Restaurant Offers Gourmet Take-out Lunch

Don’t judge Morning Glory’s food by its less-than-spacious dining room. Stationed in a Fayetteville neighborhood on the corner of Maple Street and Mission Boulevard at 440 Mission Blvd., this take-out restaurant produces mouthwatering fare for reasonable prices.

It’s about 80 percent kitchen, so the small building that houses Morning Glory’s has only two tables set up for inside seating.

Just go to Morning Glory’s for the food. The cooks make a different blue plate every day, and they change the menu’s specials monthly.

Several soups, salads and sandwiches have a permanent place on the menu, including the best New Orleans-style gumbo ($3 for a cup and $5.50 for a huge bowl) we’ve found in Arkansas. A good gumbo comes from a good roux, and Morning Glory’s passed our test for bursting flavor and hearty consistency.

For the main course, one diner tried the Asian Chicken Salad ($6). Tender grilled chicken topped mixed greens, slices of cucumber, chunks of pineapple and bits of red onion. A sesame dressing — which our guest described as “divine” — brought the dish together.

Two pieces of homemade focaccia bread also came with the salad.

She followed her salad with a shortbread dessert ($2) that featured a layer of Ghiardelli chocolate.

Another member of our party tried Conchon Alida, the special of the day ($6). The light dish featured a palm-sized portion of juicy pork loin that our diner was able to cut into bites with a plastic fork.

She deemed the bed of spicy rice pilaf under the meat to be “fabulous,” and the meal included focaccia bread and a small salad. All together, the plate was stacked with food. For dessert, she tried a raspberry muffin ($2), but she recommends the restaurant’s signature Morning Glory muffin to first-timers.

The third person in our party ordered a cup of the gumbo, a Hot Roman Veggie sandwich ($5) and a peaches-and-spice muffin ($2). The aforementioned gumbo made the diner launch into a rant about how hardly anyone north of Lake Charles can make a good roux.

The veggie sandwich was served on thick slices of focaccia bread with tangy mushrooms, red onions, a little eggplant, ripe tomatoes, roasted garlic and Swiss cheese. The gooey melt tasted fresh and left a smile on our critic’s face.

Although it was large, the peaches-and-spice muffin didn’t impress us. We preferred the calorie terror of the shortbread-and-chocolate bar.

With its limited dining area, the restaurant doesn’t offer a large beverage selection. Canned sodas and bottled ice water are about it. However, Morning Glory’s does sell jars of cinnamon apples, spiced pears and preserves.