Let me get this right out of the way. Everything about our 8-top dinner last Saturday night at Maddie’s Place was excellent. The place was packed (and that included the bar), but we were able to get a table in about 20 minutes.

I don’t typically lead off talking about service with these write-ups, but it should be noted that from start to finish, it was absolutely outstanding. Our beer and wine came out fast, as did our apps … and even the entrees. Looking around the restaurant, I expected the kitchen to get a little backed up with orders, but that was not the case.

So what about the food? Well, we ordered a lot … so I got to taste a lot.

We started with a dozen Chargrilled Oysters and some fries for the kids. I’ve probably eaten the oysters at Maddie’s 10-15 times and these were the best yet. Plunk, juicy, and drenched in butter and Parm, these oysters sent me right back to a few weekends ago to my New Orleans’ visit.

Chargrilled Oysters

For my entrée, I actually ordered another appetizer … the BBQ Nachos. Good gracious, what a gut bomb. But what a glorious gut bomb! Corn tortilla chips were piled with pulled pork, green onions, red onions, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and tiny pieces of pickle. Heck, there were even some black eyed peas. It was the entire kitchen sink finished off with a delicious bbq sauce. Did it all get a little soggy? Yes, but, truth be told, I’ve never shied away from soggy nachos.

Red Beans & Rice

Bites of my daughter’s Shrimp Po’Boy and cup of Red Beans & Rice were also delightful. The subtly spicy RB&R tasted better than I remember, as did the crispy fried shrimp on the po’boy.

Shrimp Po’Boy

All and all, this dinner at Maddie’s Place was a nice reminder of the great food and service coming out of one of Little Rock’s top restaurants.