CHEAP EATS: Cheers to new riverfront sausage pub, Prost

By Katherine Benenati

Photo by Karen E. Segrave

Bratwurst and sauerkraut at Prost in Little Rock’s River Market District

ADVERSTISMENT

LITTLE ROCK — It’s hard for a foodie not to like a place whose menu boasts: “We don’t carry steak sauce, but our Moroccan BBQ does the trick nicely.”

The sauce is a suggested topping for an Angus link featured at the new pub Prost, part of Willy D’s piano bar in Little Rock’s River Market District.

The meat-and-potatoes pub’s specialty is sausage and - aside from a bottle of A1 - you can top one just about anyway you like ... caramelized onions, roasted red and yellow peppers, Heineken sauerkraut, chili, sharp cheddar cheese. It all seems a bit much for humble meats, ground and stuffed into intestines.

When we visited on a recent Friday night, the sparsely populated pub felt a bit like the overflow seating for the bustling piano bar. The peace and quiet was nice, or it would have been if we had sat closer to the guy strumming the guitar up front instead of choosing a seat in the back that provided the auditory nondelight of dueling piano singers. Hey, we knew what we were getting into - actually for a spell we confused the professional singers with the karaoke crowd, but in fairness we don’t get out much.

The bar vibe didn’t extend to the decor: pounded copper tables, brick walls and oddly placed prints of famous paintings. All through dinner the Last Supper loomed overhead.

The menu includes a handful of appetizers, spinach dip ($6), salsa and chips ($4.50), chili cheese fries and nachos ($7 each). There are nonsausage sandwiches: a Reuben ($7.95) a turkey melt ($6.95) and a cheeseburger ($6.95). All come with steak fries.

But we figured if we were at a place whose name loosely translates to “Cheers!” in German, we should try the bratwurst ($6.25).

The sausages are served on focaccia bread that’s tasty and warm, but not really focaccia. Gourmet chips accompany the sandwiches, which come in baskets with mustard samples. We enjoyed the whiskey brown, a spicy variety that reminded us a bit of the stuff you’d get at a Chinese restaurant.

My husband’s favorite part of the meal was reading “domestics available” on the well-rounded beer menu. “If you want a Bud, you’ve gotta ask,” he sniggered, satisfied that someone else shares his standards as he sipped a New Castle from a Miller Lite pint glass.

For dinner, he stuck with the brat, which he was pleased wasn’t too salty. Translation: It wasn’t processed. I picked the chorizo ($6.25). The texture was right, but the spice seemed a bit tame.

The menu also has a half smoke (half beef, half pork) and an Italian sausage (both $6.25), a chicken Fuji ($6.99) with chicken and apple, and a Nathan’s dog ($3.99).

The simple menu didn’t include dessert. So we settled for a “signature Bavarian pretzel.” The port wine cheese and goat cheese fondues for dipping were on hiatus that night so we settled for the balsamic reduction and a jalapeno cheddar sauce.

The pretzel wasn’t too doughy or crisp, and while it wasn’t as good as Bavaria’s best it hit the spot.

One thing that didn’t hit the spot was the service. While our waitress was pleasant, she was slow with napkins, refills and the bill, and we had to ask for cutlery. Perhaps she couldn’t hear us over the pianos.

Prost Address: 322 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock Hours: Monday-Saturday 4 p.m.-midnight ($5 cover after 8 p.m.) Cuisine: Sausage, sandwiches, pretzels, appetizers Credit cards: AE, MC, V Alcoholic beverages: Full bar Wheelchair accessible: Yes Carryout: Yes (501) 244-9550

Weekend, Pages 38 on 10/15/2009