It’s weird sitting at a bar and knowing I’m at Homer’s. Or at least I think so. No, not that Homer’s. The original Homer’s is still around, out by Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport. And the original Homer’s is still a home-cooking destination.
But this is the new Homer’s. Homer’s West, with the directional descriptor noting its location in the Galleria Shopping Center in west Little Rock.
Taking the spot of a closed McAlister’s Deli, Homer’s West’s atmosphere mirrors that of a sports bar or chic diner. There’s the aforementioned bar, with tap handles for Diamond Bear’s Pale Ale, a Samuel Adams seasonal and more brews. And there’s a cooler full of beers, including Boulevard’s Wheat and New Belgium’s Fat Tire. There’s a shelf of wines, and behind the beer taps a small but well-stocked liquor selection. There are tip jars, cocktail shakers and other bar accessories. The bar is granite; the back wall of the bar is a faded silver, and on that wall there’s a painted black- and white-edged uppercase H in bold red with “Homer’s” emblazoned into it horizontally. Above this is painted a white “West,” outlined in black.
There are several big-screen TVs hanging throughout the wide-open restaurant. At lunch on this particular day, the TVs are turned to different ESPN channels. There are several large, rectangular windows lining two walls of the restaurant overlooking busy Rodney Parham Road, and the main dining room — separated from the bar by a half wall — is basked in natural light. The tables and wooden chairs all look new.
The well-organized menu includes such items as a 12-ounce rib-eye for $20.99 or Grilled Mahi Mahi for $14.99 with a cilantro glaze on a bed of fresh pico de gallo.
No, this doesn’t look like Homer’s at all. But then — marked on the dry-erase board — is macaroni and cheese listed as a special of the day. Yes, this is Homer’s. Just an updated Homer’s. A slightly more stylish Homer’s. Homer’s West.
The menu still lists lunch and dinner specials (unlike the original Homer’s, Homer’s West is also open for dinner) of a meat and two vegetables. Everyday specials such as Fried Catfish Fillets ($7.89 for a small catch and $9.39 for a large catch) and Country Fried Steak with gravy ($7.89), and three daily specials for each weekday, including Meat Loaf ($6.89), Southern Fried Chicken ($6.89), Chicken & Dressing ($6.89) or Baked Tilapia ($7.89). And yes, each of these daily specials comes with two vegetables — veggies such as purple hull peas, corn, fried okra, green beans, buttered squash, and rice and gravy.
There’s lots more on the menu. The menu at Homer’s West might only be three pages (and the back page is a shared dessert, kid and beverage menu), but that menu is packed with options for every appetite. Appetizers such as Chili Cheese Fries ($4.99), Homer’s Big Boy Burger (a double bacon chili cheeseburger for $10.99), various other sandwiches, salads and appetizers, and all those daily specials of comfort food, and even the high-priced menu items. Almost everything on the menu is under $8.
West Little Rock is not an area of town really known for meat-and-two establishments. There are a couple of well-known, well-liked and great-tasting spots in Franke’s Cafeteria and Bobby’s Country Cookin’, but not much beyond that. Perhaps excitement over another meat-and-two spot in west Little Rock was the reason why I postponed my first Homer’s West visit. I arrived around 1:15 p.m. on a recent Friday — I thought it a reasonable time to avoid a crowd — and was greeted by a line out the door. Pressed for time, I decided to dine elsewhere.
On a return visit, I arrived at 11:30 a.m., before the noon lunch rush. Homer’s West was already crowded. Instead of waiting for a table, I was offered a spot at the bar. I accepted. I watched a man come in, get food to go and thought he was a smart man.
But mostly I thought about how Homer’s West didn’t feel like the original Homer’s. At least not until that first bite of crispy fried chicken. Then I was reminded that Homer’s West is Homer’s as well.
THE DISH: OUR REVIEW
Southern Fried Chicken ($6.89 — $9.70 with drink and tax)
A Tuesday special, the Southern Fried Chicken is available with the choice of either white (breast) or dark (leg and thigh) meat. I selected white meat along with the veggie of the day in macaroni and cheese, and fried okra. The macaroni and cheese was some of the best I’ve tasted in the area, perfectly creamy and not runny, and with a piquant cheese flavor. The fried okra didn’t quite measure up to the greatness of the macaroni and cheese, as the okra’s breading was a little too mushy for my taste, and the actual okra possessed little taste. The fried chicken, on the other hand, was superb. Fresh from the fryer, deep fried and, as my server stated, piping hot, the chicken offered a crusty breading that was seasoned with just the right amount of salt, pepper and other seasonings. The crust also boasted a thickness that provided a pleasant crunchy texture and locked in the moisture of the chicken as well. (ss)
Country Fried Steak ($7.89)
I tend to order chicken fried steak a lot, but somehow I’d never had it at the original Homer’s. I’m sorry I’ve been missing out. This is no thin piece of meat pounded paper flat, but a large and thick cut battered up even thicker in a crunchy, flour breading. The white pepper gravy was the perfect, creamy topper. It was good enough that, I’ll be honest, I didn’t focus very well on the potato and corn sides (though I wish I’d asked for the same white gravy on the potatoes as brown was the default). I suggest the roll over cornbread for plate mop-up duty, and it will be a meal that should make any country cooking fan smile. (sw)
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RESTAURANT INFO:
Location: 9700 N. Rodney Parham Road, Little Rock
Phone: (501) 224-6637
Web: Facebook page
Hours: 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday
Prices: $4.39-$20.99
Alcohol: Full bar
In a nutshell: This is not your east Little Rock Homer’s. No way. Located in the former McAlister’s Deli location on North Rodney Parham Road in west Little Rock, Homer’s West lacks that down-home atmosphere of the original establishment. The second location is more urban, less country diner, with big-screen TVs and a full bar. But the food? Well, it’s still comforting and delicious — fried chicken, catfish, burgers and lots of vegetable options.