Diner Week Day 6: Bob & Ellie’s

Bob & Ellie’s Drive-In

6500 U.S. 271

Fort Smith, AR 72908

479.646.7559

Other than Waffle House, the south side of Fort Smith’s rather lacking in 24-hour places. That’s where everybody’s favorite couple-named diner comes in. Just a few blocks away from Whirlpool, on Hwy. 271, Bob & Ellie’s is a long-time favorite of shift workers, college students, truckers and other people who are up way too late. We’re sure people must eat there in the day, too, but our experience has only been late nights and early mornings. The idea of going there for, say, lunch seems weird. Like going to the beach in the middle of a blizzard. Sure, you can do it, but why?

Rare sighting of Bob & Ellie's during the day.

Bob & Ellie’s is in an unpretentious metal building. The great thing is how much effort they’ve put into distracting you from the fact that it’s a metal building along a truck route. The north side of the building has a gazebo and a little garden of statuary. Of course it still looks like a metal building with a tent gazebo and small statuary, but we give them 27 bonus points for trying.

Remember that part in The Lion The Witch & The Wardrobe where the evil White Queen of Narnia had turned all her enemies into stone in her courtyard? If it had been in Arkansas on Hwy. 271 outside a metal building with pretty plants and a gazebo and not in a magical land of snow it might have looked like this.

All the wee petrified enemies they don't want to put in the garden outside, Bob & Ellie mount on the shelf above this friendly sign

Our very favorite thing ever about Bob & Ellie’s (other than rolling the name off our tongues so fast that people think there’s a new Italian restaurant in town) is the waitresses. Are there waiters too? Don’t think so. All of our Diner Week diners have had fantastic, competent, and colorful service. The ones at Bob & Ellie’s though truly seem like they stepped out of an episode of “Alice.” These are gals that know everything about the place backwards and forwards, and are happy to sit down and chat with you about it while they tell you about their dog’s foot problem or ask after your mother or  lightly chastise you for not tipping enough last time. Doesn’t matter how hungry, cranky, or rushed we are, we’ve never minded these asides. The no-nonsense personalities are utterly winning.

Let’s start with breakfast this time.

Ham and cheese omelette, coming up. A little Meh, but you have to give it to them for the symmetric artistry.

When we saw this plate, we wished we'd ordered biscuits instead of toast, so we could try to make it look more like Princess Leia. "Help me Obi-Wan Kenobe. You're my only hope of making this omelette more interesting!"

 

We eat breakfast there a lot.

Pancakes good. Pancakes brought to table at 3 a.m. by nice lady just when you were craving them are great.

Giant bowl o' grits, crispy bacon, eggs over hard that were supposed to be over medium but apparently got walked on by the chicken. Check out all those hashmarks. Just checking to make sure you'd overcooked them, Bob?

We like when the gravy comes on the side. Not amazing gravy, but so polite about standing back and letting the biscuit take center stage.

We only ordered the cinnamon roll once. It should join a Butterholics Anonymous support group with The White Spot’s grits.

 

Like a honeybun that's about to go into the tanning bed.

 

We’ve been trying roast beef out at several other diners, so we thought we’d try it here, open-faced-sandwich-style. Not bad. Not great. A little like deli roast beef with gravy on it. At least it was duly sloppy.

Sloppy firsts. Open-faced roast beef sandwich & mashed potatoes.

 

The fries at Bob & Ellie’s are pretty good for, you know, homemade:

Homemade fries. Not crinkle cut. Unless by crinkle you mean "straight."

 

All this is good information, Fort Smith Eats. But if you go there so much, what do you get most? Alright. We’ll tell. The club. Just right.

Basic diner club, done right.

What’s an all-night diner good for if they can’t do pie right? No worries here. This chocolate pie is as ungussied up as they come, but rich and cool and creamy.

This pie wasn't what we were expecting when we ordered it--no meringue or Cool Whip or anything, just crust and chocolate. Good choice. Had to order another piece!

So give Bob & Ellie’s a go sometime. Tell the girls we sent you.

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