RESTAURANT REVIEW: Dave & Buster's is a bellyful

It has the gravity-defying grub. And it has the bleep-blonking games.

But there is one thing that newly opened Dave & Buster's has that no other D&Bs possess.

History.

It might have taken almost 35 years for a location of the amusement restaurant to open here, but Dave & Buster's has its origins in Arkansas' capital, where its two founders, Buster Corley and the late Dave Corriveau, operated bars next to each other in the late 1970s. The two became friends, developed the concept (with Dave winning the coin toss and putting his name first) and took it to Dallas, where the first establishment opened in 1982. Now there are nearly 90 across the nation.

The new location pays homage to its Arkansas roots with an entrance wall that says in large lettering: "Here in Little Rock, a guy named Dave loved all things fun & games. A guy named Buster loved fine food & drink. That's how it all began at the train station."

Having long outgrown the train station, boisterous Dave & Buster's beastly new complex sits just east of the Outlets of Little Rock off Interstate 30. You'll know you've reached it when you come to the packed parking lot and people lined up out the door. And then you'll drive off, intimidated and sulky, resolving to return another time as we did on a recent Saturday evening.

We'd discover during two other Saturday trips that 11 a.m. is a good time to beat the pack. That's when there's no congestion at the front game card counter; there are still seats in the screen-filled sports shrine of a bar area and the slightly more serene dining room; and no one's hogging the Star Wars Battle Pod just yet. But if you're going to party and people-watch, anytime is just fine.

Our first visit, the menfolk of our party voted to sit in the bar, and because it was Father's Day, the gals gave in. The loud sports lounge is no place for deep discussions, but it's not without its Las Vegas-like charm. We then settled into padded stools at a table; gawked at items like The Caveman Combo on the picture menu ("It's a bucket of ribs! With skewered cheeseburgers sticking out!"); informed the tyke with us that he'd have to wait 10 more long years to legally order the alcoholic glowing Ghostbusters drink advertised on the placard; and regretting rushing to purchase our Power Cards ($2 at the counter) prior to eating because they would have been free with our meals.

There's no dining at D&B without digging into a "Shareable App" or two. We sampled the Mountain O' Nachos ($11.49), an aptly named heap of chips, ground beef, queso, black beans, jalapenos, tomatoes, lettuce, guacamole and sour cream, and the Pretzel Dogs ($9.99), salty, smallish all-beef franks swaddled in pretzel dough and served with a lively habanero dipping sauce. The two made a sodium-filled mini-feast for our party of five. We can see repeating this ritual when Razorback and Ravens football are back.

The large menu is broken down into soups, Surf & Turf, seafood, steak, ribs, Legendary Burgers, classic burgers, sliders, pasta, Super Stack Sandwiches, chicken, Eat Your Greens (also known as salads, and we never did eat them), side salads, Sidekicks (side dishes, and there are about 15 options) and desserts.

Figuring the apps might be enough bar food for one meal, I selected the Bang Bang Chicken with Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles ($12.99) that had chunks of fried chicken in a spicy sauce and nutty spaghetti noodles topped with what the menu called "Asian vegetables" (a few shreds of carrot, maybe a hint of celery) and sparse sprinklings of cilantro and black sesame seeds. It was fairly fiery and didn't need the additional sriracha sauce the menu offered. It was better than I deserved for ordering Asian in the most American of restaurants, but I wouldn't order it again, and I didn't want a box for the leftovers.

Meanwhile, my date could never have enough bar food and proved it, ordering and finishing the over-the-top Buffalo Wing Burger ($12.79). That's not a burger with buffalo sauce on it. It's a burger with buffalo chicken on it, served with a tumble of tater tots. The brioche bun is burdened not only with a half-pound of ground beef but saucy crispy chicken tenders, bleu cheese and fried or "frazzled" onion strings. We giggled about it being held together with a toothpick and a tiny piece of celery -- for health.

Our friends gave the thumbs up to the Original Bar Burgers ($10.49), cheeseburger sliders served on Hawaiian rolls with "secret sauce," and the Ultimate Mac & Cheese ($12.99) that contained chicken breast, applewood-smoked bacon in an aged cheddar sauce with a crumb crust. The friend who ordered the Bistro Streak & Shrimp with Lobster Alfredo Linguine ($18.49) was put off by the odd-tasting cream sauce.

In spite of the newness and busyness, we enjoyed good service each time, although we've heard from a few folks who haven't.

Are you dying for to us to get to the drinks and games already?

As for beverages, again, we went at lunch and passed on the day drinking. But the lengthy menu has beer and wine with an emphasis on showy cocktails. There are several Long Island iced teas, margaritas and sangrias, adult snow cones and even "Glow Kones" that light up. Want to know prices? They're not on the menu, so you'll have to ask.

As for the games? Well, not until you finish your food like proper ladies and gentlemen!

Seated in a booth in the more subdued dining room decked with a Little Rock mural, and of course, more screens, we started our second visit with the Steamed Edamame ($5.49). Just kidding. But it is an option. Instead, we tried the Lotsa Loaded Tots ($7.99). Not only did it feature plenty of potato puffs, queso, bacon, green onions and a kicky sriracha ketchup, the menu said $1 from each order would benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It was just the right thing to do.

My date ordered the Tenderloin & Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp with Smoked Chile & Tomato Cream Pasta ($17.79) with no regrets. He was impressed by the dish's ample protein -- seasoned steak and smoky shrimp bundles -- and portion.

The best part of my Bass Ale Battered Fish & Parmesan Potato Chips ($12.29) was the homemade Yukon Gold potato crisps (and not fries) when dipped in the creamy malt vinegar aioli that, to me, tasted mostly of lemon. The sturdily breaded fish was very, very mild, and by that I mean it had no actual flavor.

We did attempt a dessert this time, the towering Brookie Sundae ($8.69), brownie-cookie hybrids held together with a skewer and stacked vertically with vanilla ice cream, then topped with whipped cream and a cherry. We knew we couldn't possibly finish it and we heard the audible awe of cute little boys at the next table, so we gave the top tier of the dessert to them. They, as we, enjoyed it, but they were probably more excited about going to play games.

And, honestly, so were we. (Kiddie squeal!)

Dave & Busters has them all, from skee ball and air hockey, to baseball, basketball, a two-person oversize Connect Four, and all manner of video games (guns, racing, space and pop culture, from Deal or No Deal, to Wheel of Fortune).

Serious players will want to investigate the rewards program. Amateur visitors will just buy a Power Card, load it with money and buy points for game play that yield credits to exchange for merchandise in the store (candy, drinkware, stuffed animals, a desktop aquarium and Legos -- strangely, no antacids). Games take odd amounts -- 6.8, 9.9, etc. -- of points, and we're not mathematically inclined to keep up with such calculations.

When our cards ran out, so did we, saving our credits and a shot-glass-and-Laffy-Taffy shopping spree -- for next time.

Weekend on 07/14/2016