Last Sunday, Linda and I decided to take a little outing to Jasper for an overnight stay. We love driving the back roads of that part of Arkansas, so we try to get over to that area a few times a year. However, this was the first time we had ever actually stayed a night in the town of Jasper. We headed out east on 412, stopping at the Acapulco Mexican Restaurant for lunch on our way through Springdale. The day was beautiful, with fair skies and warm temperatures.
At the Huntsville exit, we made a pit stop at McDonalds. Then a few miles further east, we took the Kingston exit. Kingston is about seven miles off of 412 to the south. It is a picturesque little village with an interesting town square. There is a nice antique store on the square that sells ice cream cones. We usually stop in, but everything was battened down tight. In fact, the entire square was completely deserted. That seems to be common in small towns everywhere on Sunday afternoons.
On an impulse, I headed straight south out of town on a road we had never been on. It was a lovely drive, but ultimately we ended up turning around at the King's River in order to get to Boxley, where we hoped to see some elk. Arriving back in Kingston, we took the road that led southeast to Boxley. This is one of our favorite drives. Linda was constantly commenting on the beautiful scenery.
As we neared the Buffalo River, we kept on the lookout for any elk along the river. There were small farms scattered alongside the road with numerous cows grazing in pastures, but no elk. But then, just before we got to where we needed to turn off, we saw a bunch of elk out in a pasture. For the most part, they were lying down and chewing their cud while tourists lined the side of the road taking pictures.
We stopped near the Boxley Bridge, where you can walk across the river on a low water crossway. Linda and I got out of the truck to stretch our legs a bit and check out the beautiful green water. There were other folks out taking in the sunshine along with us. We saw signs for several trails that led in various directions up into the surrounding hills. If we had more time, I would have loved to take one.
Back on the road again, it wasn't long before we saw the town of Jasper down below us just as though we were in a helicopter overlooking the countryside. Jasper is surrounded by hills and lays nicely in the Little Buffalo River Valley. We drove through town looking for a nice motel which, alas, doesn't seem to exist in Jasper. There were a couple of motels, neither of which looked all that appealing. We decided to stop at a gas station to ask the locals. They directed us across the street to the Riverview Motel, which appeared to have been built quite a while before the Second World War. It was made of cinder blocks and squatted there, looking somewhat forlorn. The local had told us that a Miss Ruth ran the place and kept it "real clean."
I don't know why, but I was immediately comforted to hear this. We drove across the street and met Miss Ruth, who seemed to be a wonderful older lady. She showed us one of the rooms which was completely bare bones.
"How much is it?," I asked.
She said, "It's fifty dollars plus tax."
"Alright then, we'll take it."
I filled out the paperwork and paid for the room with my Visa. Linda and I unloaded some of our stuff from the truck and freshened up a little before taking a walk through town. Jasper is the county seat of Newton County. Newton County has some of the wildest, prettiest Ozark scenery anywhere in the state of Arkansas.
While still in our room, as is my practice when I arrive in a new town, I Googled the best place to get a good hamburger. The answer came back and it immediately piqued my interest. It showed that the Ozark Café was just what I was looking for. By the looks of the accompanying photos, these folks appeared to know how to make a burger. And the ratings were over the top. Well, the proof would be in the patty, so to speak. As we walked along the main street we passed the café and peered inside. There were a few customers eating their dinners. It looked interesting and inviting from the outside. The café was located on the town square, which was just down the street from our motel.
When we got back to the motel, I took a short nap. Linda might have too; I was too asleep to notice. Then we got in the truck and drove to the café since it was already getting dark outside. The Ozark Café is a mom-and-pop operation that has been written up in numerous magazines around the country. One New York magazine lists it as one of the 50 best places to eat in the United States. Evidently, their chocolate gravy is to die for. I will say this -- they make a really good hamburger.
There are a number of options on the menu, which includes a half-pound burger, as well as a massive one-pounder. You might need some help if you plan on eating the one-pounder. I had the half-pound hamburger and it was very tasty. While it wasn't the best hamburger I have ever eaten, it wasn't far off the mark. The accompanying order of fries was ample and well-seasoned. We both took our time and enjoyed our dinner. The décor was unique, especially the ceiling which has to be seen to be believed -- I won't attempt to describe it; you simply must go and see it for yourself.
The menus were printed up to look like a newspaper. There were some interesting dishes offered which, by their sheer numbers, would probably take you quite a while to eat your way through. We certainly plan to go back sometime soon.
The next morning we were up early and made our way back to the café for breakfast. I ordered two eggs over medium, bacon and hash browns, with biscuits and gravy -- isn't life grand? Linda had the blueberry pancake. One pancake is the size of your plate. She loved it. I loved my breakfast as well. The cook certainly knew how to cook hash browns. They were crispy brown on the outside and moist and tender on the inside. They were perhaps the best hash browns I have ever eaten. The coffee was good too, and the service was excellent. The atmosphere of the place was very welcoming, with a handful of regulars in attendance. There were some witty exchanges between the waitresses and customers.
I was surprised to learn that the Ozark Café has been continuously operating since 1909. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The café is located in a historic old building with scads of character. We look forward to a return trip there.
Linda and I spent the morning sightseeing as we made our way over to Highway 65, then north to Harrison, then back west on 412 to Gentry and home. It was a lovely little outing which Linda and I enjoyed immensely -- I highly recommend it.
Sam Byrnes is a Gentry-area resident and weekly contributor to the Eagle Observer. He may be contacted by email at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 02/15/2017