Packet House Grill | 1406 Cantrell Road
Little Rock | 372-1578
The adjective “elegant,” when applied to a restaurant, might suggest formality or pretentiousness. Throw out those definitions when talking about Packet House Grill.
This is the sort of place that will impress your friends and family while making them feel at home. Owner and executive chef Wes Ellis will likely stop by your table to chat. Bartender Brad can shake up anything from a dirty martini to a frothy cream liqueur cocktail. The wait staff knows the menu inside and out.
It’s also the sort of place that doesn’t miss a beat when a bar shelf laden with vodka bottles falls on a recent evening, smashing a considerable amount of glassware on the way down. Bartender Brad grabs a broom. So does chef Ellis. The mess is cleaned up in minutes. The contractor who built the shelves gets a call the next day.
Housed in a stately 19th-century red brick structure overlooking the Arkansas River, Packet House Grill opened Sept. 21. Pioneering customers were those who had fond memories of a restaurant that thrived there in the 1980s. They were soon joined by others who came — and keep on coming — for the welcoming atmosphere, lively bar scene, and dishes (including delectable desserts) featuring quality ingredients and straightforward methods of preparation.
The ornate exterior, studded with leaded-glass windows, gives way to a modern taupe-toned interior. Landscapes by local artists hang on the walls. Immaculate restrooms have flattering lighting and full-length mirrors.
You can while away a wait for a table (that’s what you get for not making a reservation) in the blissfully TV-free bar with a glass of house sauvignon blanc (Leese-Fitch from Sonoma, $6) while people-watching.
The wine list offers decent reds and whites by the glass and bottle at prices starting at $7 and $25, respectively. Among the beers on tap are Fat Tire, Scrimshaw, Shock Top, Stella Artois and Goose Island Honkers Ale. Spirits range from Cruzan rums to Rock Town Arkansas Young Bourbon.
The brevity of the Southern-accented menu simplifies decision-making — there are salads, soups, and such tempting appetizers as fried green tomatoes with crawfish remoulade, seafood Bienville with Gulf oysters and shrimp, and lump crab cakes with roasted tomato chutney.
The subtle quality of the dishes — especially the savory sides (sweet potato hash, ratatouille, butter-braised fingerling potatoes) — add to the overall elegance of the place. Along with steaks, roasted chicken and pork chops, favorite dinner entrées ($14-$38) include shrimp and grits, five jumbo shrimp served on two grit cakes fried to a crisp outside while still creamy inside; pan-roasted duck breast cooked rare and accompanied by bacon-tinged hoppin’ john, and a top-shelf mac and cheese with Gruyère, mushrooms and housemade bacon that’s a hit with everybody who tastes it.
Owner and executive chef Wes Ellis and head chef Jason Neidhardt at the Packet House Bar.
A 14-ounce ribeye with braised cippolini onions, wild mushrooms, blue cheese balsamic sauce and house fries is a popular entrée at The Packet House Grill.
Packet House’s multiple dining areas are simple, spacious and elegant.