Celtic Grill A Breath of Fresh Air (Business Lunch)

Celtic Grill
911 S.E. 28th St., Bentonville

In a market that’s become a wasteland of predictable chimi-chains and jalapeño pop-culture catchalls, the Celtic Grill in Bentonville is a clever breath of fresh, Irish air.

We laughed a little at the traditional Celtic music, but by lunch’s end we agreed it was nice to eat at a restaurant where the atmosphere wasn’t as dull as the browned quesadillas on the menu.

The decor, complete with exposed beam ceilings and faux stone work, was an especially nice touch. We also liked the booths, which feature personal speakers and volume controls for wall-mounted televisions.

Price point was our main qualm, although increasingly in Benton County a good lunch at a great price is harder to catch than a greased leprechaun.

Both diners ordered lunches that came with the salad bar, which was stocked with a lush selection of fresh veggies and hearty soups.

One diner tried a cup of the beef and rice stew and deemed it something like his Scottish mother-in-law would make. Diners can choose an all-you-can-eat salad bar ($7), or a light combo, which for $7 gives diners a choice of soup and salad, or soup and a baked potato.

His main course was fish and chips ($10), described as “Icelandic cod fried golden brown in Guinness beer batter.” It was what he expected, and the coleslaw it came with was “magically delicious.”

Our female diner had the turkey mignon ($14) and chose the vegetable of the day (broccoli with mushrooms and onions) as her side item. The lass lauded the tender and juicy turkey steak, which came topped with cranberry sauce and could have fed two people.

She didn’t like the sauce’s “strong fermented taste,” however.

Other selections that caught our attention were the corned beef and cabbage ($10), Shepard’s pie ($10) and the unusual lamb porterhouse steak ($22).