Let me start by saying that I usually dont review restaurants owned by people that I know within the culinary world. Chef Billy Klaser and I are NOT personal friends but I do know him through our mutual professions.
It is an unwritten rule to not promote, just for the sake of promoting a chef or business, just as it is the same for writing a negative review. Chefs tend to stay away from bashing or promoting others because it tends to muddy the waters and leaves a biased opinion.
However, this has gone on long enough for me. Cafe Klaser has been through three locations, and MANY MANY servers and staff. It takes time to find yourself as a chef with those that you employ and to weed out the lackluster wait staff and the reviews of this place have certainly not been warranted.
Let me start by saying that there will be a person who will find fault in anything and everything. Those people usually tend to love coming to review locations like YELP and letting their opinions be heard. Seems like self gratification and narcissism lurk within those reviews. Â I am not saying that these reviewers didn't have an experience that wasnt what they expected but do they know the inner workings of a restaurant and or do they know the inner workings of a restaurant in an area like Heber Springs where the work pool isn't that deep?
Megan has been out waitress ever since she started and we always ask for her table. Not that the others are not competent, it's just that it's routine to have her. It must be my OCD, but I prefer to have the same person wait on me. Kinda like Melvin Udall from As Good As It Get's. Megan is as attentive as can be. We never want for anything. Gracious and kind and knowledgable.
I have been coming here since the very beginning and have never had a meal that wasn't expected. If I had a meal that wasn't up to par it wasnt because it was horrible, it was because something was forgotten or left off. NO BIG DEAL, shit happens. Chef Klaser is a talented chef who has the credentials to bake it up (Intended. He is a great baker). IF and this ia a very big if, IF there was an issue I am certain that it was related to miscommunication and not actually cooking issues. As a Chef, things become second nature with muscle memory and we can do this in our sleep. We know recipes that we created without having to go back to what was written. It is an inherit ability as a chef to just know what is what and reproduce it time and time again successfully.
There was a time when Chef Klaser wasn't in the kitchen and that may have been when someone experienced a meal that wasnt up to his or their standards. I can assure you that Chef Klaser is back in HIS kitchen and producing meals that are worthy of better reviews.
The only issue that I have had at Cafe Klasers were the bartenders. But let's look at that first. Heber Springs is a dry county and not a place that has a market on people who know how to make a correct Old Fashion or even a proper Appletini. This was my only drawback, which wasn't that bad, but I found out tonight that that has been resolved. My wife and I just left after visiting for Memorial Day and had an outstanding meal with great cocktails.
Chef Klaser is in the kitchen and a new bartender is at the helm and the wait staff runs like s finely wound swiss watch so a great dining experience is for certain.
Someone mentioned that the menu was 'heavy' with 'everything fried'. Look deeper. The steaks, hamburgers, baked fish, pastas are all NOT FRIED. Dont order a fried dish and complain about it being fried, seriously. Â Besides, it's the South. We fry WILL most anything but there are other alternatives on his menu.
A family favorite. Grilled walleye is delicious and the guys in our party of 13 enjoyed the stuffed steak a lot.
Fried green beans, spinach dip. appetizers are excellent and the salad bar comes with the meal.
Casual atmosphere and our waitress was great. Patio is beautiful and overlooks the river.
Fun place, great for groups and families.
Hard to find because it does not show up on the gps correctly or the iPhone, but worth the search! Â Great patio view. Â Our server was the best we had in Heber springs... Very efficient and happy! Â Food was good but not great. Â Ribeye did not have much flavor but was tender and the grilled shrimp were small but had good seasoning.
Review Source:Beautiful view!! Sit on the patio if you get a chance. We grew up here and personally this is my favorite place to eat in Heber Springs.
You have to try the stuffed steak, you won't find anything like that around. Steak stuffed with rice and crawfish, smothered in a cheesy, creamy crawfish sauce. Delicious!
It was a nice day so I decided to sit outside. Â I ordered the crawfish Po Boy with a side of fried green beans instead of fries and some sweet tea.
The service was not really the greatest, but I just reasoned out that I was in the south and people usually take their time in the south.
The food was pretty heavy so I lightened the load by taking off half the crumb coating on the green beans and also eating just the crawfish bits with a little bit of bread.
The best part of the restaurant was eating outside. The seating area overlooked the river.
Stopped into this little town to visit family. They took us to this restaurant and I am really glad they did. I ordered the Oyster Po Boy sandwich which was SUPER UBER YUMM!! I have never had fried oysters before but for some reason the fried oyster po boy was calling my name. I now crave this sandwich on a regular basis. The service there was great as well. Every one was really nice.
The only reason I gave them 4 stars instead of 5 is that  due to the fact that this was a dry county you had to have a membership to order any alcoholic beverages. Which isn't a big deal except that they charge $10 for a membership which I thought was pretty steep. I used to live back east and they had the same kind of thing but they would only charge $1 for a membership.  I would have liked to had a beer with my meal but didn't want to spend an additional $10 for a membership to a place I highly doubt I will be visiting again in the next year or so.
But all in all. Loved the Po Boy and when I do happen to get back into town  I will definitely be hitting it up! :o)
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