Ever Wanted To Eat In A Cave? This Restaurant In Arkansas Is For You
Flame-grilled steak meets a natural spring at an Arkansas restaurant where you can get a good story, a great drink, and enjoy wine on tap in a limestone cave bar. It's named Grotto. Upstairs is a dining room where the smell of a wood-fueled grill infuses the air and sunlight streams through the windows. A short walk downstairs is a wine bar built into a natural limestone cave, complete with a natural spring flowing nearby.
Grotto is one of those hidden gem restaurants, a place that's as much of an experience as it is an eatery. You walk in through the doors of a historic building in downtown Eureka Springs, right in the middle of other shops, hotels, and grocery stores. Like much of the other architecture in town, the building that houses Grotto is made from stone. It's also built right over one of the more than 60 natural springs in city limits –- that's the spring that makes the bar atmosphere (and the rest of the restaurant) so captivating.
What to expect from dinner at Grotto
A natural wine cave and historic architecture set Grotto apart from the other best steakhouses in the United States, but that's not the only thing that makes Grotto a worthwhile stop if you find yourself in Eureka Springs. It walks the line between fine dining and casual fare, offering gluten-free and vegetarian options, big portions, and sides such as acorn squash, fries with sriracha ketchup, and buttered pilaf. Main courses are seasonal, inventive, and peppered with as many local ingredients as possible. You can find the standard steaks, pork chops, and cedar plank salmon on the menu; you may also find grilled octopus and smoked pork belly with an Asian-style glaze and ginger napa salsa.
Nature meets luxury in the wine cave, where there's wine on tap, a selection of gluten-free beer, and a staff of dedicated mixologists to craft head-turning cocktails such as a sweet Moscow Mule in a copper mug. While you're sipping and enjoying the cool underground atmosphere, soak in some of the storied "healing powers" of the natural springs in town.