Haven 55: your autumn dining destination

Fall is here, and there’s a great little culinary getaway just minutes from Northwest Arkansas that will feel like it’s worlds away. It’s Haven 55, a local eatery with breathtaking views and mouthwatering culinary creations prepared by a world-class chef.

Perched over Little Sugar Creek in Pineville, Missouri, Haven 55 boasts a cozy and casual dining room with windows all around, offering a bucolic view of the river and changing leaves from every table.

The historic and charming eatery is actually a former grist mill overlooking the site of the water-power generator that once served the surrounding community. The peaceful river view also offers frequent entertainment by the area wildlife like Mortimer, the blue heron who is an unofficial mascot of the restaurant.

And then there’s the food, which is more than a match for the fall scenery. The restaurant focuses on housemade, quality fare that they call “casual fine dining.”

The establishment is a close-knit family effort, with Alan’s fiancée Micah working the front, listening to customers and fine-tuning the experience.

“The menu is American regionalrustic, meaning it is pulled from different parts of America and is plated simply,” said Haven 55’s chef, Alan Bone.

Chef Bone was trained in Orlando at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. After he graduated, he worked under different chefs in Florida. Then he came back home to Southwest Missouri, and when the building where Haven 55 is now located became available back in 2012, he decided to open his own restaurant.

“It was where he wanted to be and what he wanted to do,” Micah said. “Now, here he is. He was born and raised two miles down the road from the restaurant.”

Although the quality is high and the dishes are distinctly chef-inspired creations, the food is not extravagant or complicated.

“This is slow food at its best. Everything is prepared fresh and made to order,” Micah continued. “We take a little longer. It’s all prepared when it’s ordered. We don’t pre-prep anything.”

There are creative chicken and pork dishes with complementary rubs and sauces, a wide variety of fresh seafood offerings, unique and delicious sandwich creations and certified Angus burgers and steaks.

“The New York Strip with blue cheese sauce is our best seller, and we have a big following for Prime Rib night,” says Micah, “But my personal favorite is the 8-ounce sirloin prepared the way Alan does it.”

While you’re waiting for your culinary masterpiece, you can grab a drink and enjoy the restaurant’s fantastic fried green bean appetizer served with a creamy horseradish dip.

The restaurant is open for lunch or dinner, and Micah was quick to answer when asked her favorite lunch menu item.

“My go-to lunch is the Croque Monsieur,” she said. “I call it a glorified grilled ham and cheese sandwich. It has a little bit of mayonnaise and mustard and two different cheeses, Swiss and provolone, and ham. It’s grilled to perfection. I love it.”

Haven 55 burgers are a hot item, too. “We sell a lot of burgers,” Micah said. “We use certified angus beef, which has great flavor.”

Specials

Each week Haven 55 rolls out several different specials.

Get your reservations in early to partake in Haven 55’s Wednesday Prime Rib night—a mid-week tradition worth planning ahead for.

And if you’re lucky and there is leftover prime rib, you’ll enjoy the prime rib sandwich as a lunch special the next day.

There’s also Crab Leg Thursdays, featuring all-you-can-eat succulent crab legs. Regular menu items are also available.

Extend your night out at Haven 55’s Tavern. It’s open on Wednesday and Thursday nights from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday nights from 5 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Happy hour is from 5-6 p.m. on all four nights. They serve house crafted pizzas and other tavern fare and feature regular live performances by local artists, as well as karaoke every Saturday night.

The restaurant gains enthusiastic patrons every day, as more and more people discover this unique dining experience. Check out some of the recent reviews:

“We drove 139 miles (one way!) to try out this restaurant. And it was so worth it! It’s a cozy place… the service was excellent, and made us feel very welcome. And the food was amazing! I had the prime rib, cooked to perfection! My husband had the Haven 55 chicken with angel hair pasta, said it was the best dinner out that he’s had in a long time. Dessert was a decadent rich chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream. We will definitely go back for another food adventure at Haven 55!”

“Has a serene view overlooking a creek with geese swimming. Servers are excellent and food came out quickly. Starter with parmesan truffle hand-cut fries is a must! We ordered the club sandwich, pulled BBQ, grilled chicken, salmon BLT and everyone was very satisfied. Portions are big, so we didn’t have room for dessert hopefully next time!”

“Small menu but amazing food. We had burgers with excellent homemade fries. But the real stars were the desserts. Creme brûlée and chocolate bouchon. A perfect end to our meal. The restaurant ambience overlooking the river falls is lovely. Dress is casual. The food is fabulous and well made. The service was impeccable. Highly recommend a visit.”

Visit haven55.com and keep an eye on the Haven 55 Facebook page for changing specials, a more detailed schedule of upcoming events, or to view the restaurant and tavern menus.

A meal at this hidden gem is more than just lunch or dinner; it’s a dining destination.