One of Searcy’s newest restaurants, The Lunch Box, is sure to cure the homesick blues. Located in the old A&W building, The Lunch Box opened its doors about six months ago and has been busy frying catfish since. With the restaurant’s sign advertising its country buffet and “hand-patted burgers,” I decided to give this new local joint a try.
As soon as I walked in, I felt like I was back home. The atmosphere was nothing fancy. It was just simple and cute, like many small-town country fish places, with old antiques and Pinterest-like decor hanging on the walls. There were no Harding Bison or HU memorabilia on the walls and although I think it is great when local businesses support school pride, it was a nice change to go into a place without feeling like you were still on Harding’s campus. The Lunch Box is a place that every Southern student can go into and relate to a place back home.
After the waitress showed my friend and me to our table, we quickly surveyed the menu and decided to start off with the “Happy Shrimp” with “Joy Sauce.” The fried shrimp was definitely our favorite. It was just right, not too much breading, but enough breading to supply a crunchiness to compliment the slightly spicy dipping sauce.
The Lunch Box’s menu is somewhat limited, but offers several different kinds of salads, chicken sandwiches, hamburgers and catfish plates. I chose the two-piece catfish plate, which was more than enough food and cost right under $7. Along with two pieces of fish, it came with french fries, cole slaw, brown beans, hushpuppies and a small helping of pickled green tomatoes: Southern perfection.
I have been known to be quite picky about my fish, but their catfish was cooked just right. The fish feathered apart when my fork went through the fried fillets. It wasn’t dry, but it wasn’t slimy either like some catfish I have had before. Overall, the food was really good, just like the service.
We were quickly shown to our table upon arrival, the food only took about 10 minutes and the waitress made several trips to our table to make sure we had everything we wanted.
Overall, I think The Lunch Box was a successful dinner outing. It offers a hometown feel, reasonable pricing and friendly service.
The Lunch Box is located at 1100 E. Race Ave., and is open Sunday-Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
