Carabajal Bakery & Caf? Offers Three-Star Experience (Business Lunch)

Carbajal Bakery & Cafer
1501 S.E. Walton Blvd., Suite 103r
Bentonviller

A banquet table of fresh baked goods warmly wafts up to welcome all who enter Carbajal Bakery & Cafe in Bentonville’s Park Place shopping center. The bakery, caterer and cafe offers more incredible pastries than you can shake a rolling pin at, and the ecstacy-filled bites of the macaroon ($1.50) we sampled were the highlight of our visit.r

This almond paste, egg white-based cookie bar comes sprinkled with coconut and can only be described as the be-all, end-all of deserts in Northwest Arkansas. r

The restaurant is comfortable and warm with purple south-of-the-border pastels highlighted by interesting murals that are still in progress. The food — all of it — was also delicious.r

What kept the restaurant from getting top marks was the service. We came after the lunch rush, and the staff seemed too worn out to attend to us. It took more than five minutes for a server to deliver our menus, and no one informed us that the beverages are serve-yourself until about 15 minutes into our visit. No one checked back for our orders for another five minutes.r

After our orders were finally taken, the food was fast and filling.r

Our female reviewer had the daily special, a heaping-full plate of lasagna ($6.45 regular price) with an exquisite salad and bread that she described as wonderful.r

“This is the best lasagna I’ve had,” she said. “Better than the [national Italian chains].”r

Our male diner sampled her plate and agreed the lasagna was delicious, containing enough meat and cheese to tackle even the heartiest of the Green Bay Packer’s “Cheeseheads.”r

He tried the pork loin barbecue sandwich ($5.49), a thin-sliced pile of pork loin stacked with lettuce and tomato and accompanied by chips and a beautiful fruit salad. It was light, but made his sizable belly pooch out with joy.r

We saw several other guests digging into chilies relleno ($5.75), and we are determined to have those on another visit.r

The shrimp or beef fajitas, both at $7, seem to be a bargain compared to other “fajitaries” we’ve reviewed. The short yet international menu also included barbecue ribs ($6.35), meatballs with spaghetti al forno ($6.35) and a sliced honey ham sandwich ($5.75).r

But by far the star of the show was the macaroon, which our diners nearly had to thumb wrestle over in the car.r

For probably the most diverse selection of pastries and baked goodies in Northwest Arkansas, we can’t imagine Carbajal being outdone. The restaurant also serves what looks like an inexpensive breakfast and makes fine wedding cakes.r

Next time we hope they won’t leave our reviewers waiting at the alter. r