Bailey?s Bakery & Eatery (Food Review)

Bailey’s Bakery & Eatery
613 Garrison Ave., Fort Smith

After so much publicity regarding first lady Laura Bush’s visit to Bailey’s Bakery & Eatery in Fort Smith, our two diners had to check it out for lunch on a recent visit. The restaurant offered little in the way of choices and service, but the experience was saved by the infamous Double Decadent Chocolate Cake.

The restaurant is located in historic downtown, and was renovated to have a European country flair. However, there was little flair to one diner’s angel hair pasta ($7).

Topped with six pieces of garlic shrimp and garlic points, the pasta somehow managed to be bland, having little taste other than the noodles. She said the peeled jumbo shrimp were wonderful, making her wish there were more on her plate instead of pasta. The entrée came with a very small house salad.

The other diner, hailing from south Louisiana, opted for the crawfish bisque served with bread crostini ($5). She said the bisque was lukewarm because it had been sitting too long in the bowl, but the taste was very spicy and “Cajuny.” It wasn’t anything spectacular, she said.

In May, the first lady visited Fort Smith, stopping at Bailey’s for a treat. It was reported that Bush ordered the homemade chocolate cake, and since then there’s been quite a stir about the restaurant in the news. So, after the so-so meal, our two diners had to see what the fuss was about.

The Double Decadent Chocolate Cake ($6) was the best part of the whole experience, they said. Topped with fudge icing, the chocolate cake was moist and not too rich.

Overall, the diners weren’t too impressed with the lunch but noted that, for a bakery, it definitely hit the sweet spot. The service was also slow, which could be a concern for customers who have to pay for parking or have to hurry back to work.