Mike’s Place Brings Cajun Seafood and Steak to Old Town Conway

A plate of whitefish topped with shrimp and crayfish is a fine way to understand Mike’s Place. The longtime Conway restaurant gives Cajun flavors a polished dinner-table setting, with seafood, steaks and Southern-leaning sides sharing space on a menu broad enough for a family with very different appetites.

Set in Old Town Conway, the restaurant occupies a well-kept building with decorative ironwork and the architectural character that suits a celebratory dinner without making the evening feel stiff. Inside, the mood is warm and inviting; outside, a patio or terrace offers another place to settle in when the weather is agreeable.

This is a restaurant that can handle the shifting needs of a night out. A couple can keep dinner unhurried and easy to talk through, while a birthday table, business dinner or family group has plenty to work with. Noise can vary with the hour, but the room is often comfortable for conversation.

The seafood side of the menu provides plenty of reasons to linger over the choices. Shrimp and grits, pecan-crusted whitefish, crab legs, seafood crepes, crab cakes and calamari all make appearances, alongside fried green tomatoes for a familiar Southern opener.

Mike’s Creole is among the more elaborate seafood plates: whitefish is seasoned Cajun-style and joined by shrimp and crayfish in the house Brantley and Alfredeaux sauce, then finished with Parmesan. It is the sort of entrée that brings several flavors and textures to one plate rather than relying on a single piece of fish to carry dinner.

The pecan-crusted whitefish takes a different route, pairing a crisp, nutty coating with sides such as steamed broccoli and smashed potatoes. Another presentation has included fresh vegetables, spinach Parmesan and raspberry bordelaise sauce, an unexpectedly rich collection of accompaniments for a fish dinner.

Shrimp and grits arrives in the Southern tradition, with jumbo Gulf shrimp over grits and a savory butter sauce. For someone who prefers seafood in a more casual format, a platter can bring a larger spread to the table, including a notably substantial lobster tail.

The bread served before dinner has a following of its own, a small but welcome opening move before the larger plates arrive. It also gives the table a moment to decide between a seafood starter and something more decidedly Southern.

Fried green tomatoes come with a Parmesan garnish and hold onto their crisp texture. They make sense as a shareable beginning, especially if the table is planning to divide its attention among fish, steaks and chicken later on.

Calamari is another strong candidate for the middle of the table. Its appeal is simple: tender rings rather than the rubbery version that can make this appetizer a disappointment.

Mike’s Place does not ask every diner to be in a seafood mood. Prime rib, filet, rib-eye and beef kabobs give the steak-minded person a proper set of choices, while chicken dishes and wraps keep the menu from becoming narrowly focused on the Gulf-and-Cajun side of the kitchen.

That range helps when several generations are at one table. A kids’ pizza has been notably generous in size, and a club sandwich with sweet potato fries provides a straightforward non-seafood meal for anyone who wants something familiar.

Sides can be nearly as tempting as the entrées. Creamy spinach, sweet green beans with bacon, loaded baked potatoes, spinach Parmesan and sweet potato fries all bring a little extra substance to the plate. They also make it easier to build a dinner around a steak or chicken entrée without feeling as though the seafood dishes get all the attention.

The bar is well stocked, making a pre-dinner drink or a relaxed nightcap a natural option. Apple martinis have been served with pieces of dried apple, a small garnish that gives the drink a little more personality than the usual stemmed-glass routine.

Dessert stays close to the comfort-food spirit of the rest of the meal. Key lime pie, chocolate cake, crème brûlée and turtle cheesecake cover several familiar cravings, while bourbon bread pudding with bourbon sauce is the more indulgent choice for a table willing to pass around a few spoons.

A dinner here can move from crisp fried tomatoes to a rich seafood plate and finish with bread pudding, but it does not have to be a full formal production. The menu has enough variety for a lighter meal, too, and reported spending ranges widely with the order—from roughly $10 to $30 for some meals to $60 or more for a higher-end dinner.

Mike’s Place suits the occasions that call for a nicer table but not a hushed, overly formal evening. Families have gathered here for celebrations, and the dining room has also worked well for anniversaries, birthdays and business dinners. Larger groups in the range of 15 to 20 people have been served successfully.

The restaurant can also be a useful destination meal for travelers moving through Conway. A person with time for dinner can settle into a booth or the dining room; someone needing to keep the drive moving can use takeout instead.

The owner is sometimes around to welcome diners and talk about the restaurant, adding a personal note on those visits. It is not a required feature of the evening, but it fits the generally gracious style of service.

Parking is comparatively easy for an Old Town meal, with free street parking and a free parking lot available. Seating includes indoor tables, booths and the outdoor patio or terrace.

Reservations are sometimes used for celebrations and busier periods, while walk-in diners have also been seated without one. The need can change by day and time, so the restaurant works best approached as a flexible dinner destination rather than a place with one fixed seating pattern.