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To say that I’ve been wanting to visit Janssen’s Lakefront Restaurant, the longtime Edgemont eatery just across the bridge from the town of Greers Ferry, would be a massive understatement. The restaurant’s reputation precedes itself, and once I made an announcement on my blog of a weekend getaway planned for Heber Springs, commenters chimed in that the 30-minute drive up to Edgemont for a meal at Janssen’s was an absolute must.
Turns out, they were correct, as my family and I found out firsthand during an early Saturday afternoon lunch.
Janssen’s serves up fried catfish, burgers, fries, steaks, and various sandwiches, all commonplace items found on most small-town Arkansas restaurant menus. But three things separate Janssen’s from its contemporaries: a prime spot right on beautiful Greers Ferry Lake, strong, Southern hospitality service from a staff that manages to make first-timers feel like regulars, and scratch-made, well-portioned dishes that truly are a cut above. Oh, and one more thing, they do desserts just about as good as anyone in the state. I’ll get to that last point in a second, but let’s first address the appetizers.
Make sure to get an order, each, of the fried mushrooms and white cheese dip. The juicy mushrooms arrive at the table piping hot and ready for a dip into the ramekin of house ranch, while the cheese dip includes a heavy hand of Rotel. Both apps were gone in about five minutes, as our table of six scarfed them down with great fervor.
I opted for a club sandwich as my entrée, a toasted white bread offering with all the usual cast of characters (turkey, ham, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and cheese). Props to Janssen’s for the cheddar, a welcomed alternative to the typical American cheese slice.
Bites of my wife’s fried catfish po’boy were also met with favorable results, as was the sampling of the chicken Caesar salad ordered by my youngest daughter. Various entrees at Janssen’s come with the soup and/or salad bar, which allowed me to try a spoonful of the hearty baked potato soup. That, too, was a winner.
Do you see a theme developing here? Everything at Janssen’s is fantastic, but desserts are on a completely different stratosphere of greatness. While the New York-style cheesecake drenched in a raspberry sauce delighted, it was the massive slab of 6-layer chocolate cake with chocolate icing that proved to be insanely delicious. I say “slab,” but technically it was one piece. Moist and intensely chocolatey, we spent that evening passing around the to-go dessert amongst our group, with each person taking their bite and passing the cake to the next fortunate member of the house.
The only disappointment? We just missed out on the last slice of carrot cake, and by all accounts, that’s the ultimate dessert at Janssen’s. I’ll just get it next time, and I can guarantee you that there will be a next time.
Janssen’s Lakefront Restaurant was the real deal.
Did You Know?
Janssen’s has a Sunday Brunch Buffet from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. It’s $13.95 per person during the breakfast hours, then switches to $16.95 per person when the lunch dishes come out.
Janssen’s Lakefront Restaurant
9999 Edgemont Road (Edgemont)
Phone: 501-723-4480
Hours: Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; Closed Monday-Wednesday
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[…] to the Greers Ferry and Fairfield Bay Areas will want to check out Janssen’s Lakefront Restaurant. Their entire menu is great, but you surely want to save room a piece of one of their amazing […]
[…] boat on a few occasions and camped in the campground. The trip almost always involves a stopover at Janssen’s in nearby Edgemont for a meal or, at the very least, a slice of their legendary chocolate cake. […]