Doe’s Eat Place Reopens in Springfield

Known for barbaric-sized steaks and beef tamales, Mississippi chain Doe’s Eat Place has returned to Springfield after closing shop in 2012. Me and my wife, Kelley, sat down, fork in hand, with co-owner Jim Rogers to get a true taste of what the newly opened joint is all about.

Within a few quick moments we easily got a sense of the place. Red checkered tablecloths and rolls of paper towels combined with leather-backed chairs and steaks as tall as salt shakers depicted exactly what Jim described as “excellent quality food, excellent tasting food, in a relaxed atmosphere.”

The new Doe’s location is situated at 935 N. Glenstone Avenue. It offers easy access from main highways and ample parking—two key requirements when looking for a location, Jim noted. With no prior restaurant experience, Jim, his wife Lori and son Ben relied primarily on their many dining experiences as customers. “We had a lot of experience from this side of the table: eating,” Jim says. As frequent visitors of the Bentonville location, they had a clear vision of what they wanted to create, or restore, here in Springfield. 

The menu hosts a smorgasbord of Southern staples combined with what you would expect from any steakhouse: beef. As our food arrived, plates began to clutter the tabletop, and we soon had what looked like our own table-side buffet. I’m talking Louisiana inspired gumbo, green beans topped with a touch of bacon grease and Creole-like seasoning, French fries, boiled potatoes, fresh button mushrooms, golden fried shrimp, authentic beef tamales with a savory chili topping and two, one-and-a-half-pound steaks. “We wanted to bring back the steak,” Jim says, and I can now see what he was talking about. Nearly three inches thick and perfectly pink in the center, both the sirloin and filet were well-seasoned and exceptionally tasty even for a non-meat n’ potatoes kind of guy like me. The team at Doe’s hand cuts their steaks daily and boasts never-frozen, 21-day aged beef. Sold on approximate weights, each steak is weighed in the kitchen and is priced per pound. 

Doe’s Eat Place is now open to the public Monday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m to 10 p.m.

Tip: If you’re looking to feast, the porterhouse is what to order. Described by Jim as “just north of the T-bone and a little south of the filet,” this two-to three-pound slab of beef is more than enough to share.