Toad Suck Buck's. More than a restaurant.

When you go to Toad Suck Buck’s, you have to plan on going there. This is “out in the country” to you Conway and Little Rock folk. This isn’t the kind of restaurant you find when you are cruising around town, looking for that one place you didn’t know you were craving. TSB is about 15 minutes past the Wal-Mart on Dave Ward, just inside Perry County. This was my first time to arrive when it was still daylight outside, and man, it is a beautiful drive. The Arkansas River is to your right, and the county roads without shoulders remind you of an authentic Arkansas drive. I bet plenty of backroad cruising has happened on that asphalt. Once you arrive to TSB, you have to know that it is not just a restaurant. It's a community. You may not have phone service here, leaving you to converse with your company at hand. It is truly a place to gather with your friends, relax, and hang out.

When the owners Ken and Deb Buck first opened the place in 1998, it was a Flea Market. After a year, they closed the Flea Market, and the building became a place for family and friends to come hang out. They had some pool tables and started tournaments when more and more friends and family started showing up. The Buck’s added a hamburger grill to feed their hungry guests, and it officially turned into a public restaurant in 2007. It was now acceptable for friends of friends of friends of friends to come without feeling like they were crashing a party. They got their liquor license in 2009. This only brought out more hungry and thirsty guests, making this a not-so-hidden restaurant. Along with their liquor license in ’09, they added heating and air conditioning. Some of my friends have shared memories of sitting by the wood burning stove to keep warm in the colder months.....now that is dedication and a testament to how good this place really is.

We eagerly followed the new blue signs pointing us to our destination. Back in the day you had to be with a Toad Suck Buck’s veteran to know how to get there.

We got settled in a booth next to the pool table and took in the environment. It was so nice to sit down and unwind with our dear friends, Justin and Alicia, after work. Alicia and I have known each other since early high school and were in each other’s weddings. Justin and Rustin met each other through us girls. Their love of diesel trucks keep them talking for hours. Our sweet waitress had to come back to our table at least three times to see if we were ready to order. We just couldn’t keep our mouths shut to look at the menu. We sort of had an idea already of what we wanted. This place takes pride in their steaks, and that is what they are known for.

At the front of the restaurant, there are dry erase boards with their steak cuts, sizes, and prices. They like for the customer to receive the best price based on the market’s selection.

We ordered the Fried Mac and Cheese Bites with pepper jack cheese, and I got the 12 oz. Sirloin Steak. The steaks take about 20 minutes to cook, so we went exploring. You can go to the top of the hill and take in the beautiful view of the Arkansas River.

When we made our way back to our booth, our Fried Mac and Cheese Bites were waiting for us on the table. These are fried little nuggets filled with liquid gold! It is packed with Mac and Cheese, and since we got the pepper jack option, there was a comfortable kick of spice. I kind of accidentally forgot to take a picture of the inside of the Bite. I may or may not have ate them really fast and was thinking with my stomach not my brain. I promise to do better!

Not long after we finished our Bites and salad, our steaks came out.

The first thing that I noticed was the crust. The steak had nice grill marks and great coloring. There was no extra sauce needed for this steak. When I cut into the steak, it was very juicy. I recommend getting it cooked medium or something less to get the full flavor out of the steak. I learned that on the Food Network :)

After we were done with our meals, we sat around and visited more, hoping that our stomachs would forgive us for eating so much. At Toad Suck Buck's, they are not pushy to try and get you out the door when you are done. We were left alone to tell stories and laugh until we busted a pant button.

The topping on the cake, for this abnormal dog lover, was the two puppies outside the restaurant door. Well, they are not really puppies....they are huge dogs, but I call every dog a puppy. We had loved on them as soon as we got there, and they went straight for us when we got out. 

It can't get much sweeter! They are a family friendly restaurant that welcomes anyone.

Check out their Facebook page and website to get more information and the full menu. They have complete directions on how to get out there next time you are cruising around and realize you are craving Toad Suck Buck’s.