That place is Grady's.
The pizza and sub shop has been around since 1981, and hosted its share of hungry folks wanting a good bite at a great price. Over the years, a few items have been added to the menu -- but in essence, this is still the same great mid-'80s hole-in-the-wall
And what's not to like? The cozy eatery is tucked back in a shopping center, with tab topped curtains on the windows and leatherette topped tables. This is a place to grab some grub. You might not want to bring your prom date here (or maybe you would -- who can tell?) but for good food at great prices, it's hard to beat.
My traveling companion and I ducked in on a Wednesday evening in July to seek out comfort food and iced tea. The hot air outside was no match for the air conditioned comfort within. We seated ourselves in one of the wooden booths along the wall and perused the menu.
There are many good items to choose from on the Italian-American inspired menu. Appetizers are limited to toast varieties and chips, but onward down the menu you'll find a wide selection of signature sandwiches, served up on your choice of homemade onion bread, French rolls, or rye. They're served with a choice of potato salad, potato chips, or cole slaw and come in half and whole sandwiches. Among the many choices are the Grady's Grinder (ham, salami, roast beef and turkey), a Vegetarian Sampler (mushrooms, black olives, green bell peppers, white onions, lettuce, tomato, and Italian dressing), a Muffeletta (ham, turkey, salami and marinated veggies with cheese) along with the obligatory Meatball and the Arkansas standard, the Reuben. All sandwiches come with tomato, lettuce, and cheese and a Kosher dill spear.
Grady's also offers a wide variety of salads, including a Baked Chicken Salad and a Taco Salad. Pizzas come in three different sizes -- 11", 14", and 16" -- and are cooked up Neapolitan style with red sauce or olive oil. Among the different varieties are Charlie's Favorite (ground beef, white onions, bell peppers, green olives, jalapenis and cheese) and the North St. Louis Special (Italian sausage, green olives, bell peppers, and white onions with cheese). In fact, this is one of the few places in the Little Rock area where you can still find green olives on the toppings menu -- along with zucchini and artichoke hearts.
But on this particular night, my traveling companion and I eschewed the franchise offerings for comforting pasta bowls. And for me, that's Chili Mac. A big bowl runs $4.75 ($6.25 with a
The green salad here is a bit of a misnomer. While the majority of the bowl is full of the expected Romaine and Iceberg chunks, it's supplemented with red cabbage and carrot slivers

We also splurged and went for an appetizer of garlic and cheese toast with marinara sauce ($4.05), three planks of soft and slightly salty French roll served up with a cup of cool sauce. The marinara itself is a sweet and chunky ragu, lightly spiced. It's a good compliment to the slightly salty bread.


He'd also opted for a Corned Beef sandwich (leftovers for a late-night snack being the operative idea). The sandwich ($6.50)came on a French bread po' boy roll sliced almost all the way through lengthwise but left to hold together the pile of pinkish meat and the veggies. My companion had asked that the mayo be left off, and was greeted with a hearty Dijon instead. The repast was served up with a bag of Ruffles and a

Of course, I had my fix. The Chili Mac isn't just chili on noodles. It's served on spaghetti, not macaroni (and always has been) and is a blend of chili con carne and meat sauce. The balance isn't too spicy, and it's topped with another generous handful of mozzarella cheese. There's a whole lot of pasta there, too -

We ended up packing up a good deal of our meal to take home for later -- but I wasn't leaving without an old favorite. Grady's is one of the few restaurants around to offer fresh cannoli -- and it's cheap, too. For 99 cents, you get a delicate filled pastry that's about 6" long.

There are a lot of other options, too. If you're not so hungry but want to try more, you can opt for a half sandwich with your choice of soup, chili, or a salad ($6.95). Another dessert you'll want to try is the Grady's Classic Lemon Ice Box Pie ($2.25 or 9.00 for a whole one), a tart and creamy confection on a graham cracker crust. And there's no meaner, leaner French bread pizza in town than the ones you'll find at Grady's ($6.25), three planks of French roll topped with your choice of two toppings, cheese, and olive oil or red sauce -- or with mushrooms, black olives, bell peppers and white onions.
And for those of us who love nostalgia,
Grady's is about to add 10 more items to the menu, according to our attentive server. She also explained the significance of the "Soup of the Day" listed -- Chicken Noodle Not, a chicken and vegetable soup without noodles. But for the most part, it's still the same great dive on 12th Street after all these years.
You'll find Grady's at 6801 West 12th Street. Call ahead for pick-up orders to (501) 663-1918. They're open seven days a week starting at 11am.
Does the lemon icebox pie have merengue (I know that's not the spelling) or whipped cream/topping?
ReplyDeleteIt's a sweet whipped cream. It's a good cinch for soothing a sweet tooth, that's for sure!
ReplyDelete