For the last 35 years, Fayetteville residents have enjoyed the great food and eclectic atmosphere at the Restaurant on the Corner. That atmosphere changed in 1997, when ROTC moved from its original location (now home to the Three Sisters building on Dickson St), but despite the venue change, the Fayetteville based restaurant still maintains all of the charm that has made it one of Fayetteville’s best bets for some great burgers, sandwiches, Sunday brunch and more.
Located out on Highway 112 just past Fayetteville Auto Park, Restaurant on the Corner (combined with The Grill, it’s former neighbor on Dickson St.) offers an alternative to downtown restaurants and the chains over near the mall. In the building that once housed another local favorite, Hush Puppy back in the 80’s and early 90’s, Restaurant on the Corner/The Grill has a unique floor plan with comfortable booths, and large floor to ceiling windows in the back overlooking a garden full of Arkansas trees and vegetation.
Their menu is reasonably priced, and diverse, including soups, salads, sandwiches, pizzas, as well as some traditional Arkansas favorites like Chicken Fried Steak and Southern Fried Catfish. They also offer omeletes, some great burgers, and a Sunday Brunch complete with everything you’d expect on a great brunch menu.
Restaurant on the Corner also has a great patio with plenty of seating, and some awesome happy hour specials. Occasionally, you can catch some live music on the patio as well.
We visited ROTC (pronounced “rot-sy” if you’re a local) today for lunch. I had the Corner Melt, a burger grilled and served on rye bread with a generous amount of cheese, and some hand cut french fries. After a few days of eating mostly cold food and sandwiches due to a serious lack of power around town, I made quick work of the delicious burger, so much so that the waitress was shocked to see I’d already downed the entire plate when she came by to refill my coffee.
Restaurant on the Corner / the Grill has become a Fayetteville tradition. It’s a place that is generally full of locals looking for a casual experience in an out of the way location with plenty of parking, and some delicious food that isn’t too expensive. It’s a place that is uniquely Fayetteville, with pictures of other historic Fayetteville places on it’s walls, and is run by some great Fayetteville people. For those who’ve never tried it, or those who forget about it’s out-of-the-way location, we highly recommend you stopping in to check out one of Fayetteville’s most unique dining establishments this week as we celebrate the great restaurants in Fayetteville.
