It somehow took me five years to visit Gadwall’s Grill, the no-frills restaurant serving down-home cooking in North Little Rock. My poor excuse was the long drive time, and although I had received multiple reports from people I trust singing its praises, I always seemed to put a visit to Gadwall’s on the back-burner. Thank goodness I finally came to my senses.

A friend specifically instructed me to go for breakfast.

Me: “Will they make breakfast at 11 a.m.?”

Friend: “No. Not one minute after 10:30.”

At first, I thought he was joking but after immediate text silence, I quickly realized he meant business.  Anyways, me and two buddies arrived at 9:30 a.m. on the dot, sat down, and took a gander at the menu. The biscuit sandwich caught my eye, and I proceeded to tailor my order to exact specifications … which included a thin piece of fried chicken and an over-easy egg. It proved to be a winner. The biscuit was as traditional as it comes–mild tasting, slightly firm to the bite, and buttery–a perfect vehicle to transport the fried chicken cutlet and egg from the plate to my mouth. The accompanying side of shredded hash browns had a balanced, soft and crispy texture, resembling and tasting of a better version of what Waffle House cranks out. I washed it all down with a solid cup of coffee which was routinely topped off by our attentive server.

Chicken Biscuit

One tablemate, much like me, ordered like a normal human being and got a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit, while the other chap went full gut-bomb mode … getting the chicken fried steak, two eggs (sunny-side up), biscuit, hash browns, one pancake, and a frosty mug of milk.

CFS with Cream Gravy, Biscuit, and Hash Browns

Thankfully, I snuck a few bites of the CFS and pancake before the ravenous animal crushed his entire order. They were just as delightful as my chicken biscuit. Even his Miller Lite Mug of chilled milk, which I first scoffed at, looked mighty tasty. The thick slab of chopped steak was fried to a golden brown and topped with real deal cream gravy, not that powdered crap from a packet. The pancake? Fluffy and delightful.

Simply put, I loved Gadwall’s, and in a town lacking truly great breakfast options, this restaurant is definitely one to seek out. They also have a fairly expansive lunch and dinner menu, including items like: fried pickles, chili cheese dip, cheddar bacon fries, chicken fried chicken, chili dogs, grilled salmon and a variety of burgers, nachos, sandwiches, salads and desserts.

At this point, I can only vouch for the breakfast.

Just make sure to place your order by 10:30, sharp.

Sunny-Side Up Eggs

Gadwall’s Grill
7311 N Hills Blvd #14 in North Little Rock
(501) 834-1840
Hours: Monday-Friday 11am-9pm; Friday 7-10:30am, 11am-1pm; Saturday & Sunday 7-10:30am & 11am-9pm

Mug of Milk