Date:  May 1, 2026  |   Story: Tiffany Adams & Stephanie Maxwell Newton  |   Photography: Mandy Jayne  |  

These two Arkansas towns showcase Southern hospitality at its finest

El Dorado’s Rialto Theatre is part of Murphy Arts District’s Phase II downtown renovation plans.

When Dean Morrison started out in the Tampa, Florida, service industry at age 16, he didn’t foresee a future where he’d be running restaurants in South Arkansas. However, with family ties in The Natural State, it wasn’t a stretch to make the move when he was offered the opportunity. In 2017, he landed in El Dorado, and three years later, opened his own restaurant, Off the Rail Cafe. Not even a full decade later, the town feels like home. “I feel like I’ve been here all my life,” he says. We sat down with Dean to hear about his experience in the restaurant industry, his growing investment in El Dorado, and what makes this part of the state such a great area to visit.

Q: How did you find yourself living in South Arkansas?
A: When I turned 29, I got the opportunity to move to Forrest City to be the general manager of the country club. I ran that club for 14 years, then ran the Searcy Country Club for five years, followed by the El Dorado County Club. After that, I got out of the country club business and into sales for a short time. At one point, I thought about opening a franchise restaurant, but instead I opened Off the Rail Cafe in 2020 right in the middle of COVID. People were skeptical about getting out, but it worked. Owning locally is much better for me than being part of a franchise. Anytime you open a business you’ll make one thousand mistakes, but you figure it out.

Q: Off the Rail Cafe is unique in that it’s located in an old railcar. Tell us a little about its history and how you turned it into a restaurant.
A: Richard Mason, an El Dorado entrepreneur, brought the train cars here about 35 years ago. This car had been a couple of restaurants way before me. When I took over, it was being used as a continental breakfast café. Because it hadn’t had a full kitchen in years, I had to redo it all. It was exciting, because it was something new, but also hard. It’s the smallest kitchen in the world, but we can feed as many as 300 people on a Saturday morning!

Q: You now own a second El Dorado restaurant: MAD House 101, the restaurant and bar connected to the Murphy Arts District First Financial Music Hall. Tell us about that.
A: This is our fourth year with MAD House 101. I started to get some large catering requests in the music hall after the last restaurant located in the space didn’t work out. I sat down with Pam Griffin, CEO of the Murphy Arts District, and we came up with an agreement to do consistent service three nights a week: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. It’s a great, upscale space. We do steaks, seafood, and a lot of Italian right now, but we change it up, too. There’s a large music hall in the back, but there’s also a stage in the restaurant side, so we often have live music and karaoke.

Q: What are some of the challenges and also your favorite things about owning small businesses in South Arkansas?
A: The people here are great. My mother is from Blytheville, and I had grandparents who farmed in Mississippi, so even though I grew up in a different area, I have Southern roots and know what Southern hospitality is. When I moved here, that’s what I was excited about. I enjoy working with the local community and the slower pace of life here, too.

As far as challenges, in this business, it’s all about time. Between my wife, Angela, and I, we have three businesses. She owns Studio 206 and has been cutting hair for 30 years. When I opened MAD House 101, we sat down and I said, I’ll do this if you come work with me and work the front of house. She agreed, so she’s the face of MAD House 101 and works with me part time. We’ve got great managers and great employees, so we can step back when we need to. I enjoy the day-to-day, but you don’t get back the time with children and grandchildren, so you have to make a point to take a break.

Q: What do you think surprises people most about visiting South Arkansas?
A: I have friends and family who come during Christmastime and say, This is like a Hallmark movie. With the downtown squares and the way people decorate their businesses during the holidays, it’s a lot of fun. You can come to El Dorado and stay in a nice boutique hotel, have a great meal, then go watch a show at MAD, and it’s a great trip.

Read on for more of our favorite ways to discover El Dorado and nearby Magnolia.

Fern & Ivy

SHOP
Located in the heart of Magnolia, Warnock Furniture & Appliance (warnockfurniture.com) is a destination for everything from new sofas and beds to home décor and even appliances and rugs. The friendly staff can help you find quality brands on the floor as well as pieces that can be customized to your style for order. Across the street, pop into Fern & Ivy (fernandivy.store), a home goods store that’s dedicated to bringing the community beautiful accessories, linens, and more at affordable prices. The shop not only stocks essentials such as sheets, towels, and dishes, but also offers seasonal décor to personalize your look. Next door, you can find your next great read at The Tattered Page (thetatteredpage.store). With a selection of curated books, the recently opened store is a gem for book lovers. Hunting an antique or vintage find? Check out Everybody’s Antiques (870.875.1444) in El Dorado to score a new-to-you treasure.

DINE
Located in a rail car-turned-restaurant, Off the Rail Cafe (870.639.8029) offers decadent breakfast dishes like Eggs Benedict and stuffed pancakes as well as a large selection of sandwiches, burgers, soups, and salads for lunch, Tuesday through Sunday. Nearby, The Olde Towne Store (theoldetownestore.com) is a hot spot for grab-and-go meals and bakery items, including casseroles, cinnamon rolls, soups, and more. If you prefer to dine-in, grab a seat on the patio. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, step into Mad House 101 Restaurant & Bar (madhouse101.com) for steaks, seafood, and often live music on their house stage. In Magnolia, don’t miss favorites like The Corner Clubhouse (870.949.2828) for burgers, steaks, and sandwiches during both lunch and dinner and MuleKick (mulekickmag.com) for artisan pizzas, craft beer, wings, and more.

VISIT
The stage is set for fun festivals, performances, and outings in South Arkansas. On Saturday, May 2, the South Arkansas Mayhaw Festival (mayhawfestival.com) returns to El Dorado for its 34th season with a biscuit breakfast, car show, 5K run, and more. Spend the third weekend in May at the Magnolia Blossom Festival and World Championship Steak Cook-Off (blossomfestival.org) where you can hear live music, shop art and local wares, and maybe even taste a soon-to-be-world-famous steak. From April through July, make a stop at El Dorado’s Farmers Market on the Square (goeldorado.com) to pick up flavorful fresh produce and flowers from local vendors. Celebrating 70 seasons in 2026, the South Arkansas Symphony Orchestra (southarkansassymphony.org) is the state’s longest-performing orchestra. Watch their calendar for the latest shows, which will feature “Unforgettable Journeys” to kick off this fall. Looking to hit the links? Mystic Creek Golf Club (golfmysticcreek.com) is an 18-hole, par-72 course designed by Kenneth Dye, Jr. that is touted as the best public-access course in Arkansas by Golfweek.

STAY
If you’re taking in a show at Murphy Arts District, make The Haywood (hilton.com) your home base. A part of Hilton’s Tapestry Collection, they offer The Well Bar & Grill, where you can grab a drink before heading to the performance hall. Downtown Guest Quarters Hotel (usgq.net) offers a variety of rooms just steps from El Dorado’s Main Street. In addition, they have homes for extended-stay rental. In Magnolia, book your stay at The Loft on the Square (theloftsq.com), which offers suite-style accommodations in the town’s renovated Columbia County Bank building.

The Tattered Page