This is one of those places people in town tell you to eat at and you will roll your eyes and think ohh sure I bet it's good! But it really is, from the friendly service to the Cracker Barrel style store front. The food is not gonna change your life but it's definitely done right! Really enjoyed my meal! read more

Smith's Restaurant - Southern Near Me - Bolivar, Missouri

Looking for great made from scratch country food? Smith's is your place when in Bolivar, Mo. This was our first visit while passing through and YES, the bilboards where dead on. They do have famous tenderloins there. On a Friday night there was a little wait, but worth it. White boards at the front door list out the specials of the day. And not bad... All you can eat fried chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans for $10.99. There was also an all you can eat catfish meal or spaghetti meal. Good prices for the portion sizes. I decided to go with the 1/2 open faced tenderloin with mashed potatoes and green beans. *Note not a place to hit while on a diet ;) The tenderloin was the perfect combo of juicy and crispy... can't go wrong! Needless to say I cleaned my plate and a left with a happy belly. Next time I'm saving room for dessert. Their pies and ice cream cones looked amazing! read more

Smith's Restaurant - Tenderloin sandwich with sweet potato fries - Southern Near Me - Bolivar, Missouri

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TIP: Eat Pie First. That is what my band mates told me, that is what I did, for once I listened, and was very glad I did! Their plates are SO filling, I would not have had room otherwise. I forced myself to finish my plate, as I don't have a cooler for the trip home. The joke became "did you eat your pie? Then you may have your meat!" I started off with a slice of humble peanut butter cream pie, which was delicious! Then I moved onto brisket with a side of baked beans and potato salad. That potato salad h as d meat in it, I swear I it did. Also, it was the best potato salad I've had at a restaurant, what ever you do it, well done. The Brisket was really good, nice and juicy, and full of flavour! The baked beans were alright, but pretty tasty none the less. One of bandmates ordered chicken strips with mac and cheese, and it looked to die for, I will try that next time, If I remember, I really want to try their buffet! They have a mini shop with cheese, sausages, jerky, & other nick nacks, I may have picked up some jerky, over stuffed as I am. Gluttony is my favorite luxury! read more

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Phenomenal, spectacular, awesome are words that do not compare to the quality of food and services at Smith's Restaurant in Bolivar, MO. The staff is extremely kind hearted and goes above and beyond any needs that you have and does it with a smile. If you like old fashioned home cooked grandma style food that your momma can't make you need to come to Smiths. I live 3 1/2 hours away and will be coming back. The chocolate pie is wonderful The picture is a piece of homemade Reese peanut butter read more

Smith's Restaurant - Homemade pie - Southern Near Me - Bolivar, Missouri

Awsome great food DefinBreaded Pork Tenderloinitely recommend to go there great service read more

Came in late weary from the road with a group of guys. Place is a mix of gift shop and restaurant. Think rustic comfort. Get seated and drink orders taken. Known for their tenderloin sandwich I had to give it a shot. I went for a half open faced with mashed potatoes, white gravy, and a side of corn. Two others did the the same but went for the full sized portion and the fourth went for the patty melt. I chose wisely. First off portions are huge. Half was the size of my hand a whole was well double that. Breading is a somewhere between medium and light. Pork was tender. Not quite fork tender but the knife had no issues. Just the right amount in my book and moist. The mashed potatoes were good. The gravy was ok. The corn was pretty good but I'm pretty sure it included a quarter stick of butter. Others enjoyed theirs as well and either took home a to go box or food coma. By all accounts the patty melt was pretty good too. I have to say the pie case did look good but there was no way we could eat another bite. The Good Big portions at small town prices. Tender, Juicy, pork fried golden brown and delicious. Friendly staff on top of the refills. The Bad Delicious yes, good for the waste line no. The Ugly Nada we enjoyed our stop. Definitely worth a try. read more

Smith's Restaurant - Half open face. - Southern Near Me - Bolivar, Missouri

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We were headed to kick'it in a RV park and noticed this restaurant had amazing reviews, so of course we had to check it out for ourselves. We waited a long while for our food "chalking it up to waitress error", but once our food finally came... Delicious!! The reviews are on point!! Chicken fried chicken and handmade tenderloin dinner. Oh and don't forget the fried mushrooms!! It's a must stop. read more

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Very very very good food so excited to have him home cooked food not very far away from home!!! definitely good service as well. Was very surprised with how friendly everyone was. I want 100% recommend anyone that wants amazing service and ambience come here. read more

Oh my dear! Pie is $6.99 a slice!! Just last week had best ever pie st Chicken Annie's for 2.50. Same pie! We may need to consider a different stop on our many trips to Branson. Service was very delayed and they were not busy. read more

At the last minute, we decided to run to Smith's for dinner on a cold Tuesday night. We got there around 7:30ish & there were very few customers i there. I wish I remembered our server's name, but she was wonderful. The fried pickles are always the bomb.. My open faced pork tenderloin meal was sooo good & the leftovers will be a great lunch tomorrow! The strawberry rhubarb cobbler melted in our mouths & we even got one to go. We were literally the last to leave. Thank you for another great meal! read more

This is the place for simple home cooking ! It's good ! Huge portions, good service, very reasonable price. One complaint - they have fantastic pies available- somehow ya gotta figure out how to save room for dessert !! read more

How gross! Cold food, long wait time, how is this place even busy!? My cheeseburger was RUBBER dry gross! The side salad is just lettuce with some shrewd cheese on top... ridiculous. Never again. read more

We were excited to try this place but made a mistake having the breakfast buffet. I wish we had ordered off the menu. The pancakes were some of the I've ever had so I can only imagine how good they are when you order them from the menu. The eggs seemed to be fake eggs, the bacon looked great but lacked flavor. Sausage appeared to be from a bag. The hash brown casserole was good but if you don't like onions, stay clear. The biscuits were solid but the gravy was bland. The blue berry muffin awesome. The service was great and the place very neat. We'll be back to try the tenderloin next visit to Springfield. read more

Friends explained this is a long-time staple in Bolivar. A place doesn't get that history without a solid menu and consistent execution. Think Cracker Barrel on a local level. Smith's has familiar Southern style comfort foods, all day breakfast, and a gift store in front. There's also a lot of local memorabilia to enjoy. Bonus: At lunch time it was a whole heck of a lot quieter than Cracker Barrel. My companions and I could have a conversation and not leave with raspy throats from yelling over the din common at CBs during peak periods. We had good service and everything seemed to enjoy their plates. However, my Reuben was served with the question of whether I wanted Thousand Island dressing. It wasn't included on the sandwich! Of course I wanted it because it's a core ingredient and the sweetness balances the sauerkraut taste. Great value: Our meals averaged $10 each, including the entree, side, drink and tip. read more

Disappointing! I ordered a patty melt with no bread, when I recieved my plate I had a beef patty with a few grilled onions on it. The patty itself was smaller around than a baseball (my childs hamburger was twice as big). I asked the waitress if it was suppose to have cheese with it. She went back to the kitchen and brought me 2 pieces of cold cheese to put on my (now) very cold patty. I would never recommend this place to anyone, ever. Not to mention, $50 for 2 kids and 2 adults for lunch is ridiculous! read more

Smith's Restaurant - Disgusting food -- patty melt with no melted cheese or dressing - Southern Near Me - Bolivar, Missouri

Went here on mother's day. Very very busy. That's not thr issue. The issue was the quality and price. The fried chicken in the buffet line was like it had sat there and dried out. Strange because as busy as it was, it should be relatively fresh. They must've fried large batches in the kitchen and had it sitting under heat lamps. Mac n cheese was more like mac n milk. Meatloaf was so so. The rest of the items were cheap deep fried foods. The biggest problem was charging a 10 year old child $15.99 when they eat $5.00 worth of food. Sad state for a place that WAS good. Oh wait. The mashed potatoes were ok. P.S. Several years back, first time I ate here I got food poisoning. read more

My wife was told this place made the biggest tenderloin sandwiches around so on the way back from Branson heading up to Kansas City we figured why not, let's try it, and see if it is as good as she was told. We ordered the pork tenderloin sandwich with fries, and our waiter Jack, who gave excellent service, said the tenderloin covers almosy the whole plate. So we ordered just one and boy was he right. That pork tenderloin sandwich what's the biggest sandwich I've ever seen and the best tasting. We cut the sandwich in half and both of us were full by the time it was over. Jack our server, gave excellent service, the food was great, and prices were reasonable. So if you're ever going down to Branson or coming back go to this restaurant and order the pork tenderloin. Ask for Jack cause he's a great waiter, and tell him you want a pork tenderloin just the same size or bigger. Believe me you'll like it and the service too. read more

Sooooooo good! Breaded pork tenderloin among the best I've had. Do yourself a favor and stop in for a bite.

Really had a decent meal and I was surprised as this small town does not have a plethora of options to choose from. This place had the highest rating on yelp and after a good recommendation from the attendant at our hotel, we decided on Smith's. When you first walk in, you're easily reminded of an American Pickers episode. You're immediately greeted with an old gas pump and vintage decor. I was ecstatic when I saw that they offered fried pickles as an appetizer. Hands down, some of the best I've ever had. They were the spears instead of the chips and I definitely prefer this style. We both knew what we wanted before we even sat down and that was a big, fat, juicy steak. Luckily they had a few to choose from and after deciding that we wanted a lot of meat, our waitress recommended the ribeye. Although it was cooked perfectly, it had more fat than meat and I don't particularly like to swallow huge chunks of fat when all I wanted was meat! I probably wouldn't order the ribeye again and will definitely stick with the sirloin next time. The BEST part of the meal was the homemade pie. If you don't get anything else, get the chocolate cream pie. It's like eating chocolate pudding with whipped cream and graham crackers. It was amazing! The coconut cream pie was outstanding as well. TRY THE PIE, PEOPLE. read more

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Stopped here on our way south. Loved it. Everything was delicious. Split fried pickles and pork tenderloin with hubby. All very good. Split peanut cup pie for dessert. Delicious!!! Smiths might become a regular stop on our way to Table Rock. read more

Well I drive tour buses and this place can handle 2-3 ever 4 Bus at a time they have a killer buffet but ordering from the menu is fast too they have a big banquet room in back easily see a lot of people call in advance let them know and they will be happy to serve you!! Clean place great food ( much better and cheaper then Lambert's )and your in and out now waiting for tourists trap throwing biscuits lol for over price food no thanks When people say they want to go to lambert I suggest smiths . And when we pull up to lamberts they understand!!! Why when your looking at a 1-2 hour wait and there's 4-5 busses in front of you !! Enough said!! Ps great home made pies and cakes!!! read more

Been here numerous times. This particular time I got the pork tenderloin & it was huge & tender and yum! Neat place to go read more

Smith's Restaurant - Southern Near Me - Bolivar, Missouri

Was traveling to Minnesota and passed this restaurant on the highway. Needing to eat and some fuel, we stoped and ate. Preferred the lunch special which was Pot Roast with new potatoes, carrots and gravy, peas and a roll. It was one of the best meals I've had on the this long trip since we left Mississippi. The memorabilia decorate all around was neat to look at. The waitresses we were sweet and and very helpful. Service was quick and will definitely stop again if I'm coming through. Only thing that was weird, was the old lady mannequin by the restroom entry was kinda creepy. But that added to the experience. read more

This is not the Smiths you remember the food is way overpriced and undercooked. Every time I stop here cause it's convenient I am shocked at the ticket and tell myself the food is not that great anymore read more

Passing through on the way to kanas city and stopped in for a late lunch.. I order the fried chicken special and my husband had the fried pork tenderion sandwich. Both plates were serve hot fresh and HUGE!! And served with a friendly welcome smile. They even give me a small piece of chicken and a fresh bowl of water for my service dog. This is a nice clean friendly roadside restaurant serving down home comfort food. If we're ever passing through again will definitely stop. read more

Best chicken fried steak. Great food. Pan fried chicken was really good too. They take a long time because it's fresh made.

I got the platter that was made up of smoked chicken, pulled pork, and ribs. The food was delicious! Large portions for great prices. There was enough food on one plate for two people! Great atmosphere and the service was excellent. I highly recommend it and will definitely be going back. read more

Smith's Restaurant - Texas toast, ribs, pulled pork, smoked chicken with coleslaw and mashed potatoes on the side. - Southern Near Me - Bolivar, Missouri

This place used to be a must stop on the way to Branson from Kansas City. Their pork tenderloin sandwich was hands-down the best. Just had it recently and it's half the sandwich it used to be ( literally) the portion is much smaller pounded much thinner (same big appearance but now paper thin and half the weight) and the chicken quesadilla was also over priced both $16. $16 for a chicken quesadilla that barely had any chicken literally 6 tiny cubes (I'd go for two chipotle huge stuffed burritos for that price) $60 for lunch for two (sandwich, quesadilla, 2 drinks and one slice of pie $7 would not recommend any more.. really disappointing as we loved stopping here every trip . Don't mind paying $$$ for food and I'm fine with price raising due to this awful economy but keep the quality . May have to finally hit Billy Gail's on the way to Branson . They push a one pound tenderloin , will give it a go !! read more

Food was awesome and filling. Definitely get more than paid for...nice ambience place. Fast customer service which i didnt expect. read more

Smith's Restaurant - Pork tenderloin was huge!! - Southern Near Me - Bolivar, Missouri

Unbelievable Loved the restaurant and will be back every time we are in the area!!

We stopped in for lunch today and the place was bursting at the seams but our server took great care of us. We wanted some pie to go and it was $6.99 a slice!!! I have no idea how they can justify charging that much. Best I can recall it used to be $2.99. We felt a like we had been price gouged! Not going back read more

Basic Americana food. No frills just good. Wife had the fried chicken, I had the grilled chicken nachos. For once the portion size on the nachos was correct. I did not have a mountain of chips to eat through. If good food makes you happy, this is the place. read more

The food here is really gone down in taste The prices are too high for what you get. The Tiners

The Smith's restaurant in Collins, Missouri, should be closed and start over...the first clue is the Smith sign on the front (whats left of it)....inside, we were seated closest to the bathrooms, even though there were plenty of others...the service was minimal at best....the restrooms should be quarantined...dirty, smelly, not well attended.....the food we ordered was low quality..on checking out, the girl could have cared less....no "how was everything", no "thank you and come again", etc etc...I have been to the Smiths restaurant in Bolivar many times and have never had a bad experience. BUT I will NEVER go the Smith's in Collins.....whoever is the owner of Smiths needs to make a trip to Collins and start over !!!!! read more

This place is fried food central. Their pork tenderloin is tasty though. Their weekend buffet is great, with a great selection. The desserts are their specialty to me. read more

My family and I were on vacation and decided to stop at smiths. From the moment I walked in I felt like the staff was just staring at us. Two other families walked in you could tell they were locals about five minutes apart after us and both families were served promptly. Waited 25 minutes to get 2 orders of food and having a 2 larger sets of families come in and place an order and eat within 15 minutes. We're a mixed family and definitely felt some race bullshit being pulled here. We walked out without getting our food never again will stop at this place read more

My Mom. Said that this place is a good place to eat dear. Just normal ok? I say it's Missouri. It's Normal Never let them see you sweat. If they have good food for a fair price. Everything else can be changed! Make America Great AGAIN! read more

This place is great. Down home southern cooking. The pies looked amazing! The pork tenderloin sandwich is huge! Definitely big enough for a couple people. My daughter had the chicken fettuccine Alfredo and said it was really good also read more

Smith's Restaurant - Southern Near Me - Bolivar, Missouri

I don't often write reviews, but when I do, there's a good reason. Smiths Restaurant is review worthy. They are world famous for their pork tenderloin for a reason. It was tender and crispy and topped with a delicious white gravy your grandmother would approve of. Other noteworthy dishes are the green beans, corn, and the buttery/flaky rolls. Finish this coma meal with the coconut cream pie. This hidden gem is worth the stop on any road trip. read more

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Great service and awesome tenderloin. The chicken pasta was not my sons favorite. The chicken salad was huge. We also had strawberry shortcake that was really good and strawberry rhubarb cobbler. read more