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If you are searching for a down-home restaurant while in Heber Springs, look no further than Hilda’s Home Cooking. The co-owners and husband-and-wife duo of Tyler and Christol Frank opened the 10-table restaurant in late 2020, and on most days, you’ll find Tyler manning the grill.
“Before opening Hilda’s, I spent 11 years in restaurants. I started at the bottom doing basic restaurant work, and progressed to managing, developing, and opening restaurants across the country. During the pandemic, my wife and I decided it was finally time to open our own restaurant. The name and certain recipe inspirations came from my grandmother Hilda Hinson Haney. She and my grandfather, DJ Haney, instilled a sense of pride in cooking fresh food from a garden you tended yourself. We couldn’t think of a better way to honor her legacy,” says Tyler Frank.
Tyler, who grew up in Heber Springs, takes great pride in offering scratch-made food in his restaurant.
“With a very small exception, everything comes in fresh, never frozen. We make everything in-house with recipes we’ve taken years to curate and perfect.”
Take one glance at Hilda’s Home Cooking’s lunch menu and you will realize that chicken is king. Our table ordered the Frank and Maple’s Fried Chicken Sandwich, Chicken Salad BLT, and Chicks in a Blanket, and while they all were fantastic, it was the chicken and waffle that was the shining star. And this is coming from a guy who is not the biggest fan of the dish, in general. This version, however, was on another level, thanks in large part to the hand-breaded crispy tenders and an insanely delicious waffle.
“Our waffle is a combination of quality ingredients and a good helping of ricotta cheese. It’s cooked at the perfect time and temp to get a perfectly crispy, sweet, and light waffle,” says Frank.
It is a must-order, but so too are the fried okra, fried pickle chips and chicken potpie. The latter comes in a personal size with a flaky top crust and a thick, creamy chicken and veggie-laden filling.
Our only mistake was not leaving enough room to try dessert. Maybe next time. For now, it is nice to see such a well-run restaurant being embraced by the local community.
“This wonderful community is the reason we opened in Heber Springs. We wanted to raise our children here and share our culinary journey with my hometown. We do our best to bring a fresh perspective on food to Heber. Our #1 goal is for our guests to leave our restaurant delightfully full and having had a memorable time, just like leaving grandma’s house.”
Mission accomplished.
Did You Know?
Hilda’s Home Cooking offers a full breakfast menu on the weekends, along with a value menu throughout the week with small portions and smaller prices.
Hilda’s Home Cooking
425 Highway 110E (Heber Springs)
Phone: 501-365-3184
Hours: Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Saturday 7 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
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