That's right Grrls. Eureka Springs has a restaurant named «Rowdy Beaver.» Hold the double entendre. We'll get to that when we Ruthlessly Review the business that offers you a chance to «Dive on Beaver.» (Yes there is one. Really.)

Rowdy Beaver is a family-style roadhouse, complete with an under-12-kit menu for your little Beavers and Beaverettes. If you're a loyal Diversity visitor who wonders whatever happened to the fun folks at the Copacabana Club, now you know: Bartender Mikie is spinning the blender at the Beaver Bistro; Lita is spinning the hits on Thursdays at the Beaver's «Karaoke with Lita.»

The menu at the Rowdy Beaver includes basic roadhouse comfort food: burgers, sandwiches, steaks, chops, seafood, beer, wine and a full bar. As Coca-Cola addicts in a village awash in Pepsi, the Gay News Noshing Crew finds it inexplicably important to mention that the Rowdy Beaver serves genuine Coca-Cola products.

The Beaver adds a few Rowdy twists to their classic roadhouse fare. For example, Fried Green Beans ($5.99), the most ridiculous appetizer you've ever heard of, n'est-ce pas? Au contraire! Fried green beans are mmm, mmm down-home tasty.

Other uncommon appetizers include Fried Pickles ($4.50) and Crab Cakes with homemade Remoulade ($12.99). Not to worry, traditionalists, the Rowdy Beaver serves a classic ring, wing, cheese stick, chips 'n salsa appetizer menu too.

Lunch is all about the sandwiches--burgers, fish, chicken, veggie, steak (prices range from $5.95 - $7.99 for a sandwich and your choice of chips or fries. Substitute a salad for $1 more.) Yes, you can order your sandwiches «stripped.»

Yes, we know. The temptation to let our minds run wild with the idea of stripping at the Rowdy Beaver is nearly ungovernable isn't it? But what the Beaver means by «stripped» is «stripped of carbs.» In other words, the lunch menu has a lo-carb diet version for people who worry about just exactly how fat their ass looks in those pants.

Our dinner favorites include the succulent char grilled pork chop ($12.99), Mahi Mahi seared and finished with garlic herb butter ($13.95), Cajun Crawfish Pasta ($13.95), and rowdy, Rowdy steaks--everything from the $14.99 8 oz Rib-eye to a 20 oz. Porterhouse, suitable for John Wayne and five or six of his closest trail buddies ($28.95.)

Entrees come with your choice of two sides, everything from potatoes, potatoes, potatoes, potatoes (baked, baked/loaded, fried, garlic mash) to wild rice. OK. We're exaggerating. Just a little. You can order a garden salad and the vegetable of the day too.

One thing we really like about the Rowdy Beaver is that you can take a group of people with varying tastes and budgets out to dinner and hardly anybody whines. If you want a $30 John Wayne steak and your friends want $11 Linguine Alfredo or a $6 burger, everybody can have what they want. Lunch-priced entrees stay on the menu for the dinner hour. We like that.

Like all Arkansas restaurants, Rowdy Beaver Restaurant and Tavern is a non-smoking environment. Smokers are welcome to gather on the screened-in deck.

Picky Queen Alert: Girl, stay away from the soup unless you want to puff up like a Divine impersonator. We've tried the soup several times and it's wicked salty. The soup is a great environment to store your ocean-dwelling house pet if you simply can't bring yourself to leave your sea horse at home while you dine. Oh, and that hot guy with the big muscles in the wife-beater t-shirt at table five? Don't wink. The woman with him is his wife and she knows all the lyrics to every song Gretchen Wilson ever recorded.

Verdict: Save a tree. Eat a beaver. Wait. No. That's not it. We mean, when you're in the mood for down home, roadhouse, cookin' with a slightly rowdy twist, eat at the Rowdy Beaver.

Rowdy Beaver Restaurant & Tavern
417 West Van Buren (Hwy 62W)
Eureka Springs, AR 72632
479-253-8544

Open Sunday thru Thursday 11 am to 9 pm

Friday - Saturday 11 am to 10 pm

Popularity: 7% [?]