Susan Davis, Realtor~Van Buren, Fort Smith, AR Real Estate

Let me introduce you to Van Buren`s Best kept Secret..... Cajun`s Back Door Resturant.

While in Real Estate School, a bunch of us women decided to to go to this little restaurant in Van Buren. It is  owned by the Father of Amy Gilstrap~Craft, the Instructor of the Arkansas Real Estate Academy where I attended school.

I had actually heard about Cajun`s Back Door from another friend and was told to give it try, but just had not gotten around to going. It is located in Downtown Historic Van Buren, Arkansas.

I ordered my staple sandwich that I tend to order when eating a sandwich.

Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich
Chicken Breast grilled with Sensational Seasonings, served on a split Top Hearth grilled bun with lettuce, tomato and mayo.

I have to say it was the BEST Grilled Chicken I have ever eaten!

It was seasoned Cajun Style which gave it a little zing. And their french fries were amazing! One of the other ladies ordered a

Muffuletta
A New Orleans Treat created by the Italians in the early 1900's. This signature sandwich consists of a round crusty Italian bread, split and filled with layers of sliced Provolone cheese, Genoa Salami, sliced Turkey, and Cappicola Ham, topped with Olive salad, lettuce, tomatoes and a pickle spear on the side.

It looked simply delicious!!

You can visit their website to view the entire menu and get the directions and hours of operation.

The restaurant was very nicely decorated and felt very comfortable. There were a couple of pictures hung that I felt were out of place but that was just the opinion of a few of us there. The color scheme was appropriate and they had little alligators all around, even outside in the courtyard. It was very cute. They even have a little Mardi Gras themed gift shop in the front of the restaurant!

One of the women we were with was related to the owners and I sensed that she knew the waitress pretty well. The service was a bit laid back, I attribute that to the relationship. I will have to revisit to see if the service would have been better if the customers were different. It wasn't bad service by any means, it was just average.

The price was a bit high but after receiving the food, I felt it was worth it. The sandwich was absolutely delicious! Even the dill pickle that came with it was wonderful!

I am not a food connoisseur by any means but I have been in the Restaurant business and know what makes for a great meal, atmosphere and customer service.

On a scale of 1 to 5, I would rate Cajun`s Back Door in those areas as follows:

Food Quality: 5

Atmosphere: 4

Customer Service: 3.5 (not bad but could have been better)

So, if you are in the Van Buren area, I recommend Cajun`s Back Door Restaurant for your dining pleasure! Tell them you read about them on my blog!

Have a happy dining experience!

Susan

Well, we just returned home from Baldwin City Kansas where my son is going to attend Baker University in the fall.

(see my post on the subject here) We had to attend a Scholarship Day for him to be able to receive more money.

It was a beautiful trip even though the weather was terrible. It was a cold 24 degrees and overcast and windy. Then on the way home it rained. I hate driving in the rain. But all in all it was a great overnight trip, shared with my two sons. Sharing a 5 hour drive one way in a Toyota Camry Solara with two boys, one 6`3 and the other 6`2 is a trip all by itself!!!

We stayed at place called The Lodge. They have a bunch of stuffed animals in the lobby.Like a Moose head, a Bear, Deer and the likes. It is kinda creepy but I guess it fits the theme of the place. There is a big fireplace int he lobby where all the animals are. It really is kinda cozy, even though youy have dead animals staring at you!

But I think my favorite thing about Baldwin City Kanasas is this little train car coffee joint. The guy that owns it is so nice and I swear they make the best coffee around. The next time I have to take my son up there I will make sure to take pictures so you can see what I am talking about. It is the cutest little coffee drive through I have ever seen! They make the best Hazelnut Latte I have ever drank.

The people are very friendly and accomodating and the landscape is beautiful! I could definately see me and my family living there.

I just thought I would touch base with you all and share a little something about our weekend so far!

I promise next time to have picutres. If you ever have a chance, you should visit Baldwin City!