Christopher Atkinson Growing up in Pea Ridge, Ive heard of the illustrious Blackwater Bistro my whole childhood. This was the fancy place in town to go to if you had a hot date, or for before you go to prom. I never made it out, though, until I moved away, got a job, and then came back to visit recently.
I went out to explore downtown Milton some, checked out Blackwater State Park, and got hungry and decided to finally come check this place out for lunch. So we drove up, got a table, and started browsing the pamphlet they gave us of the history of the building. It was a quaint little read.
The restaurant is in an old house that had many different lives over the course of its existence. It was wooden, comfortable, had a nice bar built into it. Very cozy and rustically upscale. The service was also very good. A nice lady that tended to all of our drink needs. Very pleasant. And the food came out in a timely fashion.
As for the food, we started with the The Sampler (A mixture of our house favorites: Artichoke cheesecake, Baguette, Loaded Brussel Sprouts with Shrimp, Coconut Shrimp with Mango Chutney).
This was nice. I love a good savory cheesecake, you dont see that very often. It was very interesting loading the sprouts with shrimp, but Ive never said no to a shrimp. And the coconut shrimp were pretty standard. It was a good plate, but not mind-blowing, if you wanna try a different app.
My main was the Creole Crawfish & Andouille Pot Pie (Louisiana Crawfish, Savory Vegetables, Andouille, Cajun Cheese Cream, Puff Pastry).
This is a loose-leaf pot pie. So basically a gumbo with a puffy piece of puff pastry on top. So its a lot of fun, but dont expect a lot of crust with each bite. Super creamy, super Cajun in the seasoning, no regrets getting this.
I also got to try the The Blue Salad (Filet of Beef. Signature Assorted Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion, Cucumber, Bleu Cheese, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Candied Pecans, Bleu Cheese Dressing).
This was a good salad! Nice and tender strips of filet, funky bleu cheese, sweet and crunchy pecans. I love a nice interesting salad like this. Nothing boring involved. And a ton of that delicious dressing.
Overall, the Bistro was well worth the wait. Good vibes, good food. Id come back.