DINING OUT Nothin’ Fussy About It

ROGERS — There’s no pineapple chicken on the menu at Lucy’s Diner - or any other such fussy food.

The emphasis is on simple diner fare, says Cody Conner, the manager of the new restaurant.

“Keeping it simple, that’s the best theme,” he says.

Lucy’s Diner, at 511 W. Walnut St. in downtown Rogers, had been open a little more than a week when Conner sat down to talk about its progress.

The diner was busy on a Monday afternoon. Visored waitresses worked the blackand-white checkered floor, bringing savory-smelling plates to customers in the black vinyl booths.

“At the end of the day, when you don’t work 16 hours, that’s when the payoff is,” Conner says. “When you see somebody smiling and they say, ‘You know, I sure am glad you guys opened up down here.”

There is also a Lucy’s in Fort Smith.

Mary Nelson and her friendPat Lee were eating lunch at Lucy’s on Tuesday. They’d been there multiple times and agreed they would come back.

“It’s got a real home-cooked flavor,” Nelson says.

The diner offers an exhaustive menu of American diner meals, none costing more than $10.

For example, the weekday specials - roast beef, meat loaf, beef tips and noodles, goulash and chicken and dumplings - are $6.39 and include three sides such as turnip greens, black-eyed peas, boiled cabbage and the more common corn, peas and mashed potatoes.

Lucy’s serves more than 80 items, plus side dishes. There are appetizers of the breadedand-fried variety, including six mozzarella sticks for $4.19 and eight batter-fried mushrooms for $3.99.

For the more vegetableoriented, there are four kinds of salads, from a $1.49 side salad to a $6.99 grilled chicken salad.

The dinner specials include meat, potato, salad and bread, with options such as ribeye steak ($9.99), fried chicken ($7.99) and the requisitechicken-fried steak ($7.99).

There are 15 sandwiches, served with chips, ranging from chicken salad ($3.99) to hot beef ($7.99), as well as a variety of hamburgers served with either chips or fries.

Then there’s breakfast, with all the usual omelets, sausage, eggs and pancakes. There are also hash browns with a Waffle House-like list of garnishes available for an extra charge: onions, cheese, ham, tomatoes, jalapenos, mushrooms and chili.

But why choose? The last item on the menu is a double order of hash browns “Scattered All-The-Way” with all seven toppings included.

FAQ LUCY’S DINER HOURS - Open 24 hours a day WHERE -511 W. Walnut St. in Rogers & 4506 Towson Ave. in Fort Smith PHONE - 230-5829 in Rogers or 242-5829 in Fort Smith