Uh oh...
It appears that you're using a severely outdated version of Safari on Windows. Many features won't work correctly, and functionality can't be guaranteed. Please try viewing this website in Edge, Mozilla, Chrome, or another modern browser. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused!
Read More about this safari issue.
There are plenty of places to eat in downtown Eureka Springs, but only a few offer you the chance to sit above it all and watch this historic Arkansas town unfold below.
At the Balcony Restaurant & Bar inside the Basin Park Hotel, lunch comes with a front-row seat to downtown Eureka Springs. Grab one of the coveted seats along the balcony railing, and Basin Spring Park is directly below. Look the other direction, and you can watch shoppers make their way along Spring Street, admire the historic buildings stacked into the hillside, and feel the breeze moving through the Ozarks.
You might hear live music drifting up from the park. Motorcycles will likely rumble past your chair as they pass through downtown. And you will likely end up in a visitor’s souvenir photo postcard, as they collect photographic memories of their trip to this historic town.
The Basin Park Hotel in the Heart of Eureka Springs
It’s hard to separate the Balcony Restaurant from the building that surrounds it. The Basin Park Hotel has stood in the heart of downtown Eureka Springs since 1905. Its location near Basin Spring places it at the center of a story that began even earlier, when travelers came to the springs seeking the healing properties they believed the water possessed.
As Eureka Springs grew, hotels, shops, and businesses crowded the steep hills surrounding the springs. The result is the wonderfully unusual downtown that visitors still explore today, where streets curve around the mountainside, stairways serve as shortcuts, and buildings seem to have a different number of floors depending on which entrance you use.
Built on the site of the earlier Perry House Hotel, the eight-story hotel opened in 1905, marking the start of a new era of tourism in Eureka Springs. Over the decades, the hotel evolved with the town around it, welcoming generations of travelers while remaining one of the most recognizable downtown landmarks.
At times, dinner was served in an elegant dining room. One dollar per dinner plate from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. each evening. Guests were then ushered into men’s and ladies’ parlors before “retiring” to their landing and private rooms for the evening. Many came in search of health remedies and beautiful settings. “A cordial welcome, good service, and courteous treatment” were part of the appeal.
But you don’t have to book a room to experience part of it. Walk through the hotel lobby, head upstairs to the Balcony Restaurant, and you’ll find one of the best spots in town. You can wander into downtown Eureka Springs in shorts and walking shoes, spend the morning popping in and out of shops, then step into a historic hotel for lunch on a balcony overlooking the historic district. No reservations or tour required!
More Than a Century of Hospitality
There is something special about eating lunch in a building that has welcomed travelers for more than 120 years.
Dining has been part of the Basin Park Hotel story since its earliest days. The hotel’s grand opening in 1905 featured an elaborate dinner, and restaurants continued to operate on the property as Eureka Springs evolved from a health resort into the arts, recreation, and tourism destination it is today.
In the 1940s, new owners brought a new vision that shifted from health remedies to Ozark tourism. The goal was to create a place for Chicago’s wealthy to enjoy the era’s prohibited “activities” off the grid and unnoticed. It was believed that occupation could bring notoriety and, with it, a band of inhabitants.
Throughout the 20th century, the hotel’s restaurant spaces underwent several name changes and iterations, including the Elbow Room, the Bamboo Room, and the “roof garden.” A caged elevator, on-site doctors’ offices, and private parking spaces were added at various times. Restaurant and retail operations, including an on-site coffee shop, helped sustain the hotel during leaner periods.
For a time in the mid-1970s, the hotel was operated as a museum, was listed in Ripley’s Believe It or Not, and one of Elvis’ cars was purchased and brought to the rooftop level for added attraction. But things that are not cared for fall into disrepair, and until 1992, the hotel changed hands, identities, and almost lost its way.
The late 90s brought new leadership, a focus on sustainability and preservation, and a vision for the future. The Balcony Restaurant & Bar opened as part of that new chapter, and the idea of a perfect view of the city drew the casual traveler back to the center of downtown.
Meet the Balcony Restaurant
The Balcony Restaurant feels exactly like the kind of restaurant Eureka Springs needs downtown. It’s casual and comfortable, a place where visitors can come in after a morning of shopping and exploring. Patio guests can linger in a sundress or walk in straight from the back of a motorcycle after a morning of riding through the Ozarks. Some might even wander up on a date or for a weekend getaway with girlfriends and bachelorettes.
It all works.
If the weather cooperates, the balcony is where you want to be. Some seats line the ledge overlooking Basin Spring Park, where you can sit elbow to elbow and watch everything unfold below. Other tables offer views of Spring Street and the historic buildings surrounding the hotel.
The restaurant is prepared to make the outdoor experience work for much of the year. Fans and misters help in warmer weather, while heaters can take the edge off cooler days. But on fall afternoons, a slow lunch with a table of appetizers and a cool drink is exactly where you want to be.
Indoor seating is available, too, including the Eureka Room and bar seating, with additional historic spaces nearby. But if there’s an open chair along the balcony railing, take it!
Uncomplicated Food Made for Vacation
The menu at the Balcony is refreshingly simple. It offers approachable American fare with plenty of familiar choices. On vacation, especially when you’re feeding a family or traveling with a group, that’s sometimes exactly what you want.
You don’t have to spend 10 minutes deciphering the menu or wondering what will arrive with your order. The menu includes burgers, sandwiches, salads, nachos, appetizers, and heartier options like a flat iron steak or fish and chips. On Saturday and Sunday, you can enjoy your French toast on the balcony starting at 8 a.m.
The Balcony is especially known for its burgers, made with a blend of sirloin and brisket. But at our table, some of the best meals were the ones we debated ordering. So, we offered to order both and split the bill!
The Monte Cristo was a winner. So was the croissant club. After seeing the food arrive, we probably should have added the cheesesteak to the table to settle that debate, too.
Then there were the Ozark Nachos. We watched plate after plate arrive at tables around us, each piled high with chips and toppings. After enough of them passed by, you start to wonder if everyone else knows something you don’t.
This would also be an easy place to skip the traditional entrée altogether. Grab a bucket of beers, order a round of appetizers for the table, and settle in for a while. With downtown Eureka Springs providing entertainment below, you’d be perfectly content. An afternoon of Arkansas Mud Pie with a scoop of ice cream is always a winner, too.
The view of downtown Eureka Springs is ultimately what makes the Balcony Restaurant worth adding to a Eureka Springs itinerary. Yes, you can get a good burger. But you’re also sitting on the balcony of a historic hotel, overlooking a historic park, and surrounded by one of Arkansas’s most distinctive historic downtowns. Need I say more!
While you are in town, here are some other things you might enjoy while you explore Eureka Springs:
We do the work.
You check your email.
Sign up for our weekly e-news.
Get stories sent straight to your inbox!
Like this story? Read more from Keisha Pittman McKinney
Long before Arkansas became a state, Indigenous peoples built...
There is a certain kind of magic when a state park preserves a town...
Across Pine Bluff, the name Saracen is widely known. It appears on a...
Join the Conversation
Leave a Comment