Juanita's in Little Rock, Arkansas: Great for a Weekday Lunch

Juanita's Bar and Café in Little Rock has become a regional legend for showcasing both local and national music acts. Past concerts have included major label acts Maroon 5 and Daughtry, in addition to countless independent acts that have cut their live performance teeth in Juanita's Ballroom. What many people outside of Little Rock may not know is that the Mexican food in the café has won awards and garnered praise for almost two decades. Juanita's may be the heart of the Little Rock music scene at night, but during the day, the lunch crowd descends for a quick bite.

On a recent weekday lunch trip, my dining companion and I made the mistake of arriving at Juanita's at 12:15. The place was packed and getting a table was a frustrating experience, made slightly better by the friendly bartender who served up one of Juanita's famous margaritas ($4.95) while we waited.

After being seated, we ordered Mesa Nachos ($6.95) to share while we waited on our entrees. The portion was huge, easily enough for a meal for one person, and loaded with chicken, goat cheese, black beans and jalapenos, guacamole and sour cream. It was an interesting change from the orange tex-mex nachos that are so common in Little Rock. It would have been easy to fill up on our appetizer, but we were determined to save room for our appetizers, and are we glad we did.

My dining companion (who is watching her weight) ordered the Mesquite Grilled Chicken Salad ($7.75). The chicken is marinated in a chipotle vinaigrette and served with lettuce, tomatoes, jack cheese, pine nuts and red onions. It didn't look much different than most salad offerings, but she said it was very good.

My choice was the Green Chile Enchilada ($6.25) stuffed with jack cheese and green chiles and covered with sour cream sauce. It comes with a side of black beans and rice. It was more savory than spicy, and the sour cream sauce offered a pleasant tang to offset the smoothness of the jack cheese. It's just this kind of gooey treat that best defines Juanita's at lunch. The enchilada was huge and served piping hot. The rice was good, and the black beans were slightly spicy and firm.

For dessert, we agreed to share a piece of Key Lime Pie ($4.25) but could only eat a bite. It was cool and tangy, with little residual sweetness.

Juanita's is a little outside the main downtown area, but it is worth driving or walking a few extra blocks for a great lunch.