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The two comfortable dining rooms and the back porch with kingsize rockers overlooking Lake Chicot are not all that draw diners to LakeShore Cafe, says cafe manager, Charles Faulk, IV. Faulk's dad and stepmom are the owners, and ever since he can remember, Faulk says his dad known to all as Big Charles has loved to cook for others. Today, he's doing it on a grand scale at the eatery many say is the best-kept secret in the Arkansas Delta.
Big Charles takes pride in catering to the tastes of his fellow Baby Boomers, both with the food he serves and the musical entertainment LakeShore Cafe offers on Friday and Saturday nights.
Using family recipes handed down for generations replete with vegetables straight from the Farmer's Market Big Charles and his staff of old fashioned Southern cooks serve up hot plate lunches, mouth-watering steaks, sumptuous seafood and barbecue so good, many patrons partake several times a week.
Stellar among the cafe's large daily selection of fresh vegetables richly seasoned with onions and garlic is Elizabeth's Baked Eggplant. The dish's popularity with diners has made it the cafe's staple side item.
Renowned for her cooking skills in the river town of Vicksburg, Mississippi, Elizabeth is Big Charles's late mother who perfected many of the recipes her son uses today. Elizabeth's Scalloped Oysters a dish that graced the family dinning table every holiday alongside her sparkling crystal goblets, delicate heirloom china and gleaming sterling silver now pleases the palates of cafe patrons who come from miles around looking for something special.
For help with planning, diners desiring Scalloped Oysters or other favorites such as Eggplant Parmesan and Smoked Pork Loin should check the Daily Special and Sunday Special menus posted here at the Web site.
For Vicksburg and Jackson ladies in town to shop at Nonies Antiques or Paul Michael's Warehouse Outlet and many travelers driving to and from Little Rock, no trip is complete without a meal at LakeShore Cafe.
A favorite with touring companies which often book weeks in advance the cafe played host one memorable Saturday night to a busload of tourists from Greece. "The Greeks," as the cafe staff came to call them, filled the upstairs dining room to capacity. With the live music already in full swing, these new friends ate, drank and danced with all the gusto of a full Hollywood movie production. As the evening drew to a close and they reluctantly departed, one of them who today exchanges emails with manager Faulk said in farewell, "We'll tell the people at home we enjoyed the best food and the best time of our entire trip beside a beautiful lake in the middle of nowhere!"
Call manager Charles Faulk, IV, at 870-265-0027 for carryout service, catering and on-site special events. Or just come and sit a spell in one of the giant porch rockers, listen to the crickets sing and watch as night falls across the lake.
HISTORY OF LAKESHORE CAFE
In 1997, Charles and Teresa Faulk of Jackson, Mississippi, bought LakeShore Motel in Lake Village, Arkansas, from 94-year-old Idell Smith, who had built the motel in the 1950s. Leaving his Army career, Charles's son, Charles, IV, moved to Lake Village to manage the motel and supervise its renovation. Charles and Teresa came from Jackson on weekends to help. Once the renovation was complete, they built LakeShore Cafe, which quickly became a local favorite. In 2001, the family bought an adjacent property, and after adding a conference center and marina, the Faulks moved to Lake Village full time. In summer 2003, the cafe's new dining room, bar and porch overlooking the lake were added. Then, in spring 2007, Big Charles and Teresa and Little Charles and his wife, Lydia, bought The Cow Pen, a popular Delta restaurant opened in 1970 and located at the foot of the magnificient new Mississippi River Bridge. Visit www.TheCowPen.com and www.LakeShoreMotel.com.
Lake Village, Arkansas AR Restaurants - View Menu - Driving Directions - Lake Chicot State Park
Greenville, Mississippi MS Restaurants - View Menu - Driving Directions - Mississippi River Delta
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