Powerhouse Seafood & Grill

112 N. University

Fayetteville

Tucked behind the bustle of Fayetteville’s Dickson Street, Powerhouse Seafood and Grill nests beneath a web of power lines, offering good service and acceptable lunch fare. Past experiences warned us of sampling seafood in Arkansas, but Powerhouse didn’t add to the stereotype.

A mobile of colorful fish dangles from the ceiling and a tank of live lobsters also adds to the atmosphere.

With a quiet noise level at lunch time, Powerhouse welcomes business lunches with large tables, quick service and a smooth atmosphere for conversation.

We started our meal with hot rolls and cornbread served with whipped butter on the side. One of our diners ordered a cup of the shrimp gumbo ($1.89), which was listed on the menu as a house specialty. She said it was full of spice and flavor, but the shrimp seemed a bit small, sitting on the bottom of the mug. Served at a nice temperature, the concoction was “tasty,” she said.

Within about 10 minutes the server arrived, bearing huge trays of food.

A member of our party ordered a bowl of the New England clam chowder ($3.59), and said although it wasn’t as good as the version she had in Massachusetts, Powerhouse serves the soup “as good as it gets in Arkansas.” She also munched on a side order of “yummy” garlic bread.

Another diner ordered the chicken k-bobs ($6). She seemed a little disappointed initially. Only one skewer of chicken and vegetables served on a bed of white rice looked a little skimpy, but the appearance gave the wrong impression. Tender and delicious, the marinated chicken breast satisfied our diner, and the seasonings on the vegetables and rice complimented the meal.

One diner in our group said the blackened catfish sandwich ($7) was good, but the fish was dwarfed by the thickness of the poboy bread. He seemed pretty happy once he got the formula down by tearing away bits of the bread so he could taste the fish.

Powerhouse proved worthy on the salad end of the menu with the fresh garden salad ($4.29). Our salad junkie gave the mixture thumbs up. The garden salad combined crisp iceberg and romaine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese, hard-boiled egg, carrots, bell peppers and soft croutons.

Another diner added blackened chicken to the garden salad ($6.89). Both diners agreed the salads were refreshing for a warm summer day.

With all of the choices on the menu, we’ll be going back to try a few of the other items. The Parmesan spinach dip looked like a yummy appetizer and the spicy stuffed crab sounded good, too. A plate of the seafood alfredo with shrimp, crab meat and mushrooms over fettuccine also tempted us.

Feeding five people for less than $40 seemed very reasonable, and we think Powerhouse served as a good location for a casual-dining business lunch.