Loved the atmosphere and the food was wonderful! They make everything from scratch. My husband raved about the chicken melt and I loved the bear cat! We will definitely be back next time we are in this area. read more

Stopped by this little gem headed to Texas. Excellent food and friendly service. The grilled chicken sandwich and homemade chips hit the spot. read more

I am officially the first person (unless someone beat me to it because there's a 48 hour delay to write a review for a new business) to write a review for American Artisans. I do not know these folks and I assure you, I gain nothing for giving them what I hope do be a well written review that describes the business, gets your salivary glands enticed and perhaps makes you think about going in and checking out their craftwares. The place is brand-new, I think Donna, one of the owners said it opened 6-8 weeks ago. The décor is warm and inviting. I like exposed brick and wood. Art hung from the walls and was also painted on the tables. The bathroom was also very clean, which is important to me. The floor to ceiling windows at the front of the shop illuminated the gallery portion of the business. Nice wooden shelves and display cabinets were filled with arts/crafts from regional and national craftsman. I lived in upstate NY for a while and Ithaca has some great craft stores. I recognized some of the work from when I lived their. Donna and Chris are stocking up some nice quality items...woodwork, ceramics, 2-Ds, glasswork, jewelry, etc...And their prices were very reasonable. When you are shopping for yourself, or for someone else, regardless of your budget, I'm pretty sure that you could walk out of American Artisans with something special. There is a big difference between buying something that's handcrafted and store bought. I think back to when I was a kid and my mom used to tell me to make her cards because they "meant more". Well, it's the truth. Not only are you buying something unique, but also you're supporting local economy and buying American and quite possibly Arkansasian (Is that what these folks are called or did I make that up?) I was pretty darn hungry after a days hike and to be honest, this was not where Yelp reviews told me to go but that place was closed, and I'm glad they were because what I had was a perfect lunch. I couldn't believe I was in the middle of nowhere Arkansas. I work short-term near Dallas (McKinney) and have plenty of dining choices and this topped most places I've been to since I've been back in the south. And it wasn't just good because I was hungry. I asked Chris, Donna's husband what he recommended and he said his favorite is the meatball sandwich. The meatballs are local grass-fed beef (I can't remember the farm he said they came from). Meatballs just seemed like a total gut buster so I went with Chicken Melt and tomato bisque soup. $9 includes your sandwich and side and they have homemade chips, broccoli salad and a house salad for their side options. The sandwich was awesome! Grilled chicken, caramelized mushrooms, apple smoked bacon, provolone and a maple Dijon spread. Served on sourdough. It was amazing. AMAZING! The maple Dijon spread was perfect on in. The cheese was melted, the bread was toasted perfectly and the chicken was moist and flavorful. I'm not an onion fan so I'm glad it didn't come with onions. The texture freaks me out. The tomato bisque soup was really good. Today is Halloween, officially autumn...officially soup weather. I want more. It had a really nice texture to it. Okay, this is a really long review. But I think I gave you a good idea of what to expect. Oh yeah, their hours right now...they're only open until 3:00 pm for lunch but the gallery is open later. I hope that they get hammered and have to stay open later. Best of luck to the folks at American Artisans...you got a good thing in this gal's opinion. read more

American Artisans Eatery & Gallery - The outside of American Artisans- 615 Mena Street - Sandwiches Near Me - Mena, Arkansas

High Quality is how we describe American Artisans Cafe to folks who ask about it. The personal service that owners Donna and Rick Chrisman provide make having lunch there special. This type and quality of restaurant with their unique menu and diverse variety of art for sale is usually only found in much larger cities. Mena still has that nice small town feel and Artisans is one of those must visit spots when you are in the area. You can tell from talking to the Chrisman's that they have a passion for both great food and a wide range of artistic styles. They also help out with local community events in many creative ways. Thanks guys for lots of delicious and informative lunches. ps. try some of Donna's tasty coffee flavored cookies, i ALWAYS get a few and i don't even like coffee. : ) read more

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Very good, healthy options and beautiful place! You can browse the gallery while waiting for your food. read more

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First time visit today. I'm in Mena a couple times each year and somehow overlooked this little gem. Great atmosphere with a nice collection of art and jewelry items. Nice selection of artisan sandwiches, salads and other lunch items. Tried the Wildcat sandwich and tomato bisque. Best sandwich I've had in a long time. The bisque was flavorful and pleasing to the palate. They've won me over already. I'll be back. read more

American Artisans Eatery & Gallery - Salads, soups and hot gourmet sandwiches. Great place! - Sandwiches Near Me - Mena, Arkansas

My husband and I went here for the first time on Saturday. We are in that area once a year and this will be on our list of places to go to every year. My husband had the Sooie and said it was one of the best sandwiches he has ever had. I had the daily special of pulled pork sliders...delish! The atmosphere was great, very laid back and comfortable. The entire place was spotless. The owners and staff were all very friendly and made you feel very welcome. The gift shop area had many unique items, several of which we purchased. Can't wait until next year for another visit! read more

Me and my husband love going here for our lunch dates. The service and food is always so fresh and consistent.

This was such a pleasant surprise!!! We drove the Talimena Scenic Byway and we ready to eat lunch at the end of the drive. We were shocked to find a restaurant with such rave reviews right at the end of the byway. The restaurant lives up to the reviews!! They make everything in house and this foodie enjoyed everything! The staff was lovely, the bathroom very clean, and the boutique up front charming. read more

My friend and I went a while back, and the food was pretty expensive so we each just got a cookie. So food-wise, eh, but everything else was pretty cool. The building is very beautiful and artistic, with paintings and art on the wall, so it was a very relaxed atmosphere. It's a perfect place for a photo shoot! read more

The combination of interesting art with delicious soups and sandwiches is a small-town winner. Looking for a light lunch led my wife and I to this place. The art you look at is at the front and the edible art is ordered at a counter in the back. We had both of the featured soups, fire-roasted tomato bisque & a loaded baked potato soup. Great flavor in both and served at just the right temperature. I added the house salad with white balsamic vinaigrette dressing that was nice mix of greens with tomatoes. My wife added the bear claw sandwich, a grilled 3-cheese & bacon concoction that was crispy on the outside and gooey inside. She also purchased one of the glass art creations so it was a perfect experience. I highly recommend this for a satisfying lunch. read more

Excellent place to dine. Food is great. Prices are fair. Owners are friendly. Enjoy eating there frequently.

Hands down the absolute BEST food in Mena. The customer service is outstanding and the quality of food can't be beat. We love shopping for treasures in their art gallery and getting hand made items for our friends and family after enjoying an incredible meal. This is a MUST try for anyone who travels to Mena! read more

Get. The. Chicken. Melt. The homemade chips are great. Owners work their buns off and are super nice! Great service. I love American Artisans! read more

Thanks to yelp reviews, we chose this place for lunch. A little "artsy-fartsy" for a couple of OK hillbillies, but the sandwiches were OFF THE HOOK!!! The sandwiches came out and looked like normal sandwiches, but the flavors were amazing! And way more filling than you think! We understand now why they offer 1/2 sandwiches as well. The service was very nice, sweet, and helpful. Everybody there walked around with a smile!! Leads one to believe they enjoy what they do, and they do it well!!! My wife had the southwest chicken melt sandwich and I had the wildcat with the homemade potato chips. Thank you for a great lunch! We will be back! read more

This is a beautiful place. You can tell they put a lot of effort into it. I tried several things while I was here and it was all fairly good. The only reason I am giving it a 3 star is that I felt like I paid for the ambiance rather than the food. It was around $10 for a sandwich and a side salad. While there was nothing wrong with it, I was still hungry when I left. read more

I love this place! The food is incredible, service is the best, and they're super accommodating for gluten free! Gluten free bread available, as well as GF cookies! Salads are also a great GF option. Their homemade potato chips are insane. Definitely check this place out! (They also have a cute gift shop at the front!) read more

This is a wonderful gem in downtown Mena. The atmosphere is artsy and eclectic. The lunch options are the usual lunch fare- soups, salads, and sandwiches; however, the quality of the food is not just "the usual." The sandwich (The Pig Sooie) was amazingly flavorful. The salad dressing (homemade) is spectacular as well. I had the tomato bisque soup and was really pleased. The art gallery was fun to look through while I waited for my meal to be prepared. I ended up buying two sets of earrings and a coffee mug. I also brought my laptop and enjoyed the free internet. I will be back the next time I am in Mena. read more

I had to remind myself that I was in Mena! They serve the best sandwich you will ever eat, I promise! It is more than worth the drive. The staff and patrons are very warm and friendly. 10 out of 10 for sure! read more

American Artisans prepares and serves one of the best meals you will ever have! It's not fancy, but everything was super yummy! The place is eclectic, extremely clean, and well decorated with a lot of fun signs behind the food counter. Our food was delicious and served attractively by friendly staff. My tomato bisque soup was maybe the best I have ever eaten and the salad was fresh and crisp with their own home made dressing. My husband loved the Wildcat...those homemade potato chips are unbelievably good, too! Rick and Donna took time out to talk with us and tell us about the store and how it began. I am so glad we found this little gem and we will definitely go back the next time we are in Mena! Kudos to Donna and Rick for opening up this "sweet little rose of a restaurant"! read more

Best chicken mushroom sandwich. I absolutely love the chips and the secret dipping sauce. Place is always very clean.

Our group had chicken melts and the big cheese all with the homemade chips. Everything was delicious. The big cheese had Parmesan cheese on the outside! It was wonderful. The chicken melts were perfect just the way they are. The homemade chips were the thinnest potato chips we'd ever had and they were cooked perfectly. This place is definitely added to our very short list of favorites. read more

Wildcat, chicken melt, and sooie pig were all phenomenal!!!! Sweet potato chips were excellent too!

Such a good place, what a surprise for the small town of Mena! Traveling through we did not have high expectations but found it in yelp and thought we'd give it a try for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. Grilled sandwiches were fresh and delicious. It was also nice to find they offered Gluten Free bread. Love the clean, artsy decor and nice service. This place definitely delivers a creative spin on the local sandwich shop. read more

Absolutely delicious! We stopped in on our way through town because of the good Yelp reviews, and they were right. Food is wonderful, great flavors and variety, very clean and loved the decorations and local flair. Highly recommend. read more

Super food! Cool art and jewelry for sale if you are into that sort of thing. Very causal atmosphere, the owner was very nice. We will go back when we visit Mena. read more

Very good grilled cheese and bacon sandwich. Homemade chips where good but should have gotten tomato soup.

Stopped after the drive over. Great food. Wife had the Chicken Pot pie. Was wonderful. Really a great find in a cute small town. Much more then you would expect. read more

Stopped in for lunch with my family and was blown away! Excellent food, ambiance and service! Our party of five were all impressed with our food. Will be returning next time I'm in town. read more

Real food! Homemade salad dressings and soups, wonderful homemade potato chips. Broccoli salad is amazing!!! Also a really neat atmosphere

While visiting family in Mena a few weeks ago, I had chance to have lunch at this eclectic little place downtown. Lunch was very good! Atmosphere was very comfortable and the service excellent~ Loved the local artist gallery displaying several different types of arts and crafts. Bought one of the carved gourds for a friend here in California. They packed it for me and I hand carried it onto the plane coming home. All arrived safely and my friend loved the gourd! I would recommend this place if you want a nice friendly lunch! If you're not sure what to have, ask the owner! read more

So refreshing to stop here after a trip on the Talimena Scenic Byway. The tomato bisque, sandwiches and chips were all wonderful! If I ever find myself in this part of Arkansas again I will make a point to stop here for lunch. read more

So glad we decided to try this place! The sandwiches were delicious. We had the big cheese with tomato bisque and the chicken salad croissant with homemade chips. They did not disappoint. Nice atmosphere as well. I would love to come back when we are in the area. read more

This is great place to have lunch if you find yourself in Mena, AR! I was not expecting to find a decent restaurant since Mena is such a small town but this was a very pleasant surprise. I would definitely eat here again whenever I'm traveling to this part of AR! read more

This is my favorite restaurant in Mena. I've eaten there dozens of times and had sandwiches, salads or soups and every item was great. They also have homemade potato chips as a side that are scrumptious! Donna and Rick are the friendly proprietors. My only complaint is that I would love for them to decide to open one night a week so that we can take our out of town guests there for dinner. Keep up the great work. read more

This is a must stop if you ever find yourself in Mena, AR. It has such a cozy atmosphere and the owners are great! The food here is great! My wife had the Fire Roasted Tomato Bisque and salad and I had the chicken melt sandwich. Both fantastic! Easily the best sandwich I've ever had. read more