The river boat was nice and the view on the upper deck river side was very nice. (The upper deck is also cooler in the summer.) We attended on a Friday night and it was crowded. There was a wait time and some seating for waiting. I ordered from the menu and my spouse ate from the buffet. This is a plus for those who don't eat a lot. The food was standard fair for fried catfish. The hush puppies for lack of a better word looked like turds and tasted burnt. Buffet was also middling. Service was hit and miss. Our waitress was terrible that night. We had to flag another waitress for refills. The other waitress was amazing. read more

They had some of the best catfish I've ever eaten. It wasn't too salty or have a strong fish taste. Very good!! The service was very attentive. Left pitchers of your drink on the table. I loved the large windows so you could see the bridge and river while you ate. read more

Went for the first time last night and was totally impressed. All of the employees were super nice. Smiles all around. The food was delicious. We did the buffet and the food was fresh and hot. The buffet was kept well stocked. I'm ready to go back!!!! read more

My grandparents resided in Des Arc early in their marriage and were members of the local Baptist church. This is a must-visit when in Des Arc. It's right on the river! read more

My reason for 2 stars: I have a Sea Food allergy....I asked the waitress if all the food including shrimp was fried in the same fryer/ grease. She said Yes. So, I ordered grilled chicken and baked potato. She came right back and told me they didn't have any one to run the grill. I ended up with the kids Mac & cheese, pretty sure it was out of the blue box. On the bright side , my husband said his catfish, fries and hush puppies were absolutely delicious! If they would have a separate fryer for seafood, I could have enjoyed it as well. read more

The ribeye was amazing. Service was great and we got here too late for the Prime Rib. Don't fool yourself this place is known for the catfish and mud bugs. That said their steaks are excellent. read more

This place is a favorite of some in my family. Not so much for me. The food is marginal at best. They offer a variety on their buffet. Catfish , boneless and steaks. Peel and eat or fried shrimp as well as crawfish. They even offer chicken strips although I would steer away from those. They are small , thin and not very tasty. For the money they charge , stick to the other offerings that are worth the price. Don't go thinking you will have a quiet dinner. It's loud. You can barely hear the person right next to you. I will say our waitress was awesome. I wish I could say the same for the cashier. For the amount of money she took from me for only 2 buffets and 2 drinks , I should have gotten a smile and a thank you. She was not friendly at all. If I do return and get the same unwelcoming treatment, I won't go back. read more

The best catfish in around , service is great. If you leave hungry it's your own fault.

Don't do it. Just don't. Unless your thing is $25 a person for a bunch of frozen then fried food and one decent item on a very small buffet. Our party of 4 arrived 30 minutes before the restaurant opened with a line out side already, good sign, right?! We had the option of upstairs or down (the only buffet is downstairs). Three of us got in the buffet line and the 4th was waiting for a menu because he doesn't eat seafood which this place is known for (what a joke!). By the time the waitress brought a menu and told him they didn't have any ribeyes the rest of us already had a plate of food. Waitress promptly returns from the kitchen with news that they're not grilling at all and the buffet is the only choice! So for $25 he ate disgustingly cheap chicken strips, French fries and onion rings. As for the seafood...NONE of it fresh, all frozen except for maybe the catfish. Tiny fried shrimp, crawfish that smelled rank and mushy peel and eat shrimp. We will never be back! Don't waste your money! read more

This is an awesome place. The view of the river adds to the ambiance. The buffet is huge with a lot of variety both in seafood and some other meat options. The catfish is as good as I have had anywhere. read more

I just had the buffet. If you like fried food you will enjoy it. I was not impressed. I've had better fried seafood from Long John Silvers. It is also over priced. Service was good. I would wait on trying to be the first one there. They first batch of food on the bar was Luke warm. Once they start refilling the items it is much better. Some items were over cooked, hard, and almost impossible to chew. Needed a large amount of ketchup or tartar sauce to choke it down. The ambiance is nice though. read more

Excellent!!! This was my first visit but it definitely wont be the last. The service was aweaome Even the other diners were friendly and welcoming. The scenery is so serene. The boat sit right on the white river. Oh yea they serve food. And It was well worth the drive. I had the buffet. The fish was fried to perfection and served hot! This place is a southernsized girl's delight! Tip! Do NOT skip dessert!! read more

Dondie's White River Princess - Dessert lovers dream. Don't believe me!?! Just read this menu! - Seafood Near Me - Des Arc, Arkansas

Great buffet! Love the view of the river from the restaurant. Great view of the lighted river bridge at night.

Very interesting 1st time experience tonight at Dondie's restaurant. Everyone in our group chose the buffet which has every imaginable fried food: shrimp, catfish, hush puppies, corn fritters, French fries, fried biscuits, etc. Fortunately, for us newbies, we were accompanied by an experienced veteran who taught my daughter the proper way to eat crawfish. She had a lot of fun tormenting me with the "carcasses" of her neatly lined crawfish after consuming them! read more

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Best fried cat fish ever! I've been eating here since I was a kid and everyone I make back there this place is a must. The buffet is a southern fired food feast. read more

The best restaurant in the State of Arkansas. If you're looking for some good ole southern fried catfish, this is the place for you.

Still the best catfish in Arkansas. No one cooks it like Dondies. We ate here tonight with my brother Ray and his Wife Pat. Their great grand daughter Addie was our honored Guest. Great service and the buffet was fresh and continually refreshed. Everything was well prepared. The buffet was clean and the staff was continually checking to see if anything needed to be done. Our server was the best. read more

Good stuff. Fried food extravaganza. They are really known for the buffet, but if you read my reviews, you know that I rarely eat them. I've been there a few times, and my dad and grandpa tend to get the buffet, they love it. Catfish, Crawfish, Fried everything. I order from the menu and have always enjoyed my meal. Do not go there for the meal of a lifetime, but for the restaurant deprived region of East Arkansas, Dondie's isn't bad. I implore them to at least make it where you can B.Y.O.B. if you are not going to offer beers and wine. Last time I was there I had had a few drinks and really wanted the prime rib. I'm all about beef, and knew what I was getting into ordering such a cut at a place that doesn't consider it to be the specialty. It was as expected, a 4 or 5 of 10, but it didn't matter. I needed beef and I got beef. And it seems like I ordered a pound of boiled shrimp a la carte(peel and eat). read more

Great place! The fish was cooked to perfection and the service was great! My only concern is that we weren't allowed to sit at an open table with a view. Not sure why???? read more

The staff is extremely professional and friendly, the restaurant offers two levels of seating and a spectacular view of the White River and the buffet is over the moon!! It's a must have if you're in this part of the state. read more

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Right on the river with a great evening view in a old steamboat inspired building. Dondie's is a Grand Prairie favorite that serves up deep fried goodies along with baked selections and a vast array of veg head selections. Come here anytime and you will get the gist of a family run restaurant that is run efficiently, serves the community and is a great place to eat for couples up to big parties. The food is outstanding and frequently freshened up. there are shrimp, catfish, chicken, frog legs and other southern favorites.... enjoy! read more

this is an average catfish house at best... this is a buffet style catfish house.... the serving bar is limited in relations to other catfish houses in the surrounding area...the food was just okay...not something that would motivate you to want to come back...the price was about $3-4 dollars above the price at similar catfish houses...and the price as mentioned did not include a drink and dessert... still overpriced compared to other catfish houses.... would not recommend unless you were a local without other options.... read more

Unbelievable. This is the closest thing to your grandmaw's catfish that you will find in a restaurant.