Frank Green, Jr. is a fan of Eureka Springs history. He moved to Eureka Springs in 1966 and was a member of the Eureka Springs Historic District Commission for 15 years. In the 1970s, his mother, Kay, was the first woman mayor of Eureka Springs. His father, the late Frank Green, Sr., started the Antique Car Show and Parade, which just celebrated its 47th year.
Green’s parents owned a number of local businesses including the Main Street Bar, the Hi-Hat and Green’s Liquor downtown, Frank’s DX Station which was located across the highway from Hart’s and Green’s Service Center which ended up becoming Rapid Roberts on US 62. Green himself built the Wood’s Resort on Wall Street in 1995 and the Grand Treehouses on US 62 West in 2008.
The original DX sign is now hanging at Angler’s Pub and Grill on US 62 at the Hwy. 187 turnoff to Beaver Lake.
“Angler’s always was an icon in Eureka Springs, and was particularly popular with people living at or recreating at the lake because it was the only restaurant out there,” Green said. “Angler’s was closed for a year and a half. Before it was Angler’s, it was called the Crest, but has always been a catfish restaurant. When I would go to Bentonville to do shopping for the Treehouses, I would see it. I thought to myself, ‘What a shame this restaurant is closed.’ So, it popped into my head being a businessman that it should be reopened, especially for the lake people. It is the only place out for them to go out to dinner. With the Lake Leatherwood bike trails going in across road, I thought it was a marvelous opportunity to breathe new life into this restaurant.”
Green bought the property in March and, after a three-month remodeling, opened up July 3. The menu is more extensive than ever, and the restaurant has been well received.
“Business has been great,” Green said. “People are so thankful that this place is back open. We get a lot of locals who live out here. We buy Pride of the Pond catfish, which is the best you can get. We sampled a lot of other different brands, but Pride of the Pond is the Cadillac of catfish. The taste is all in the breading, too. We have a secret blend of herbs and spices that make it so good. We have had people come from New Orleans and all around the South and they say it is the best catfish they’ve had. It is always good to hear that. You have to have a good product and our customers help us achieve that goal. We can’t have great catfish without feedback.”
The catfish comes with a choice of two sides from a total of 12 options that include baked beans, potato salad, hushpuppies, mashed potatoes, a vegetable of the day, sweet potato fries, pinto beans, coleslaw and green tomato relish. There is a senior’s menu with smaller portions and a little minnow menu for those 12 and under. For a person with big appetite, they have all-you-can-eat catfish.
While catfish stars on the menu, there are a wide range of other options. For the Bikes, Blues & BBQ festival, Angler’s has fired up the cooker to offer barbequed pulled pork and ribs.
Then they have the “bait shop” which is different types of burgers served on sourdough buns. They are also the only local restaurant with jumbo duck wings (similar to chicken wings) as an appetizer. They also serve fish tacos and have a deli where you can create your own sandwich.
Then, by any chance, if there is room for desert, they serve pecan, peach, apple and chocolate miniature fried pies and a chocolate lava cake, baked then covered with vanilla ice cream, chocolate and caramel.
“The mountain bikers like to sit on the deck and watch the bike trailers pull up,” Green said. “The bike trailers are coming every twenty minutes on the weekends. All the guys get off and they start heading down the trails. Mountain bikers like the catfish and craft beer. They also like to listen to the music we have on weekends. We have had Eureka Springs Revival, a popular local band, and Tim and Steve Poynter from Berryville. On Bikes, Blues & BBQ weekend, we will have Angel Black Orchid, a group out of California. We are expecting a big crowd.”
He also expects to see more mountain bikers in October and November due to the cooler weather.
“We talk about the trails across the state and they say the Lake Leatherwood trails are the best in the area,” Green said. “And, we also expect a lot of people in October for the fall color season.”
Taking on a new business can be a challenge.
“It is time consuming, for sure,” Green said. “You spend more time than you expect in the beginning. It is a baby and you have to consistently rock it. But if you have good staff like I do, it enables you to have somewhat of a life outside of it.”