Trips to Jonesboro

Jonesboro is a fast-growing college town in northeast Arkansas. Jonesboro offers things such as shopping, golfing, movies, college events, concerts, nightlife, and restaurants. I went to college in Jonesboro and have visited many times since.

It is a changing college town. There have been numerous restaurants and businesses added since I attended college there a few years back. Jonesboro has several shopping options, including Sam’s, Wal-Mart Super Center, Colony Shop, Old Navy, Lowes, Home Depot, Indian Mall, and a new mall that has a Target and Penny’s, and it will have many more stores in the spring of 2006.

Jonesboro is also full of fast-food restaurants and many other restaurants, including Shoguns, Colton’s, Outback, and O’Charley’s. They also have many pizza places, Mexican restaurants, Italian places, Chinese restaurants, barbecue places, and some fish houses. The town of Waldenburg is about 30 miles from Jonesboro, and it has a Josie’s Steakhouse, open Thursday though Saturday, that has karaoke.

There are several nice golf courses in and around the Jonesboro area. They also have two movie theaters and miniature golf. There is a bowling alley near all of the hotels.

There are two nightclubs and a hotel bar in Jonesboro. The county is dry, so if you plan on drinking, you have these three choices or can bring your own. The restaurants do not serve drinks, except for one restaurant in the 501 club. There is also a bar in the Holiday Inn hotel. The Arkansas State University convocation center is on campus and is the host to many concerts and sporting events.

Jonesboro is only about an hour's drive from Memphis, Tennessee, where there are many activities as well. It is also only about an hour from Hardy, Arkansas, where you can canoe the spring river. Jonesboro continues to grow and is a really nice, neat town I continue to visit.

Quick Tips:

Remember that Jonesboro is in a dry county, so if you plan on drinking, you do not have many options, unless you bring your own. The restaurants do not serve drinks, except for the one in the 501 club.

Best Way To Get Around:

The town has a small airport, but the closest large airport is Memphis, which is about an hour away. I would recommend driving or renting a car. There is not much public transportation.

I stayed at this hotel for 2 nights during one of my visits to Jonesboro. The hotel is in a nice location near most of the other hotels in Jonesboro, just off of Highway 63. The lobby was nice when we entered. Our room was also really nice, although the hallways going to the rooms were half-painted. I'm not sure if they were just remodeling while we were there or what.

The room was neat and clean. It is a four-story hotel, so none of the rooms are too high or take long to get to. The rooms have 25-inch televisions with free HBO, irons and ironing boards, microfridges, hair dryers, coffeemakers, wireless Internet service, voice mail, desks and desk chairs, and nice-sized bathrooms. We had a refrigerator in our room and all the normal amenities. They also served a free continental breakfast daily. They have an outdoor pool area that is small but nice, and I did spend one evening out by the pool.

The hotel also has an outdoor pool and is just across the parking lot from the regular Holiday Inn that has an indoor pool you are free to use. There is also a fitness center across the parking lot, and they offer free passes to it. Every day they have a free breakfast bar that includes cinnamon rolls, waffles, muffins, cereals, fruit, coffee, juice, water, biscuits, and more.

I would stay at this hotel again for a future visit, as the staff was friendly and the rooms were really nice. I liked having the mini refrigerator and microwave in every room. Plus, you get a free breakfast and still have access to the indoor pool and fitness center next door.

Josie’s Steakhouse is located about 30 miles south of Jonesboro. The outside of the building does not look like anything special, and I had drove by it many times before I actually ate there. I just got back from there last week, and I’m fixing to go back again tonight. This will make my third trip to eat there.

I have always had reservations, and they are really recommended. I have always been quickly greeted at the door and shown to my table. Then our drink order is taken. This is not in a dry county, so they do have a bar and also serve buckets of beer. This is a place you go when you want to get away from it all and have a night out. They are open on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights to the public. I think they book parties on other nights.

Okay, back to the scoop. We have always had great service, received our drinks quickly, and were given our dinner order. After ordering, you are free to help yourself to the salad bar. You get the salad bar and two other choices of vegetables with your meat. The prices are a little more than some places.

They have appetizers of shrimp, mushrooms, fried rice, or chips and salsa, spinach dip, or cheese dip. The appetizers run from $ 5.95 to $ 12.95. Next are the main dishes, which include fillets, rib-eyes, New York strips, steak and lobster, steak-stuffed portabella mushrooms, steak on a stick, chicken, catfish, lobster, grilled shrimp, or coconut shrimp. These run from $ 12.95 to $ 24.95, but the steak and lobster is not priced, so I’m not sure about that one. For the two side items, you get to choose from green beans, squash, fried rice, twice-baked potatoes, fried potatoes, or baked potatoes.
On our last visit, as soon as we were done eating our salads, our main dish arrived. It was really quick. The food all tasted great. I ate the grilled shrimp and got about 14 shrimp, which is a lot more than many places serve. The others in my group ate steaks and said that they were great, too. The twice-baked potatoes are wonderful, and so was the fried rice. There were no complaints about the food from anyone in our group.

Starting at 8pm they have karaoke. On Thursday nights they have a contest where you sing two songs and the best wins cash. Then you come back later to compete for more. My husband entered and won the cash prize of $100, and we are going back tonight for him a chance to win $500. I also heard that one of the radio stations will be there tonight. The winner tonight comes back in January for a chance at $2,000. On Friday and Saturday night it is open-mike karaoke, and anyone is welcome to sing just for the fun of it.

I ate at this Japanese restaurant during my last trip to Jonesboro. The restaurant is very conveniently located in Jonesboro and easy to get to. It sits between the new and old shopping mall. I ate here at lunch. The prices are much better for lunch and you still get lots of food. Everything inside looked nice and clean and the bathrooms were also really clean and well furnished.

We were quickly greeted at the door and showed to a grill seat. The waitress took our drink order and returned with them quickly and then took our meal order. It was a little difficult for me to understand her. We then waited a few minutes for the table to fill and the cook to get all the food for the orders at the table. It does take a few minutes for the tables to fill at times but not more than 10 minutes I would say.

I ordered the chicken and shrimp, and for lunch, you get a choice or soup or a salad. The night menu comes with both soup and salad. I chose the salad and also ordered a side of noodles for my son. We shared the chicken and shrimp meal. The cook came and cleaned the grill and double checked everyone’s order and poured the sauces for the meats. Then he started his cooking and presentation. He cooked and extra egg when he was doing the fried rice and gave my son some egg plus he gave him some fried rice so we have plenty of food since we have not expected this. I still got my full order of fried rice too. He also did a volcano show with the onions and tossed the eggs too. The meats finished cooking, and then he gave everyone their food. I had to get a to-go box because it was more food than my son and I could eat.

The food was very tasty, and the service was really good. Everyone was friendly. We then got our ticket as soon as we finished eating and paid and left. I will visit this restaurant again.

This is the Outback Steakhouse chain restaurant, but Jonesboro is in a dry country so they do not have a bar like most of the others do.

This restaurant is located about 3/4 to a mile from most of the hotels in Jonesboro. It is located on Southwest drive or highway 49 when you are coming into town from the south. It is also just off of highway 63.

The restaurant is set up like most grills. You go in and are either seated or given a device that will light up when your table is ready. They have an outside area where you can wait for your table or an area just inside the door. Like I said earlier there is no bar area.

During my last visit we went early and were seated as soon as we arrived. Then a waitress came and took our drink orders and I went ahead and order my son's food from the children's menu. We got our drinks and finished giving our order. While we were waiting on our food to arrive a lady came around who made things out of balloons and made my son a balloon Elmo. It was really cute and made the time pass. The balloons were free but of course I tipped her. The guy at the table across from us had on a balloon hat. We got our bread and salads, and my son got his food and then our food followed soon. I love their brown bread with butter, and they also have great and large salads. I got a Cesar salad with mine.

For my meal I ordered a shrimp dish and it was very good. It also came with rice. They also have lobster, steaks, prime rib, chicken, and pasta dishes. I will go back to this restaurant on another visit to Jonesboro the food was really good and pretty quick, and the service was good too.

I have eaten at this restaurant several times. I've eaten there for both lunch and dinner and enjoyed my meal both times. You walk in and there is a hostess desk, and they seat you or take your name if there is a wait. I have always just been seated. They give you your menus and a bucket of peanuts when you are seated. Remember, Jonesboro is dry, so you cannot order a beer to go with your peanuts.

The hulls to the peanuts go on the floor, so it is just a wooden floor and the tables have an old wooden look, too. It is a new building with an older look but is still nice and clean, with the exception of some peanut hulls.

The menu offers a variety of foods. The appetizers include fried onions, cheese fries, wings, mushrooms, nachos, chicken tenders, and combos. Then there is a soup and salad section with a larger variety of salads, soups, and baked potatoes. Next are the main entrees, which include many steaks, ribs, seafood, chicken, chops, and combos. They also have pastas, burgers, and sandwiches. They also offer a a side section and desserts. There is a lunch menu that has cheaper prices and a bit smaller portions. I usually eat the shrimp and have rice, mashed potatoes, and salad as my sides. They also serve homemade fresh bread with butter.

The food is always very good and enjoyable, although one day I ate there at lunch and wished I would have had more shrimp on my plate. The service is a little slow. It usually takes a full hour from the time you sit until you leave, which is not a problem for some, but if you have small children, an hour seems long at times.

I will go back and eat at Colton’s during a future visit to Jonesboro.

I have eaten and driven through Fazoli’s many times while in Jonesboro. The location is easy to find and get to. It is on Highland Drive, almost across the street from the Wal-Mart Supercenter.

If dining in, you go in the doors and to the counter to place your order. They take your order and either give you your food then or a number and bring your food when it's ready. It is always very quick. You then sit and fill your drinks. They also have bread sticks with all the food items and usually come around and offer more while you are dining, or sometimes they come around with fresh cookies.

I have tried many of the items on the menu and have always enjoyed them all. I guess my favorite would be the sampler plate, since you get a variety of items. The staff has always been friendly and the place is always clean. The drive, though, is always quick and nice if you want to take something home or back to your room.