad, crispy chicken salad, grilled chicken or fajita chicken salad. If they prefer pasta, spaghetti is available and may be topped with meat sauce, Italian sausage or chicken. Chicken, fish and shrimp baskets are available, ranging in price from $5.99 to $6.50.
The chicken fried steak is one of the best sellers at the In-Zone Restaurant. Other dinners include chicken strips, grilled chicken breast, fried chicken, grilled pork chops, grilled catfish, hamburger steak, ribeye steak, three piece cod, jumbo shrimp and steak and shrimp. All dinners are served with two side dishes and a biscuit. Extra sides can be added for $1.95 each. Side dishes are mashed potatoes and gravy, fries, brown beans, okra, steamed rice, coleslaw, garden salad and the vegetable of the day. Baked potatoes are available after 4 p.m.
Private groups of 12 or more may book space for gatherings from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. 24 hours' notice must be given for this service.
The In-Zone is located at 106 First Avenue N.E. (Arkansas Highway 59), just north of Main Street. The telephone number is 787-5587.
General News on 01/07/2015