The long-awaited Taco Bueno outlet at 9101 W. Markham St., Little Rock, opened Friday. Hours are 10 a.m.-10 p.m. -- in the building and for the drive-thru. The phone number is (501) 812-3907. By the way, a sign at the Taco Bueno at 113 W. Pershing Blvd., North Little Rock, says it no longer serves steak and suggests customers try marinated chicken instead.
Kontiki African Restaurant, 13420 Arkansas 111, Alexander, which opened in January, has temporarily closed pending a move to an as-yet undisclosed location, according to a post last week on its Facebook page (facebook.com/kontikikitchen). Customers who alerted us and at least one area food blogger speculate it portends a new location in Little Rock, but that's still unconfirmed. Calls to the phone number, (501) 615-8504, provided only a rapid busy signal.
We now know what is moving into the kiosk that previously housed Rivershore Eatery in the Ottenheimer Market Hall, 400 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock: Fresh Bowl N Roll Bar, serving poke, sushi and salads with a variety of toppings and dressings, apparently in much the same mold as poke restaurants Poke Hula and Ohia Poke. River Market spokesman Diana Long estimates it'll be 30-45 days before it opens. The owner is Mordecai Lee, whose name surfaces in our archives in connection with a former Japanese-sushi restaurant, Eastern Flames, at 7710 Cantrell Road, and before that Hanaroo, formerly in the 200 block of West Capitol Avenue in downtown Little Rock, which recently moved -- under subsequent ownership -- to 215 Center St.
And, Long says, the Health Department granted a permit last week for Shambala Vegan Mobile Kitchen, in the adjacent space, which had not yet opened by Tuesday but should open any day -- initially for lunch, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Saturday, and breakfast, 7-10 a.m., not long after. The phone number: (501) 286-2684.
Long adds that, as of our Tuesday deadline, the massive new Market Hall air conditioner will be up and running soon, if it isn't already. A temporary unit will remain in place until then.
And back to Poke Hula, we're told that its latest outlet, 1115 W. Oak St., Conway, was expected to open Wednesday, after our deadline. We have gotten no answer at the listed phone number, (501) 505-8300, and the website, pokehulaar.com, still lists it as "coming soon" -- along with, by the way, a location at 2607 McCain Blvd., North Little Rock. The two Little Rock locations are at 419 E. Third St., in the River Market District, and 5621 Kavanaugh Blvd. in the Heights.
And speaking of Ohia Poke, those folks, who have been operating at 220 W. Sixth St., Little Rock, are adding a second location, opposite the Nike store in the Promenade at Chenal, 17000 block of Chenal Parkway, Little Rock. Target opening date is the week of Aug. 6. No phone number yet for the new branch; the phone number for the downtown shop is (501) 502-6330.
The Hooters at 6 Anglers Way, Little Rock, near the Bass Pro Shop, is up and running, 11 a.m.-midnight Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday. The phone number is (501) 455-2241.
The Sawbucks restaurant at 1800 Club Manor Drive, Maumelle, has closed; the phone number, (501) 734-8626, hasn't been disconnected, but nobody answered it during business hours. Also apparently closed: the Sawbucks at 1515 Dave Ward Drive, Conway -- calls to that number, (501) 504-6065, went straight to voicemail and messages went unreturned by deadline. A check of the listed website -- sawbucksgrill.com -- produced some pretty weird results and we wouldn't recommend you try it. The original Sawbucks, 118 U.S. 64, El Paso, remains open and folks do answer the phone, (501) 796-0112.
We've also gotten a report that John Daly's Steakhouse, 912 Front St, Conway, closed on Sunday, and Google lists it as "permanently closed." Calls to the phone number, (501) 504-2380, also went straight to voicemail and messages left there went unreturned by deadline.
Social media continues to occasionally break forth into buzzes about the closing of two of the three Little Rock Dunkin' Donuts locations -- at 6805 Cantrell Road and at 10721 Kanis Road at South Shackleford Road. (The one at Rodney Parham Road, which operates under a different franchise, has remained open and prosperous.) Those hoping the one on Cantrell, the latest in a long string of unsuccessful restaurants, would reopen or become another restaurant will be disappointed to learn it is to be a walk-in medical clinic.
And speaking of doughnuts, AR Donuts has replaced Daylight Donuts at 102 Markham Park Drive, Little Rock. Hours are 4 a.m.-3 p.m. daily. The phone number is (501) 251-8888. It's a second location: There's one at 10815 Colonel Glenn Road, Little Rock, and the phone number there is (501) 353-1185.
Stone's Throw Brewing, 402 E. Ninth St., Little Rock, is marking its fifth birthday with its annual Block on Rock 5th Birthday Bash, 4-10 p.m. Saturday, blocking off a three-block stretch of Rock Street for entertainment, dancing and food trucks, plus a special Collaboration Beer Fest involving area craft breweries and brewpubs offering, in many cases, the premieres of new brews. Presenter is Arkansas Rice. Gate admission is $5, free for kids 10 and younger; proceeds benefit Preserve Arkansas. Organizers recommend you take a chair or blanket. Call (501) 244-9154 or visit stonesthrowbeer.com or facebook.com/events/1952415541639532.
Woodland Bakery & Bistro will hold its grand opening Aug. 2, along with the building at 13121 Arkansas 107, at Brockington, Sherwood, into which it is moving (from 2808 E. Kiehl Ave., Sherwood, where it has been operating as Woodland Bakery). The new hours, with the new home-style lunch and dinner menu, will be 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Sunday. The phone number is (501) 819-5070; the website: woodlandbakeryar.com.
A DQ Grill & Chill, central Arkansas' fourth and the latest from franchisee You Scream Holdings, LLC, is on the blocks for the Hurricane Creek Village shopping center, 2014 Arkansas 5, in Benton, according to an open permit application filed earlier this month with the Arkansas Department of Health. The shopping center also lists outlets of Tacos 4 Life, Slim Chickens and Pie Five Pizza as dining options. You Scream Holdings has previously opened Dairy Queens in Little Rock, Sherwood, Conway and, as of July 13, Cabot. They confirm this one has an opening target of the end of the year.
Also speaking of burgers in Saline County, Paula Lynn's Sandwich and Sweet Shop, 302 S. Reynolds Road, Bryant, has closed, The phone number, (501) 847-2066, has been disconnected and the website, paulalynns.com, has been disabled. A hand-lettered sign on the door tells customers that "Paula Lynn's sweet will be available at Jordan's BBQ" -- that's at 110 N Reynolds Road, Bryant; the phone number there is (501) 847-6167. A hand-lettered banner on the triangular billboard sign in front of the Paula Lynn's building announces, "Coming Soon: Yum Yum Hibachi."
Also in Bryant, Bistro Catering & Gourmet Take Away, 304 N. Reynolds Road, Bryant, has closed while owners Crystal Dear and Bonner Cameron hunt up a new location. Dear says they're looking in the Benton area and will post the new location on the Facebook page (facebook.com/bistrocateringarkansas) when they have it. They're still doing catering out of a leased kitchen and offering private cooking lessons. The current phone number for all that is (479) 880-6875.
And the Vina Morita La Terraza restaurant in the Springs Hotel and Spa, 135 Central Ave., Hot Springs, which had supposedly closed temporarily -- a note on the door cited some kind of kitchen problems -- has now apparently closed altogether, according to hotel employees, who have witnessed the removal of equipment and other appurtenances. Nobody answers the restaurant phone number -- (501) 625-7143 -- and there's no way to leave a message.
Has a restaurant opened -- or closed -- near you in the last week or so? Does your favorite eatery have a new menu? Is there a new chef in charge? Drop us a line. Call (501) 399-3667 or (501) 378-3513, or send a note to Restaurants, Weekend Section, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203. Send email to:
eharrison@arkansasonline.com
Weekend on 07/26/2018