Natural State Sandwiches

First time trying Natural State and it was delicious. I tried the grilled cheese sandwich- it had an onion ring, balsamic glazed spinach, cheeses and peppers. It was a intimidating when they sat the plate in front of me. It came stacked up HUGE. It was a complete mess to eat, but so worth it. I joked that it was a whole meal in one- salad, appetizer and sandwich and the guy behind the counter said that's the idea behind the sandwich. It's an all in one. It was a little over $9.00, which I thought was pricey at first, but soon realized it was because you get so much more than just a sandwich. Also tried the vegetarian friendly bisque. It was sweet potato and apple and had a great consistency and flavor. Highly recommend trying this place. Quality and service all are great. The only downside was that it was breezy and a bit cold in there and that we nearly caused the picnic table to topple when we both sat on the same side. Otherwise, A+++

This place is absolutely my favorite sandwich shop in NWA! The sandwiches are HUGE and very flavorful. Their rotating menu is ohenomenal, but their mainstay "Pittsburgh" is one of the best sandwiches I've ever had in my life! The owner is real down to earth and extremely cool, making the experience that much better.

I wanted to love Natural State Sandwiches... I really did. Unfortunately, this place was really disappointing for me. I live in downtown Springdale and love supporting local businesses. I was so excited when Natural State announced they were coming to Emma because I had heard such good things (and really wanted more food options downtown). I had been wanting to go to this place since it opened and just hadn't been able to make it in. Every time I would think about going, they were either closed for some reason or I couldn't find something I could eat and wanted on their weekly menu since they won't let you modify the sandwiches and I don't eat mammals (they like to put bacon on a lot of things). Finally the stars aligned and I was able to go when I got the chance to pick the location for a team lunch for work. A group of 6 of us went and ordered our sandwiches and a 7th arrived a little late and ordered about 5 minutes after us. When the food came out, one of the original 6 sandwiches we ordered didn't come out. We all assumed they had just mixed up his order and the order of the 7th person (since they ordered the same thing and they called the 7th person's name when the order came out) and that they were still working on the last sandwich. After about 5 minutes the guy working the counter (who I recognized from social media as one of the owners) realized and asked if he had ordered a sandwich. Then proceeded to give him a really hard time about not asking why his food didn't come out even though he wasn't complaining about having to wait a little longer (basically getting defensive for no reason and victim-blaming him for their error). While he was waiting for his food, the owner brought over a card for a free sandwich to try to apologize for the mix-up. I thought that was a super awesome gesture and though it wasn't necessary, it was really cool of him. My coworker immediately attempted to hand the card to me because I lived in the area and he thought I would be more likely to use it. After seeing this, the owner proceeded to TAKE THE CARD BACK saying "If you don't want it, I'll take it back" turning what originated as a kind gesture into a really unprofessional move that was the tipping point for me on wanting to return. With the other things already working against them (inflexible menu for those with dietary restrictions/preferences, not reliably open during their normal operating hours, kind of pricey), I don't imagine I will choose to return. I did give them 2 stars because everyone enjoyed their food (though the sprouted wheat bread shredded the inside of my mouth), and I appreciate that they use good, locally sourced ingredients. It is just very important to me that the owners and staff be friendly/accommodating, and they definitely were not during our visit.