Live Springdale | Food & Drink

Admittedly, I am a creature of habit. I have a Chinese take out place I love in town and I have been going there for many years. However, in the interest of try to help promote different places all over town I wanted to stop in and give Mandarin Bistro a shot. I had heard good things about it and had friends who frequently ordered their food.

I stopped in at the drive thru and the lady was very pleasant. She recognized me and asked me to say hello to my wife as Amelia had taught some members of her family during her years in education. I took a take out menu and pulled around to decide what to order. I called in my order and was told it would be about 10 minutes. Turns out it would be done even quicker than that.

I ordered a few different things for the family to share. I started off with the Cheese Star or Crab Rangoons. They were fried right, slightly sweet and an excellent appetizer. As a general rule I always order sweet and sour chicken. Mandarin's did not disappoint. It was a little lighter than what I was used to, which was a welcomed trait since I could try some of the other dishes without being so stuffed. It was sweet and almost had a rich flavor to it which I enjoyed. We also had General Tso's chicken. This is a dish I have had at many places and depending on where you go it can be so spicy that you may not enjoy it. I felt like the dish here was close to the mark and was not as spicy as some I had tried. I didn't have much room left, but in an effort to give a good review I tried the Combo Fried Rice. It was good with a decent amount of steak, chicken and shrimp.

In all I would say the meal was a success. There were no leftovers and everyone in the family seemed to enjoy the dinner. It cost me $35 and change to feed everyone a big, filling meal. Which is getting off season with 5 of us in the family. I would recommend stopping by the corner of 71B and Watson just North of Autozone and grabbing a bite to eat. You won't be disappointed.

Italian food is something we have no shortage of in and around Springdale. As many know Tontitown offers a number of places with traditional Italian food, but we have a few great Italian spots right here in Springdale. One such location is Joe's Italian Grill. Located on the East side of town just before you get to Hwy 265 Joe's was originally in the Ole Feed Mill building on the West side until it burned down in January of 2015. When their current location became available they moved in and have been a staple of the East side ever since.

Though I have been on many occasions I chose to write about them today because it was an excellent choice in the past for my wife and I. The wait wasn't overwhelmingly long, the service was good and the food, as always, was excellent. We always enjoy the calamari when we are enjoying the delicious bread they bring early. I am a creature of habit and for me that habit at Italian restaurants means I'm ordering lasagna. Joe's is excellent and served piping hot. Amelia, being 100% Italian, enjoys their Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo. If by this point between your app, the bread and your delicious entrée you've left room for dessert you should give the Cannoli a try. You'll leave stuffed, satisfied and ready to come back and try other dishes.