Arkansas Best Seafood Garden

Absolutely a wonderful find. The lady running the place was so very nice. The beer was cold and the fried fish was not over cooked. I ordered a sampler plate and it was way too much for me. I’ll stop here again

We walked in the door at 9:05 and they stayed open for us. Their potatoes were amazing. Fish was great. Service was awesome. Southern fish. Fried stuff and butter. So glad we stopped.

What a find! My husband had the fried catfish — wonderful! The potatoes he had were the best ever — the seasonings were so good, and are a secret. But I was able to buy a small cup of seasonings to take home! Okra awesome as were the corn fritters!!!

Awesome simply awesome!
It was all good. Try the 5 for 5 $ fish. I had the snapper was great!

This place is all about seafood, Cajun style. The food was cooked to order and delicious. My wife and I shared the gumbo as an appetizer. It came piping hot and was seasoned just right. I had the fish and crab cake combo and my wife had the shrimp basket. Both were served hot with homemade sauces. For dessert we shared an apple pie dessert that was a work of art and very tasty. One serving is big enough for two. The owner and all the help were extra friendly. It is hidden and I mean hidden behind the McDonalds. We would have never discovered it without Unilocal.All in all a great experience.

Behind McDonald’s. Great food and menu. Name doesn’t convey how good it is in my opinion. Make a stop. You’ll be satisfied.

I don’t think I’ve ever felt so COMPELLED to provide a review. The name doesn’t begin to describe the warmth and love that comes from the woman that prepares the food here. My husband and I enjoyed our first meal here so much that we dined here the following night! IF YOU WANT FAST FOOD… go to a fast food restaurant! Meals here are lovingly prepared to order, are prepared with fresh ingredients! This requires time! Meantime, every Patron is greeted as if an old friend and encouraged to cozy up and get to know our fellow diners… THAT’S a CONCEPT! The whole restaurant becomes friendly!
Now the food: Exquisite! This is the real deal. I am a true «foodie». When at home, I shop for the freshest and grow my own. This is what Arkansas Best Seafood Garden has to offer. First night, I ate the BEST oyster po’boy I’d ever eaten. Oysters were tender cooked with a light cornmeal cover… The oyster flavor came through beautifully. Her special sauce had the perfect kick! The bread was as light as I’ve ever had in New Orleans and beats it all. Don’t forget to have the Boudin sausage, grilled shrimp and steamed veggies… Potatoes are to die for and the dirty rice will follow you to your dreams. Coleslaw. …The broccoli cheese bites are made of dreams! Portions are substantial, so we were too full to try the desserts, but our new found friends had saved room.
Be kind to the wonderful staff that works so hard to please you. In no time soon, you’ll need reservations. We can’t wait to return!

This is rustic small joint. Don’t expect a «fine dining» experience. It is informal, friendly with kickass fried baskets, PO boys and crab cakes. THE FOOD Is Cajun style, Cooked To ORDER And wonderful. We had crab cakes, well seasoned with lumps of succulent crab, better than any we had in Savannah. PO boy oyster and gator basket both served with spicy corn on the cob and cubed spicy fried potatoes. REALLY GOOD.

We had the fish basket and the shrimp basket. Perfectly prepared and served. I MUST go back and try the frog legs. They also serve beer and wine.
The young lady that served us was terrific! When we were there she was running the place solo — hostess, server, chef, and cashier.
The Unilocal map has it further south of I-​40 than it really is — it’s the yellow building behind McDonalds.

Would highly recommend to anyone who likes the Best Kept Local Secret Restaurants! Everything from the food to the service. The owner is a real delight. Can’t say enough good about this place

A picture wouldn’t do this food justice. Perfectly cooked with excellent flavor. The fish was terrific and the crab cakes were the best I’ve ever eaten. And the dirty rice… well it was yummy too. Definitely worth trying and the lady that runs it couldn’t have been nicer. A must stop on the way south.

Tried the Gumbo, the Shrimp Po Boy and the Dirty Rice. The Gumbo was waaaaay too salty. The meat in the gumbo was sausage and shrimp (no chicken, as I was told). The sausage and shrimp were good, but the rest of the Gumbo was not edible. The Shrimp Po Boy was just ok. I’m accustomed to Po Boys having lettuce and tomatoes on them as well, but this one was served with just shrimp, bread and sauce. The shrimp were more like prawn and were pretty good, but it wasn’t a great Po Boy overall. The Dirty Rice tasted like dog food. The ice tea was fine. I was excited to try this place, as I love Cajun/​Creole cooking, but alas I shall not return. All and all, it was quite a waste of $ 30 for lunch.

Wonderfull, simple restaurant, but very clean and the food??? Great!!! Can’t miss this place! Gumbo, crab cakes and corn… Crawfish…
We will come back for sure!!!

Another year, another visit, still excellent. I do not understand the Unilocalers complaining that they’ve spent $ 40 and are still hungry. We had 3 people: 3 dinners, 3 beers, 1 dessert, and a number of extra sides and the bill was $ 50…quite reasonable for a seafood dinner. How much seafood do you expect for about $ 10 a plate? And where, pray tell, do you plan to get that? Popeye’s?
I appreciate a personal, noncorporate environment: a warm welcome, a scented candle in the restroom, wall art that isn’t purchased by professional «pickers» to look old (I’m so over old license plates and road signs).
Well…that and a wonderful meal!

The best soul food dinner is served on Sunday’s. We ate every bite of this delicious, just like home cooked meal. Their other specialty is Louisiana seafood. Will try that next time. Lovely people putting love in their food.

Food was good but sparse and very pricey! Watch out for the combo sell, it’ll cost you an unadvertised amount more even if the second item is not as expensive as the original ie. alligator/​frog legs — you get ½ the height priced item (alligator) but get charged 2. More

The name says it all! Directions per Unilocal or Google are wrong. Located behind McDonalds in Forrest City.
It’s a funky little place that is not where it you would think it belongs.
Love it… can’t wait to stop there again.
Joined Unilocal just to leave this place positive feedback.
EQ

Delicious!!! Food was wonderful. Great ambiance. The owner is a wonderful woman her and her daughter serve the meals with love and kindness. On a road trip wish I could take some to go. Best food I’ve had in a while. I will come here again.

I had the grilled fish and shrimp.
They are served on top of dirty rice with steamed vegetables
I also had the corn fritters (hush puppies)
We didn’t realize it would take so long to get our food.
We were on our way to a pinball festival in Dallas,
which is a seven hour trip,
so we didn’t really want
to spend an hour and a half for dinner
Place was a bit loud,
almost in a cute kind of way.
(I miss the sound absorbing ceiling tiles
that most restaurants used to have)
Here, grilled doesn’t mean cooked on a charcoal grill, it means cooked on a flat grill.
Fish was tender and flaky and buttery spicy.
5 stars
Shrimp was similar to the fish but a little tough.
3.5 stars
Dirty rice is better than Popeyes.
5 stars.
I enjoyed the mixed vegetables, which included water chestnuts,
they put a lot of butter and spice on them.
4.5 stars.
Corn fritters were better than adequate.
3 stars.
Service is good hearted.
3 stars.
It is too pricey for Forrest City, Arkansas.
40 bucks for two people, no alcohol ordered.
I would have given them 4 stars,
if they would have given me
six shrimp instead of three
two fish fillets instead of one.

This should be a «Yelp’s Day Out of the 901» event!
While driving down I40 towards Little Rock from Memphis off Exit 241 there sits a very small Cajun Restaurant behind a terrible chain burger joint. If you are not looking for this place, you could easily miss it because there is no street signage and the Unilocal directions are OFF – search for it in Google Maps.
Now that I have you here, let me tell you of the BEST seafood experience I have had this side of the Memphis bridge.
First: The Ambiance – Small, personal, clean, and the fact that they were playing soul/​blues in the background off of real CDs earns 2 extra stars over the 5 I’m giving it just for the food.
Second: The Service – The owner cooked, served, greeted, and was the MOST personable restaurant owner I’ve known since my good friend George Carpten lived in the 901! The waitress had worked there for a grand total of 3 days, but you would have never known it. She was very friendly, was knowledgable about the food, and kept our drink refills FULL!
Third: The Food – Over-​the-​top – the BEST grilled cajun catfish and shrimp $ can buy. The fish and shrimp were grilled to perfection. The dirty rice was moist, flavorful, and just AH-​MAZING! The corn fritters were light and fluffy and had the consistency of a hush puppy. The fried catfish was battered in a light cornmeal and seriously melted in my mouth when I ate it.
The finishing 8^th star was when my date inquired about the fried alligator and the owner said, «Have you ever tried it before? No? Let me make you some right quick!» In a snap, she was delivering it to our table and even showed us the proper way to sample gator for the first time – first without a sauce she made. Then, with the most complimentary sauce I have ever eaten!!! It was SO delicious. All of the food was delicious.
And did I mention the steamed veggies? Real veggies – edamame, broccoli, red peppers, and water chestnuts! It was SO delish.
As I was leaving, I wondered why on earth this place was located in such a small town in Arkansas, off the main highway and why there was only 1 other review for it. I also wondered why there was not a line to the street with people waiting to get in the door!
I cannot wait to plan a trip back to this local creole kitchen. Words really do not do it justice!