Baker Bros. Gets 3 Forks (Food Review)

Baker Bros.
3301 Market St., Ste. 109
Rogers
479-273-0822
3 out of 5 forks

Cuisine: Fast casual American
Noise level: Medium
Ambiance: Office Generic
Price Range: $7 – lunch menu
Time: 30 minutes
Open Since: May 2007

Who says every dining experience should be a magical, memorable occasion? Sometimes you just need some decent, quick sustenance that’s a notch above fast food.

Thus, one hectic afternoon we ducked in to Baker Bros. in Rogers. It’s a chain out of Texas, and is yet another entry in the ever-expanding fast casual category, which includes operations such as Panera Bread, Atlanta Bread Co. and Jason’s Deli.

The menu includes the staple sandwiches, soups and salads, but adds baked spuds and pizza into the mix. We didn’t choose either of those two options, but it’s a safe bet that they’re as serviceable as the items we did try.

It’s worth noting that all of the specialty sandwiches and almost all of the salads reference places, e.g., Kentucky Club, Texas Star, Napa Valley and so forth.

This includes the inevitable attempt at a Philly cheese steak. We didn’t try that however, being, as we are, justifiably skeptical of anything less than a “wiz without” from Geno’s in Philadelphia.

One of our reviewers tried a half sandwich combo ($7) with the New York Classic and a bowl of baked potato soup.

Moist and tasty pastrami came in an unfortunately insufficient portion. The rye was discernable from whole wheat to the extent that Bud Light tastes different than Coors Light.

The soup was hearty and flavorful, accented by a condiment option that should be mandatory for most American dining establishments: Tabasco. Baker Bros. had the standard red sauce on hand, as well as the coveted green jalapeño-based version. This was a nice touch.

Another reviewer was pleased with his choice of the K.C. Old Fashioned ($6.50), which features roast beef, melted provolone and a homemade horseradish sauce on a toasted roll.

The horseradish sauce was tangy without being overbearing and combined well with the meat and cheese, he said.

Another guest enjoyed his Texas Chili ($3.50) but was underwhelmed by his turkey sandwich ($5). Asked for his opinion, he said simply, “it’s a turkey sandwich.”

Service was very friendly and also very fast. Granted, there was no line when we went in, but we had our food in about five minutes. The noise level was moderate for a lunch crowd and wasn’t disruptive, although we could have done without the syrupy saxophone Muzak version of “When a Man Loves a Woman.”

If you’re seeking to impress an out-of-towner or woo a potential client, you might be better off elsewhere. But if what you need is a fast, tasty bite with some friends or coworkers, Baker Bros. will do you right.