Sunday, August 29, 2010
Arkansas Culture and Characters / Little Rock restaurants Browning's: Life after death?
Posted by Max Brantley on Sun, Aug 29, 2010 at 6:58 AM
- BROWNING'S INTERIOR
But that rumored investor, Steve Davis, is listed on a Facebook page promising a renewal. Quote:
Browning's Mexican Grill is a Little Rock Institution (est. 1946). Currently, we are undergoing renovations and exciting additions to augment the rich history of this Heights landmark. Estimated opening in late Oct. News on our progress will be available soon!
Comments (8)
Showing 1-8 of 8
Third times a charm? Prob not. The only thing that will save that place is for it NOT to be brownings.
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Perfect solution: glitz the place up, clean it up above all, make it appear the swankiest eatery going.
But contract the food preparation out to somebody like the folks at Taqueria Samantha or La Regional who REALLY knows how to cook good Mexican food. Don't have to tell anybody who's doing the cooking, as you charge eye-popping prices.
Then everybody will be satisfied--those for whom the ambience (and seeing and being seen) counts, along with those who want a really good meal.
Word on street. The 'two amigos' did not make final payroll. What kind of scum would stiff Alma? The terrible table service, often while one of the amigos yacked at the bar and customers waited is what did them in.
The Diogenes family started at Brownings in 1953. My 3 or 4th date w mrs Diogenes was there, and when Mrs Diogenes baby boy was tiny, we survived on Brownings take out. Yet we finally gave up on them in the early summer.
JusticeforAll has it.
Hire some real Mexicans to fix real Mexican food. There's so many real Mexican places today so that the warmed up "cheese dip" no longer passes for the real thing.
Ricos tamales!
Yep, that's the smartest thing a new owner could do...approach one of those taco truck owners and give him/her/them the opportunity of a lifetime by offering jobs at a high-end Heights restaurant.
Any upscale Mexican restaurant in Browning's spot faces a tough challenge from Cantina Laredo. Simply some of the best food, of any ethnicity, and absolutely the best service of any restaurant in The Rock. At least, when I was there.
No wonder. I asked our terrific server. Three weeks of training -- including written tests.
Cantina Laredo's only "drawback"? It's in a shopping mall. But it's a boutique mall and there's more parking than on Kavanaugh and everybody's conditioned to accept fine (or at least decent) dining at malls.
I hope Cantina Laredo hasn't gone downhill since I left town, as insiders say tends to happen.
Browning's is a great location. But I never understood its appeal because, from my time there, it was ALWAYS terrible by comparison to, well, anywhere. Drinks on the patio along the sidewalk and chatting with passerby chums were enjoyable, weather permitting. That's it.
I would think the location needs FAR more than new paint inside and out and some bullfighting posters. They're claiming to open at the end of October? In two months?
Then again, restaurants are a cash business and maybe Steve Davis needs to show a loss.
It wasn't the final payroll that did it Diogenes. It was that little framed alcohol permit on the wall that was taken from them.
Mi Cocina and Taco Diner are good, but is there room for two high end mexican joints in LR? Cantina Lerado is good and great for gluten intolerance.
Anything would be an improvement on what was there, brownings was awful.
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