Charlotte’s Eats & Sweets

The most important thing you need to know about Charlotte’s Eats & Sweets is this: order your pie first! That may seem like backwards thinking, but it is the only way to assure that you will get a slice of your favorite pie. They only make a limited amount and are known to run out quickly.

Charlotte’s can be found in the miss-it-if-you-blink downtown of Keo, Arkansas, between the tiny city hall and a taxidermy shop. Even though it is only a 30 minute drive from Little Rock, it feels a million miles away. Yet, crowds start gathering around the front door of the restaurant just before they open at 11:00AM. And they have all come here for the pie.

We have never tried any of the fruit pies at Charlotte’s and the slices of strawberry pie being carried out of the kitchen looked quite good. But they are such masters of the meringue, it will be a long time before we order anything else. The filling of the chocolate pie was deep, dark, and fudgy, while the silky smooth, rich custard of the caramel pie was unmistakably homemade. The delicate meringues are a brilliant white and reach an impressive 5-6 inches high. These are world class pies!

Although they don’t reach the level of the pies, we have also enjoyed the sandwiches we have tried at Charlotte’s. The signature sandwich is the Keo Klassic. This is smoked turkey, Monterey Jack cheese, tomato, onion, and avocado on sourdough bread. What makes this sandwich especially interesting is that they dip the bread in a parmesan garlic cream before grilling it. This gives it a light and crispy exterior, while the bread underneath stays soft. The not overly stuffed Reuben tastes strongly of horseradish and is easy to like in a ladies lunch sort of way. All sandwiches come with potato chips, olives, and a dill pickle.

Charlotte’s is open for lunch only on Tuesday through Saturday and does not take credit cards.