Adam & Eats: Ed Walker’s Drive-In

Editor’s note: Adam Brandt is a graduate from the Cobra Kai School of Culinary Callousness, where he received their highest award, the Red Apron of Merciless Eating. Aside from eating and talking about eating, he makes pots, paintings, prints, books, photographs, and generally, a big mess. He has been the studio assistant at Mudpuppy Pottery for almost nine years and is attending a local university in a desperate attempt to earn a biology degree.

When you think of classic Fort Smith food, a few places spring to mind. One place that sprung into my mind recently, was Ed Walker’s. It has been a while since the last visit so I thought I would go see how they hold up against my memory. Turns out, they are even better than I remembered.

Since 1943, Ed Walker’s Drive-In has been serving simple fare to the people of the River Valley. And yes, they are still the only restaurant in Arkansas that will bring you bottles of beer to your car. I had heard a nasty rumor that they had “accidentally” let their special license expire, but luckily, it was just a rumor. They might be the oldest restaurant in town, but my research department, i.e. me, hasn’t been able to find out squat about it. Maybe by the time you are reading this, I’ll have turned something up. If anyone knows for sure, please let me know.

Where was I? Oh, yes, Ed Walker’s.

You know how diners open up nowadays and try to be a 50’s style diner? Well, at Ed Walker’s they live by the old Yoda adage “Do or do not. There is no try.” They are a 50’s era diner. From the 50‘s.

Of course, there have been modernizations over the years, but these have not corrupted the authenticity of the place. Sure it is a little kitschy, but so is my Grandmother’s house. It is one of the things that makes it great. The fact is, it’s old and real. Not some knock-off imitation, but the real deal. Some of the stuff at Ed’s has been on the walls as long as I can remember and I think that that is a very beautiful thing. They are like a rock of consistency in the ever-changing food world of the River Valley.

Why do people eat at Ed Walker’s? Other than the obvious reason of having beer brought to your car? The answer is simple: French Dip sandwiches. This is where I rant for a second about people’s use of the phrase “au jus”. Au jus means “with the juice” in French. To ask a person if they would like a French Dip sandwich with au jus, is redundant. The worst is when someone says “with au jus sauce.” It kills me. Let me translate that into English, so that you see how incredibly ridiculous it is.

“Would you like that French Dip with with the juice sauce?”

See? It is just silly.

Okay, let me step back off of my soapbox and talk about the sandwich. It is (insert a string of five or more expletives here) amazing! So rich and savory, so tender, on such wonderful bread, it stops up and then breaks my heart. I could kiss the inventor of the French Dip on the mouth, it is so brilliant.

Are delicious roast beef sandwiches dipped in the drippings of the slow cooked beef not your idea of a good time? Are you watching your weight? Do try the chef salad. It is the only chef salad I know of around here with roast beef on it.

The curly Q’s, onion rings, and fries are great as long as you specify that you want them crispy. They can get a smushy toward the end of the meal, otherwise. Also, I am a big fan of the ham and cheese for some reason. Maybe it is because it makes me feel like a little kid again. Whatever the reason, I keep ordering it. Let us not forget the burgers. They are definitely in the top 5 in the area. Plus, they offer the terrifying 5-pound burger. There’s so much to choose from that is great here, that I could go on forever. But, I will not.

If you have lived here more than a year and haven’t been to Ed Walker’s, shame on you. I want you to go stand in the corner for five minutes and think about what you have failed to do, then go to Ed Walker’s and try the French Dip. They really are the glue that holds this place together. It will be a very dark day when they are gone, but until then, let us all bask in the glory that is meat on bread, au jus.

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When he’s not beating his eggs, Adam makes time to respond to e-mails that get past his hard-ass spam filter. You can try to reach him at [email protected]

Adam also has this thing called Sandwich Control.