Ben T.

This is a super authentic-feeling outpost in the middle of the Ozarks where they have very friendly service and solid food, as well as live entertainment on the weekends. It's over 100 years old, and you really can feel the history when you walk in the door. Menu options range from the extensive list of specialty burgers (including the "Excaliburger", consisting of 1/2 pound beef patty with two grilled cheese sandwiches serving as the "bun") to entrees like the "Cow Patties", their take on chicken fried steak - served in a frying pan and topped with peppery white gravy. A great way to un-do all the health benefits of a day's hiking (albeit a tasty one). I tried a piece and it was great compared to the other 2-3 times I've tried chicken fried steak. Our party had a pretty good sampling of the menu, including the above mentioned items. We also tried the fried mushrooms and fried pickle appetizers, which were standard - but good. We ate every morsel. Some of the entrees come with a self-serve salad bar, but I didn't try any of that. I opted for the spiciest burger on the menu (I think it was called the "flamethrower") which included hot sauce, cayenne & jalopeno peppers and pepper jack cheese), because who wouldn't want to shit lava while on a camping trip with a limited amount of toilet paper? The burger was great, as were the fries. One MAJOR drawback to this place is that they do not serve beer, which would accompany every dish on the menu perfectly (especially the aforementioned flamethrower). But again, options are limited, so if you're on a camping/hiking/canoeing/floating trip and want to have a hot meal that someone else cooked - this is it. Also, I could see myself getting pretty tanked at this place and not making it back to the campsite, so it might be for the best. There are also a number of awesome-looking desserts, including cakes, ice cream sundaes and old-fashioned ice cream sodas. I didn't try and of them, but you could just tell by looking at them that they were made with care and tasted good. It may benefit slightly from the fact that it's just about the only bona-fide restaurant within miles (at least it was the only one I saw), and that we were starving after a day of travel and hiking. But even so, it's a place I would frequent even if it was surrounded by other options. I wish there were more places like it. And? Portions are great, and very affordable. I will definitely be back here on my next trip to the area, and recommend you do the same.