Josie’s on the White River, More than a Steakhouse

Article by Bob Pest
Photos by Judy Pest

There is something magical about dining within view of a flowing river. The motion of the water creates a calm that seems to stir the appetite and inspire contemplation.  It only takes a few moments for the pressures and anxieties of the day to evaporate.  Eating becomes dining when the body and spirit are at peace, and a meal becomes an occasion to be savored.

Few restaurants can rival Josie’s when it comes to river front locations.  The restaurant, built on the site of a lockhouse that served traffic on the White River in an earlier era, is literally perched on a promontory directly above the water’s edge, just below a small dam that provides a year-round cascade. It takes full advantage of this majestic location with continuous large windows on two sides.  A screened-in porch allows diners to get even closer to the water when weather permits and an open-air deck is ideal for special outdoor events and 4th of July fireworks watching. 

Owners Steve and Beth Carpenter, who opened Josie’s in February 2004, brought a wealth of experience from the original Josie’s Steakhouse in Waldenberg, about 50 miles southeast of Batesville.  Central to their vision for Batesville and the reputation they brought from Waldenberg was providing the best steaks available.  Consequently, the restaurant serves only 100% Certified Angus Beef, indicating the industry’s highest standards of excellence in marbling, maturity, and leanness.  Steaks are hand-carved daily to ensure freshness.  The menu offers a variety of steak choices, from a 6 ounce Tenderloin Filet to a 16 ounce Ribeye.  Visitors frequently marvel at finding “the best steak they ever had” in a small Ozark Foothills community.

The dinner menu also offers Grilled Ahi Tuna, an exceptional Grilled Tilapia Filet, Caribbean Pork Tenderloin, Shrimp Linguini, and Grilled Chicken Penne. The tuna is extremely high quality and marinated in a sesame ginger sauce. Barbecue lovers will find both the Pork Tenderloin and Chicken Breast, seasoned with Josie’s Homemade BBQ Sauce, to their liking.  Any entrée can be blackened for a small additional charge, a wonderful option somewhat uncommon in the region. Plans are also in the works to add traditional pork barbecue, smoked on the premises, to the menu by mid-January.

For starters, try the Grilled Portabella Mushroom, grilled bottom up and available topped with steak, chicken, or shrimp.  Served with one of these choices, the portabella makes a dinner for lighter eaters.  Highlights among the other side items include a gigantic Twice Baked Potato and, when available, a flavorful eggplant casserole.

The lunch menu is dominated by familiar sandwich choices, from Fried Bologna to a Philly Steak served au jus.  Many of the dinner favorites are also available at lunch in smaller portions. The health conscious will enjoy the Almond Grilled Chicken Salad.  Desserts include several cheesecake options, carrot cake, an especially flavorful key lime pie, and (when available), a delightfully decadent Bourbon Bread Pudding.

At an average of $18 dollars per entrée, including one side and rolls, the prices are comparable to similar restaurants of the same quality in the region.  Lunch is also very reasonable, with a number of menu items at or below $7.

Josie’s is a private club; a membership is required for admission and can be purchased at the door.  A variety of domestic and imported beers are available.  The wine list focuses on quality dinner favorites.  There are, for example seven chardonnay choices ranging from $5 a glass to $65 a bottle.  Developing an outstanding wine list seems to be one of Carpenter’s priorities and the current list makes up in quality for what it might lack in quantity.

The restaurant also features a stage and an excellent sound system.  It has been the site of an eclectic mix of musical performances.  Local guitar virtuoso Danny Dozier appears frequently.  On Thursday nights, it’s Karaoke at Josie’s.  The restaurant has hosted a Karaoke competition for several years, attracting talented vocalists from across the region.  Contestants compete for a $500 prize awarded every two months; after a year, those winners compete for a grand prize of $10,000. The karaoke competition begins about 8:00 p.m.

Josie’s manages to maintain a wholesome, relaxed family atmosphere while providing a fine dining experience.  A friendly and knowledgeable wait staff is an important asset here. The décor contributes to the family feeling; a small museum’s worth of photos, artifacts, and documents from the heyday of travel on the White River is effectively displayed. Carpenter is something of an amateur historian and has located a painting of a riverboat named the Josie Harry that traveled the White River in the 19th century. He promises to add the Josie Harry and its story to his walls soon. 

Carpenter recently installed a digital projection system that enables the restaurant to show sporting events, concerts, and films on a large, pull-down screen.  He plans to introduce a series of classic film screenings soon and the Ozark Foothills FilmFest will host “Best of the First Five Years” screenings on the last Tuesday of January and February.  Josie’s will also serve as a venue for the 6th annual FilmFest, hosting the Opening Night festivities and the Arkansas premiere of the feature-length documentary, Dirt, on March 22 at 8:00 pm.  Dirt follows a season of World Class Street Stocks racing at the legendary Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas.  Director Jeff Bowden will attend the screening.  Josie’s will also host a screening of three new motor sports films—Demolition 7, the 4-Cylinder 400, and Biker Stories—on Saturday, March 24, at 10:00 p.m. The film festival plans additional screenings at Josie’s both indoors and out.

Josie’s has given Batesville a restaurant, a venue, an attraction and strong civic leadership. Carpenter is in the forefront of a number of community development initiatives and is a strong supporter of education and the arts.  Hayes Olson, Director of Development at UACCB, summarizes the community’s feelings about Carpenter and Josie’s, "The restaurant takes advantage of the area's most dramatic feature, the White River, and lends a more upscale air to Batesville.  Josie's is ‘the place to be seen’ and offers the best steak around.  Steve Carpenter has made it a point to generously share with local not-for-profits, providing this community with a resource beyond compare."

Josie’s is located at 50 Riverbank Road. Call 870-793-7000. The complete menu and a downloadable membership application are available at www.josiessteakhouse.com. 

Bob Pest is co-founder of Ozark Foothills FilmFest.  This is an edited version of an article that was originally published in Life in the Ozarks magazine.