South On Main

One word — Pedestrian. The food was a bit bland, and the bar service slow. Also, my bf was a given broken steak knife that was from Ikea. Atmosphere and décor were nice. Interesting craft cocktail selections.

Lovely brunch. Being new in town, we tried it out. I had the smoked trout with eggs and potatoes. Wonderful flavor and interesting option for brunch. The French toast is so different. It has a texture between bread pudding and flan. Very good and a must try. Mimosas were tasty and the corpse reviver was surprisingly smooth.

Terrible service. Waiter couldn’t remember any drink or food orders. Very slow for just ordering. Food was ok. Menu was not current. Best things to order are biscuits and pecan pie. Prime rib was delicious as well. Definitely not returning.

Absolutely love their scallop type potatoes and quiche! It was DELICIOUS! I will be back when I come to Little Rock for work. I already miss it!

I have always been impressed by this restaurant’s innovative and high-​quality food and fantastic cocktails. South just can’t be beat for atmosphere and delicious grub!
I also wanted to highlight the amazing customer service and management they provide. When you are their guests, you are warmly welcomed and anything they might see as a «miss» is corrected before you realize anything is wrong! South has found 360 degree perfection with no detail overlooked. Bravo!!!

This is my husband and I’s go to spot for special occasions and just a great place to eat. I love their atmosphere and all the dishes are always great. My friend from out of town had the ribeye and absolutely loved it. My husband always has the catfish and said its always flavorful. I had the chicken and dumplings which was moist and delicious. We are a huge fan of Chef Matt Bell who is always so welcoming.

Great food and service. I think they still have live music on Wed nights. innovative food. often working with southern traditions to update to current trends. good draft beer selection. try a desert in mason jar!

If you want to bring out-​of-​town guests out for an experience that defies Arkansas’ redneck persona, this is the place. Enjoy the full dinging experience or grab a bite at the bar while sipping one of David Burnett’s famous cocktails (have some eggnog around the holidays if you can!). The food is always amazing and the service is consistently top notch.

Sadly, drinks at the bar listed with one price on the menu and the bill with a higher price. And to that slow service. Result: not a happy customer.

Went in yesterday. Called beforehand to see if they could accommodate someone with celiac and they said definitely, so we were so excited. I’ve had celiac for ten years, and it’s always a chore to eat out. The chef reworked the trout over fried potatoes dish with two poached eggs to accommodate me, and my husband ordered a beef and potato dish. They were both awesome.
Grabbed a mimosa of course… x’s 3.:)
I definitely appreciate the chef accommodating my dietary restrictions. He’s made a life long customer.
We will be back!

There is nothing I can say about South on Main that hasn’t been already emphasized by other patrons.
The simple fact that Chef Matt Bell, Head Bar Tender Extraordinaire, David Burnett and the rest of this crack staff, were invited to present and serve at the James Beard House in NYC is validation enough to the superlative brand that is South on Main!
Arguably, this is the crème of the cream of Little Rock eateries. Obviously, this depends upon what type of fare you might be craving. That is, if you want pizza, go a few doors down to Raduno Brick Oven and Barroom and let Bart Barlogie treat you to a great evening. But, when you want innovative re-​dos to Southern Cuisine, order up one of David’s superlative cocktails and take a seat. Matt Bell’s menu is always changing, always fresh… always savory and innovative. Each time I visit, I am introduced to something new and delicious!

Great lunch spot in Little Rock. It’s a little pricey ($ 11 – 17 once tax and tip are included) and the portions are fairly small, but to me it is totally worth it because the food quality is that good. The duck confit, ribs, trout, and andouille sausage entrees are the highlights. I’m not a huge fan of the salads– I think there are so many great options on the menu it is difficult to justify settling for a salad.
Prices can get high at dinner, so I think it’s better to visit for lunch. With excellent food, good service, and a unique space, I am surprised South on Main does not have waits to get in but I expect that they will over time. Love it!

*Update: after a full year of coming in fairly often, I had to ding another star. All the good things I said in my original review are still true, but I’ve had one too many not-​great experiences here. The bar is overwhelmed and understaffed when it’s busy, they had drink specials in honor of an event and they were watered down and ran out part way through, and on New Years Eve folks paid a fairly steep price for an (admittedly good) live music show — but there was no Champagne toast, no countdown, all we got was a «oh, hey it’s 2016» from a band member just after 12. I was incredibly disappointed by that experience.
Still, as I said, the positives are definitely there:
the drinks are excellent, the service is very good, the setting is super cool (an intimate music venue/​cocktail bar/​fancy restaurant). The shows are a ton of fun, and well worth coming to by themselves
I also particularly liked their brunch. The location is well chosen so that the morning light really sets the place off, and the brunch specials are a slightly less fancy (and cheaper) take on their usual fare. Great spot for coffee, splitting some appetizers, and having a cocktail or two over a crossword.
The Bloody Mary is truly exceptional, if that’s your hangover elixer or occasional breakfast libation of choice, do yourself a favor and try this one!
Of all the brunch places we’ve been, they have one of the lengthier menus and by far the most thorough list of brunch cocktails.
Keep in mind though that their cooks are really something, and they go all-​out with their dishes. That means that the more unusual or intense the food sounds on the menu, the more likely it is to either really knock your dinner out of the park, or send your taste buds on strike. Start with some familiar meals you know you like, then try some of the crazier stuff to see just what they can dish out. That would be my best recommendation!

TL;DR Review: If you get creative in the kitchen, save money and stay home.
Let me start by saying that I feel like a complete jerk for writing the review I’m about to put down, mostly because it came really highly recommended by pretty much everyone I know who’s eaten there, and I’ve been wanting to visit for a while.
The other day I went to Copeland’s of New Orleans and asked for a Sazerac. The waitress hadn’t ever heard of that drink (which is known as «the official drink of New Orleans») and the bartender said they couldn’t make it. Really? So I was super stoked that South On Main has Sazerac on their cocktail menu. It didn’t taste very close to the ones I had in NOLA, but it was still very good. I’m sure it varies from bartender to bartender.
I would really like to say something about the level of pretense: It’s thick. You can smell it when you walk in and sit down, just before they serve your water in a mason jar, you’ll catch a whiff. South On Main is «Celebrating Southern Culture,» but I’m a lifelong Arkansas resident, and I’ve visited literally every southern state, but I’ve never before heard of «Eggplant Cassarole» (it’s in quotes on the menu), or Cornbread Panzanella. Maybe I’m eating at the wrong places? Maybe I’m not much of a foodie? That very well could be. I hate the word «foodie.»
I ordered the Duck Breast with Granny Zucchini, Corn Grits, Onion Rings & Pepper Jelly, and I asked to switch out the corn grits for the «eggplant casserole.» Our waiter asked how I would like the duck, and I told him to please make that judgment for me because I don’t eat duck often enough to know how I’d like it. Apparently he likes it rarer than I do, because it was cooked as well as chicken usually is for maybe the top ¼″, and the rest of it was RARE. SUPER RARE. But I ate it anyway. It didn’t taste bad; I kind-​of liked it. Until the last few slices, which I had to chew more than I would have liked. My wife and father both tried it, and they both remarked that it was really gamey, but I didn’t notice that. The zucchini was meh. The onion rings were good, they gave me three really thin ones on top of my dish. I have no idea what the pepper jelly was, and I’m suspicious they might have left it off. The «eggplant casserole» was good. It tasted very homey. Even though I don’t really like sweet potatoes, and it was higher in its content of sweet potatoes than it was in eggplant. Completely underwhelmed.
I’m stole that word «underwhelmed,» from my sister-​in-​law though, who ordered the chop salad and added chicken. Please look at the picture I posted of it if you were even considering ordering a salad from here. I never tasted it, so I can’t comment further than «that doesn’t look like $ 15 worth of salad to me.»
My wife ordered the Grilled Cauliflower Steak with Fried Potatoes, Almond Gremolata & Parmesan. It should be noted at all costs that this is a CAULIFLOWER dish, and NOT a STEAK dish. It’s vegetarian. No meat at all. She ordered it for the fried potatoes, and was upset, because there are only seven small pieces of fried potato around the parameter of the dish. She said that the cauliflower was good, but it’s a quarter of a head of cauliflower, grilled. How can they justify the price?
My brother was going to order the ribeye until he found out it’s 6oz. Instead he chose the pork chop, as did my dad, and they both said they could make a better one.
It’s possible I caught them on a bad night, but my entire party was completely unimpressed.

This is a very charming place. The atmosphere is a mix between Dixie Café and old timey soda jerk shop… sprinkled with vintage type writers on display (so, pretty much… hipsters welcome). The food portions are small, perhaps they are vintage portions? Or perhaps us ‘Mericans are just accustomed to giant portions? Anyhoo, let me say this again, the portions are SMALL.
I like South on Main, I truly do… what I don’t like are the prices. I live on Main Street and love having a nice and friendly bar and restaurant right in the SoMa neighborhood. That’s why I gave it 3 stars. What I don’t like are the prices. Why are mixed drinks $ 10? I get it for some of the more intricate drinks, but $ 10 for a Moscow mule, huh, what? I guess at the core of my concern is the following: I live in SoMa but I can’t really afford to patronize this establishment.
Not wanting to leave this review on such a negative note, I offer a solution, perhaps South on Main can offer a discount to folks who live in the neighborhood?

Food was solid. Not great but I’d return and maybe try something else on the menu. The ambiance is quite pleasant so I could see myself returning for a drink or the love music. I came here during the lunch time crowd and ordered the catfish.

Went here at 7 on a Friday night with z wife. I had been before and thought portion sizes were a little small and prices a little high but that’s because I wasn’t doing it right. If you’re gonna eat here-​go all in. Be prepared to spend about 130 bucks including tip. Get a couple apps to share (tip– request the boiled peanuts you get when sitting at the bar-​this in addition to the apps), a salad, then a an entrée and one or two drinks each. Share everything. Great food. Good atmosphere. Great drinks. Good service. Service was a little slow but probably because we went during peak time.
Afterwards go next door to midtown billiards, shoot pool and get cheaper drinks.

This place is nice! Vintage, chic décor, friendly staff, clean, and good food.
For lunch we ordered a patty melt and the special, which was an onion tart. Both came with a tasty side salad. We also ordered the hand-​cut fries to share. IT WAS GREAT!
The food was served fast and the staff was very knowledgable about the menu. Keep up the good work — this is a true gem in the Little Rock downtown area. Thank you!

Went with a group of friends last night for dinner and I thought it was great! I would definitely make a reservation earlier in the day as most tables were filled. They were able to modify my OpenTable reservation with no problem with two new additions at the last minute, but it was a tight squeeze at the table. Not their fault at all!
The wait staff was excellent and the service was very prompt. Our server, Chris, took care of us and answered my million questions without a hint of annoyance, and extremely attentive without ever being overbearing.
It feels like a design/​loft space inside, with neat décor. I was a huge fan of the typewriters displayed on the counters, and there was a decent size stage so I imagine they have live music. There was a large party towards the back of the room, where a guy had proposed to his girlfriend so that should be an indicator of the type of space SoMa is. I mean, people typically dont propose in McDonald’s — like places, right?
It seems like the menu changes seasonally. We got an order of the rabbit leg ($ 17), the duck gumbo ($ 8), smoked trout ($ 18), and the pan seared catfish ($ 17). Oh, and an order of the biscuits. For dessert, we just ordered all three and split between the table. The coconut cream pie was delicious! But the snickerdoodle cookie with caramel ice cream and the cinnamon donuts with melted marshmallow were also great. Everything was tasty and well portioned. No one was too full and no one left hungry.
SoMa, you earned a fan out of me.

I enjoyed one of the Oxford American nights at South on Main last week. We reserved a table for dinner and stayed a while after for the music. It was very pleasant.
I like the setting – the romantic, dark lighting with candles on each table. The stage (and especially) the jazz we saw made the place a great place for dinner.
The server was very nice and helpful. We had a lot of questions about the menu. It almost seemed like a Little Rock meets Sonoma type of place. We ordered a mixed salad with beets, goat cheese, and pecans. It was tasty, but smaller than my expectations. The menu online is a bit different than when we were in the restaurant, which makes sense. It’s more season-​focused, which is impressive! We also ordered a a fish boil that was served with fried soft-​shell crab. It was great, but they should add some more bread for the sauce. It also was a bit smaller than I had expected.
The food is delicious. I would like to go back and check out the lunch. Since I do not eat meat except fish, my options were very limited. However, the menu changes, so I would like to catch it when there are more vegetable options around the state. I know veggies aren’t the most available in winter, and I think this restaurant has a lot of potential.
I’ll be back for the Oxford American series and to try my luck with the menu!