My sister and I decided to tryout The Ark restaurant in Springville for lunch today and we were not disappointed. My sister ordered the lunch portion of fried shrimp and I chose the catfish nuggets, fries and okra (I think the fried okra was the real thing - not some name brand that's purchased in the frozen food section of a grocery store). We enjoyed our food very much, and neither one of us was able to eat all of the food on our plates, which was only the lunch portion; so, I can't imagine how much food you're given for dinner/supper. The service was great and our Waitress was very attentive and friendly. The restaurant is a good size with plenty of free parking, and I'm pleased to say that the ambiance is pleasant and relaxing. I feel certain that we will dine at the Springville restaurant again, because in addition to having a nice lunch we also walked to the Springville Antique Mall also located on US - 11 (actually the main street in Springville) where we experienced several magical nostalgic memories. I really hope you make plans to treat yourself to an enjoyable afternoon in Springville soon. read more

First time here and I would say overrall it was good! I really liked the shrimp more than the catfish. The catfish batter was a little too cornmeal-like for my tasting. The shrimp batter was salty, light and crunchy! Fries were crinkled and crisp. Slaw was nice and tangy! Probably not a great place if you're trying to watch the diet! Clean restaurant inside. Service was great! Lots of people on a Friday for lunch! Would come back and try their po boys! read more

The Ark - Lunch shrimp and catfish platter - Salad Near Me - Springville, Alabama

Waited a bit too long initially to be greeted once entering the restaurant... no one at the entrance counter, someone at the check out counter but didn't pay any attention to us. Server came out from the back, told her to seat us, then server took our drink order and brought them promptly. Took our order, we ordered an appetizer and each had a salad as a side. Salads came out and then our server basically disappeared. I waited until she finally came back with the appetizer and on her heels the other server brought our main entrees! That annoys me to no end to get the main entree at the same time as the appetizer! That is not good planning by your chef! I expressed my displeasure, told her to tell the chef, and she whispered if she did, he'd cop an attitude to which I responded tell him to come out here and talk to me. He never did. The server I'm sure turned them in at the same time which is fine, it's up to the chef to space the food out so it doesn't all come out at the same time! A great chef knows this! When our server came out with the appetizer I asked her for a plate for my salad. The bowls you use for salad are more like cereal bowls... when you put dressing on your salad and try to cut it up, it spills out all over the table! Bowls should be bigger so salad doesn't spill all on the table! It was an ok salad for bagged.The fried green tomato appetizer was tasty but what to do... eat appetizer while it's hot or eat your shrimp and sides while they're hot? Appetizer should always come first and guests allowed to enjoy it before the main entrees come out! The grilled shrimp had a fishy smell but tasted ok. The onion rings were good. The fried shrimp was good. One of the hushpuppies on my plate was hard as a rock... the inside as well! Must have been old. Our server disappeared after leaving our appetizer and entrees, never checked on us to see if we needed extra cocktail sauce (we had to ask for it when our food arrived) or more drink. Showed up to bring the check. Overall super disappointed. The Springville location is more convenient but the original Riverside location is much better. Guess we'll drive the 60 mi RT on occasion to get good food and service at Riverside vs driving 24 mi RT to Springville for poor service and mediocre food. read more

My mom and I came here on 05/10/25 , a Saturday for lunch. This was our first time here so we were looking forward to it! We were greeted by the hostess and allowed to choose where we wanted to sit. They have table and booth seating available. Our server was really prompt and friendly. For starters, I ordered gumbo. It was horrible; look at the picture and draw your own conclusion. I do NOT recommend the gumbo!!! Save your $6.99.... THANKFULLY, everything else was yummy!!!!! My mom had the popcorn shrimp platter and I had the catfish filet platter( fried hard). The platter comes with 2 sides + hushpuppies. See pics We couldn't eat all our food so we had to get to go boxes. We also ordered lemon pie but since they were out, we got the key lime pie instead. Reallly tasty slice of pie heaven! The Ark is located off Main Street in Springville, Al. They have parking on both sides of the building. Overall, this was a solid visit. Good food, good service in a comfortable atmosphere with TVs and nice music playing. I plan to return soon! read more

See all

We were visiting Homestead Hollow this weekend.We have ate at the Ark in Riverside and decided to try this one.It was very loud and didn't have the atmosphere of the original.The wait seemed a little long.I had the catfish and shrimp.The catfish is very clean tasting but not seasoned enough.The shrimp was outstanding.My wife had a club sandwich and enjoyed it.The beer was cold.Their menu isn't too much like some restaurants.Service was great though.We will definitely give it another chance at getting the five stars from The Working Man Review. read more

See all

Mid. We came on a Saturday night. The first thing that I noticed is the height of the tables is too low and there was way to much space between the table and bench on both sides. I had to lean way over to eat what was on my plate on the table, and I'm not tall (5'3"). Anyway, we ordered and it took over 45 minutes for our meal. Several other tables had the same wait. The servers were nice, not overly hospitable, but just fine. I'm thinking maybe there's only 1 cook for the whole restaurant... My suggestion would be to have crackers or bread or something to occupy guests during the long wait after ordering. read more

They were open maybe 30-45 minutes. We both ordered fried food. Dinner came out and every single item on our plate was luke warm, not crispy and no seasoning, if very little. We felt like the kitchen fried a batch of everything and it all sat under the heat lamp and they just plated the orders like that. I hate giving bad reviews. We Just wished our entrees were fried per order. It was most definitely not. The service was outstanding and we tipped appropriately and didn't complain. read more

Loved it. Went with a group of friends. I had the fried seafood platter. Best frog legs I have had in a long time. Shrimp, oysters, stuffed crab and a huge catfish filet. All was good. No greasy taste. Slaw and pups were great. read more

See all

Was excited to find out this location had opened when we were returning from a Tennessee trip. I have been to other location a few times and enjoyed it. One person had a hamburger, one had catfish and oysters and one had the whole catfish dinner. It was all served hot and delicious. There were several side options to choose from. The service was good. The restaurant was clean and the staff we dealt with were nice. Will be returning the next time we are up that way. read more

Always love The Ark! Best whole fried catfish in the county! Great food and great service read more

See all

The food and service were great and the prices were very reasonable. The decor in the restaurant was clean and well designed with tables to handle parties of two up to at least 6 or 8. The cheese curds were very tasty. The fried food was not greasy and was lightly fried. The sweet tea was very good. read more

See all

The Ark is located in an excellent location in downtown Springville by the 4 way stop intersection. The service was very attentive and we were seated immediately. We had half and half tea and it was very nice. The decor is very updated and stylish. We sat in a booth and the table seemed a little low compared to the booth. We had the onion rings as an app and they were nice and had a great breading. We tried the "ark sauce" to dip them in as recommended by the server but we did not like it. It was a red sauce. Maybe it's better with some of the fried seafood. I had a patty melt with cheese fries and my husband had a Philly cheesesteak. My food was pretty good. My husband's Philly had good flavor but he wished there was more filling. The prices were pretty good for the food. Most sandwiches are around $10. read more

The Ark - Patty melt with cheese fries and Philly cheesesteak - Salad Near Me - Springville, Alabama

Fish was good however, I never got one of my sides and they also charge you if you use a credit card.

A great little family place in the heart of Springville. Food was good. The catfish was fresh and served hot. Service was courteous and attentive. If you are looking for a small town family catfish house, this is your place. read more

We were looking for a place we had never eaten at before. We found this place in Springville . Casual dining. Food was delicious and our waitress Jenna was great. We will definitely be back . read more

The Ark - Seafood Platter - Salad Near Me - Springville, Alabama

See all

The fried oysters / catfish dinner was fantastic, they provided excellent service and their pricing was very reasonable.

The interior is decorated with the attitudes of the owners a regular customers. My advice is to not come here with Children. The staff will stare at you with some sort of condemnation from God only knows where. The staff will bring you unsweet tea for a refill. Yes, I have good hearing I heard the disrespectful remarks and so did my wife. The service was just straight garbage. Mind you these are the people that wouldn't care if you go someplace else to eat. Just don't, there's better in Gadsden and Trussville. Additionally to add: This was also my second try, last time I had no kids with me and it was just me and my Granddad, same issue. Just garbage attitudes. read more

My family and myself have always loved the Ark. the newer location in Springville did not disappoint. I love the decor inside the restaurant. There is more seating than in the original, and the food is great. read more

The food is just OK. We have eaten here three times. The best was the hamburger and fries. Unless you like charred, over-cooked steaks - do not. Go to an actual steak place. Service has been hit or miss. We went for my husband's birthday last night, and the service was pitiful. The servers were not friendly, did not bring drink refills unless you ran them down, and were, overall, non-attentive. The first couple of time we went, the service was slightly better - but the restaurant was busier those nights. It was not busy last night - so I am not sure why the service was poor. Ambiance - it is OK. I feel like you are crammed too close together and if someone knows someone at another table, they just yell across rather than getting up to go speak. I understand businesses charging for credit card service fees - if they are upfront and disclose this. The Ark does NOT. The claim they do - but they do not. read more

This was our first time visiting this restaurant. The service was great. They made sure we were taken care of. Our food was fresh and seasoned. I scarfed down my okra before I could take a pick. The fish was fried hard. The decor game home vibes. We will come back and visit read more

The Ark - Crab claws - Salad Near Me - Springville, Alabama

My aunts and I went last month and the experience was delightful. I haven't eaten catfish in well over 50 years because it always tasted dirty and gamey. On the first visit, my aunt gave me a bite of her catfish filet to try. I instantly fell in love with it. We have returned and catfish filet is always the protein of choice. It is lightly breaded, tender, flakey and has a mild, very pleasant and delicate flavor. The sides are equally as tasty, and although I rarely order much, if any, meat when I eat out, I'll stick with the fish and two veggies along with the sweetened iced tea that reminds me so of my late mother's tea. I definitely recommend The Ark. I've only been to the Springville, AL location, but I understand the food and service are equally as good at the Riverside, AL location. Bon appetit! read more

They have some of the best Catfish around it's really good and well seasoned and not to mention the Staff is amazing they are really friendly and make sure your drink cup is always full and they make sure you have everything that you need I really recommend you to come eat with them you definitely want regret it's definitely worth it. read more

We had a party of 5 at the new location! Nice spot, roomy and open, booths and larger tables for group. The food is just as good as the Logan Martin, Pell City location and the staff are just as friendly. We ordered a mix of Jumbo shrimp plates(3), lightly battered fried and blackened grilled and catfish filets. Everything came out hot and fast. In less than an hour we were exiting to the parking lot full. Just as the crowds were getting in. Definitely a spot to come to! read more

What a great place! Super friendly staff! I ordered the shrimp po boy sandwich with fried okra and loved it! If we lived here, we would definitely go back! read more

Outstanding... 2nd location... the fried Shrimp are phenomenal... but everything is good... this new location in Springville is a lot closer, so I'll be coming here most of the time. read more

The food was good. We got there at 1 after the lunch rush and still waited almost 45 minutes for our food. They did a nice job remodeling. Doubt I'll be back due to the poor service. read more

My husband ordered the fried oyster basket. (He eats oysters all the time) when he started to eat them he noticed that he was getting a horrible flavor. He looked into the bite of the fried oyster and there was like green slime coming out which is usually indication that the oysters were not cleaned properly and there was bacterial infection. We understand that occasionally one oyster might be bad but all of his oysters looked this way. The worst part is after this was brought to the management's attention he made excuses that "some times oysters are just like that" and proceeded to joke about how he didn't eat oysters so he wouldn't know. He then tried to explain that there was nothing wrong with them and didn't take accountability. Usually I would attach an image to this review for context, but the image of the green slime all over the plate was just to difficult to look at. We actually had to cover it with napkins because it made us gagged. We are in our mid 20s and and not the typical yelp reviewers like this however we actually are worried this might happen to someone else. If you do come here please order anything else but the oysters. read more

Had the shrimp and catfish with mash potatoes good and wifey had crab finger and jumbo shrimp good

The new renovated building has a good charm and great atmosphere. The menu was simple to order from. I had fish & butterfly shrimp with slaw & greens which was delicious. My husband had a ribeye steak, salad & onion rings. We had a party of 18 and we was in and out within 1 1/2. We are going back again this weekend!! read more

Go! Do not cook dinner, get in your car and go to THE ARK! The food is sooooo good and portion sizes are so big! You will eat every bite! Its now my fav place to eat! The hush puppies will make you sing out loud and do a little dance! Yummmmmm! Two Large TV's to watch Sports! So try The Ark! You wilp go back and back! read more

I am visiting from Arkansas. Not bad but definitely not good. I ordered a 1/4 lb cheeseburger and my son ordered a 1/2 burger, both with onion rings. When order came out 1 had French fries. That's when we were told they only have one size. It was served with lettuce, tomato, pickles and onion but no other condiments. Only 4 small onion rings. The burger was not seasoned, cooked well done. The cheese had the texture and taste of velveeta and felt slimy. Another family member ordered the hamburger steak with mashed potatoes. The potatoes were cold and they just warmed them up in the microwave. I wouldn't recommend and will not be back. read more

The ark the food excellent i gave them 5 star grill fish onion ring salad good .I will go back,

Was there today (lunch) - had ate one other time with husband. Ment to get the "lunch shrimp plate" was given & charged for the "super shrimp plate (more $$) ). Did not get service again. Had to send up smoke signals for drink refill& to get ticket. Only this time food was barely warm, & shrimp had no taste. Been home for around four hours, been running to bathroom with very upset stomach! This is all I have ate today. Thank goodness I have medicine to take. I feel shrimp was bad- all I had was shrimp salad fry. Did not eat fry, just shrimp & salad. I hope no one else was served shrimp. I had even peeled breading off some of the shrimp trying to get taste. Should have sent back, but was hungry. I do not mind paying for good food, but am not happy paying $25. For one person! Especially given Gwen running from time got home. Like I said, hope I am only one that received bad shrimp. I eat seafood (all) all the time. Do not think I will go back. read more

It was excellent. They will grill a filet and it was good. We had a group of 35 and they handled it nicely.

Good portion size and quality. Food came out luke warm but they were busy. Waitress did a good job checking up and with drink refills. Give it a try. read more

went today for the first time. The food was great, and more on the plates than we could finish. Great prices, also and the waitress was really good also. We will be back. read more