A friend recently recommended a restaurant that was, as she put it, a bit off the beaten path but well worth the drive. And always being one for a road trip with the promise of good eats, I set out with the family for Dorey's Catfish Restaurant in the small town of Leola.
   If you're not familiar with the area, driving directions will help (see ours below). Even with a map, it's easy to worry you're not going the right way, even as you near the restaurant.
   We got to our final turnoff just as dusk set in, and wound our way down a narrow dirt road that led right to the gravel parking lot that already held a few cars. The establishment sits where patrons have a good view of Dorey's pay-to-fish lakes that are only open through September, and the exterior boasts a cheerful maroon awning with "Dorey's " written across the front of it. The interior of the restaurant is warm and inviting, and boasts several tributes to John Wayne and Elvis Presley in the back dining area.
   Dorey's is a pay-first buffet, so you take care of your bill in advance, but the tip is not included, so you'll want to remember that when the cheerful servers keep refilling your drink and clearing your table of used plates. Pricing for the buffet is $14.50 for adults with a drink; $13 if you just get water. Children 3 and under eat free, and the cost is $4 for ages 4 to 10, and $8.50 for ages 11 to 15, with drink included.
   The relatively small buffet in the front dining area holds a wealth of Southern culinary delights. The salad area not only offers the basics, but also slaw, peel-your-own shrimp, tartar sauce, potato salad, sliced onion and those delicious little spicy green tomatoes.
   Moving on, you'll find a wealth of vegetables like corn, barbecue beans, potatoes, gravy, green beans and turnip greens, and some really good macaroni and cheese. By the time you make it to the end of this section, you may be ready for a second plate to make it the rest of the way down the buffet line.
   Continuing on you'll find foil-wrapped baked potatoes, french fries, onion rings and hush puppies, and then it's on to the meat portion of the buffet. On this night, it contained fried shrimp, baked and fried catfish, chicken strips and barbecued ribs with meat so tender it practically fell right off the bone. But don't stop there, because just past the meat you'll find tender yeast rolls and, on Friday nights, seafood gumbo with rice.
   If you've left room, you'll want to try a few of Dorey's delicious desserts, which are near the buffet. The first station holds a cinnamon-flavored bread pudding with a small slow cooker of warm, sweet raisin sauce on the side, and what looked like rice pudding. Or, you can also try chocolate pie and banana pudding, both with meringue on top; brownies; cherry cheesecake; or the Italian cream cake that's sometimes on the buffet.
   After you're done, you'll start feeling sleepy and lazy, so the drive home will be a little harder. And be warned: Dorey's tends to fill quickly. And driving out of the parking area and down that narrow winding road can be a challenge in the dark.
   

Directions from Little Rock:
Take Interstate 530 south toward El Dorado /Pine Bluff and take Exit 10 onto U.S. 167 toward Sheridan. Go about 20 miles to Sheridan and take a right onto Center Street (U.S. 270). Take a left onto South Rose Street (Arkansas 46) and drive for about 15 miles to Leola. Once you get to Leola, take a left and follow the signs for Dorey's. DOREY'S

CATFISH & BBQ BUFFET Address:
H1951 Grant County Road 5, Leola

Hours: 4-9
p.m. Thursday-Saturday

Cuisine:
Catfish, ribs

Credit cards:
MC, V, AE

Alcoholic beverages:
No

Reservations:
No

Wheelchair accessible:
Yes

Carryout:
Yes

(870) 765-2749
,

www.doreyfish farm. com

This story was published Friday, December 01, 2006