Mister B's Steakhouse is well-known for their quality, aged Angus steaks, but there are a handful of hidden gems on the menu that regular customers rave about.
Some guests visit on the weekend for a staple steak dinner and then visit again during the week for one of the other signature meals, according to co-owner PJ Barnes.
For those wanting the full flavor of a steak with a lighter price, there is a 6-ounce or 10-ounce steakhouse burger that chef Bruce Barnes makes in-house from the trimmings of the steaks he butchers.
The 10-ounce hamburger steak is served with grilled onions, au jus and a choice of baked potato, French fries or mixed sauteed vegetables.
"You can also add some sauteed mushroom... without having to spend $40 for a big steak," PJ Barnes said.
"We also serve fresh mashed potatoes every day and mashed potatoes du jour. In my opinion, I'd pay $2 more to get it with mashed potatoes because it goes great with the grilled onions and au jus. It's a comfort dish," she said.
Varieties of the mashed potatoes of the day have featured red bliss with sour cream, yukon gold with butter and cream, and russets with sour cream and buttermilk.
About three years ago, twice-baked potatoes became part of the regular nightly offerings. To reduce number of side ramekins that people requested for the baked potato, the popular toppings were folded into the baked potato.
"So Bruce puts all that stuff in the potato -- bacon, cheddar cheese, scallions, sour cream and butter," PJ Barnes said.
A recent twice-baked potato offered had shiitake mushrooms with brown butter, truffle oil and truffled sea salt.
The shiitake mushrooms served at Mister B's Steakhouse are sourced from Sweden Creek Farm in Kingston.
The Barneses also purchase some local goods from Ozark Natural Foods, including truffle oil, ginger root and specialty-ordered peppercorns used in the peppercorn dressing.
Another popular twice-baked potato is one with fresh horseradish.
"Horseradish is traditionally hot... but in our twice-baked potato, by microplaning the fresh horseradish root, it tastes sweet."
The fresh horseradish is also used in a horseradish cream sauce that can be added to the side of any entree. In addition, the menu promotes blue cheese crumbles and garlic sauce as flavor enhancers.
The garlic sauce is a prominent quality to the garlic chicken entree with grilled boneless chicken breasts. The recipe was one with which chef Barnes became very familiar while he carried the torch at Herman's Ribhouse. When chef Barnes opened his own steakhouse in Rogers, he got permission to carry the original recipe of garlic chicken with him.
"Bruce was the first one to take over [in the kitchen] after Herman, and he did it for 10 years," PJ Barnes said.
Another popular accompaniment is the creamed spinach. Served in a small casserole dish, the spinach is blended with white cheddar, then topped with Parmesan and buttered breadcrumbs and baked. It comes out with a crispy crust and generally serves two people.
"I've tried it all over the country, because we are foodies and we compare. It's the best I've ever had," PJ Barnes said.
Listed under appetizers, the baby back ribs are offered as a half rack or whole rack, and could stand in as an entree. Thick-cut, sweet onions battered in panko bread crumbs pair well with the ribs.
The baby back ribs are cooked in an electric rotisserie and rubbed with the chef's secret barbecue seasoning blend. The ribs are served with a thick, sweet and spicy housemade chipotle and smokey molasses barbecue sauce.
Perhaps the best kept secret that Mister B's is willing to share is the scratch-made soup. PJ affectionately refers to her husband Bruce as the soup maestro.
"He makes it totally from scratch, including the stock," she said.
As a small mom-and-pop-style restaurant, one batch of soup is made and served at a time. The soup changes regularly every few days.
Recent creations have included shrimp bisque; creamy artichoke and spinach with tarragon; creamy tomato and roasted red pepper; Italian sausage with potato and kale; and chicken and andouille sausage gumbo.
Mister B's Steakhouse is a renovated 1930s-era house that has an open cooking line that allows guests to greet the chef and see behind the scenes.
One side of the restaurant is a lounge that enables guests to have a drink while waiting for dinner. A full bar is offered, including wine by the glass, draft beer and classic spirits.
The lounge and restaurant dining rooms are available for private parties. Reservations are highly recommended.
Hours of operation are 5-10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. More information is available by calling (479) 636-3122 or online at misterbsteakhouse.net.
NAN Dining Guide Cover on 01/30/2015