Fish Nest

Wow, this place epitomizes Southern hospitality and charm. When you walk in, just seat yourself and the waitress will stop by. Super respectful, down to earth, and helpful with whatever you need. Don’t even bother with the menu unless you’re looking to get a steak, etc. Just do the buffet and move on with life. Chicken, shrimp, frog legs, crab, catfish, salad bar, desserts, rolls, casseroles, and onward we go. It’s made fresh, and it tastes like it to. For $15, it’s honestly a miracle they offer a deal this cheap or that the food is such a high quality because frankly, we’re robbing them. Easily worth 20-25 bucks a pop, but I won’t complain. Much recommended!

I have been to The Fish Nest twice now (from Southeast Oklahoma on the way to or from Hot Springs) and I've not been disappointed either time. My first visit was a Saturday evening and the latest was a Sunday noon - they had slightly different items each time. The restaurant is very clean and the staff are helpful and attentative - I was wondering where they gathered together the large number of young people who seemed happy to be there and not staring at their cellphones... (A young lady named Hannah happened to be our waitress both times - excellent service!) The item I was most anxious to try again was their Ranch Dressing. It's the best Ranch I've had anywhere! WOW! I told one of the servers who happened to be standing nearby as I was fixing my salad that their Ranch was THE BEST - she said "I can't even eat the store-bought stuff anymore!" Everything I've tried has been great, the buffet is kept tidy, well stocked and hot. I live about 130 miles away in Oklahoma and wouldn't think twice about driving there just for lunch or dinner. Two thumbs up!

We went to the Fish Nest for the Seafood Buffet, driving 24 miles one way, because of the rave reviews we read....

Sad to say, it didn't live up to the reviews and wasn't worth the drive.
Not to say it was bad, because it wasn't! It was "OK," definitely a 3 star restaurant,
but not more than that and nothing special.

Here's the Good:
The Fried Catfish was Very Good.
The Hush Puppies were different from the.
traditional ones & were quite good
The Frog Legs were also good
Really good Cole Slaw
Outstanding Cobbler
Buffet kept well stocked, fresh and hot

Here's the Not So Good:
Fried clams very rubbery
Stuffed Crab dry with mediocre stuffing.
(tasted kind of like Stove top)
Twice- baked potatoes were odd and not
that good... Potato skins with scalloped.
potatoes dropped in
Corn bread muffins very dry

Everything else was just OK....not bad, but not great, pretty average.

Prices were very reasonable and the staff was very welcoming and friendly.

So..... An OK, pretty decent place, but not worth going out of your way for.

We were leaving Daisy State Park and were looking for somewhere to get some good food on a Sunday afternoon. After reading reviews the thought of catfish tickled my wife's delight.

I wasn't really prepared to be impressed but it was better than I expected in the end.

We were seated quickly and made our way to the good ol' buffet. I waded through the fried catfish, fried chicken, and BBQ selections settling on a pile of catfish, hush puppies, and slaw with a side of pulled pork. It was very tasty. The catfish and slaw would be the highlights of my meal even though I grazed and pecked on a little of this and that. The salad fixings were nice and I added a big salad to cleanse the palate.

The waitresses were plenty nice and it just had a down home feel.

So to answer the question, "Would I go back?" I certainly would. The answer to that question is a big fat "YES!"

Good food. Good service. Big buffet with tons of options. Fried shrimp, fish, chicken, frog legs and much more.
Everything tasted fresh and nothing was greasy.
Pleasant surprise on our road trip through small towns in the Arkansa countryside.
$14.95 really reasonable.