War Eagle Mill

I’ll start this off by saying that unless you are *looking* for the War Eagle Mill, chances are you are not going to find the War Eagle Mill. This isn’t exactly the kind of place that you just stumble along on the side of the highway and pop in for a visit.

In fact there were times where I closely resembled a moonshine runner racing from the excise police on twisting, worn out county roads. The agile Jetta streaked through the hills of Northwest Arkansas like a white comet, brazenly ignoring speed limits, narrow bridges and livestock crossing signs. I may have even jumped a crick or two….but I digress.

After crossing what can best be described as a single lane, rickety iron bridge (I’ve built sturdier structures out of toothpicks and Elmers glue) we arrived at the picturesque War Eagle Mill nestled along the bank of the swift flowing War Eagle River.

http://www.wareaglemill.com/

The War Eagle Mill is a fully restored and operational water powered grain mill, where they still grind daily on grooved European granite millstones. The main drive belt is powered the same way it has been for centuries, by harnessing the current of the War Eagle River with an 18 foot undershot cypress waterwheel, believed to be the only operational undershot wheel left in the United States.

You can read a little more about the history of it here:

http://www.wareaglemill.com/historymyst.html

In addition to the plethora of fresh ground grains, flours and mixes that they have available for bulk purchase, the War Eagle Mill has a cozy little restaurant on the third floor that serves breakfast and lunch daily. Naturally, we came here to sample some of the breakfast fare at the Bean Palace Restaurant.

Most of the breakfast was expectedly straightforward, with the exception of a surprisingly meaty ham steak that gave me a good challenge. The buckwheat waffle was the main attraction however, made from War Eagle’s own stone ground buckwheat flour and adorned with, ahem, maple flavored syrup (insert fake syrup soapbox rant here). Despite the syrup deficiency, the waffle was still delicious, and felt slightly more authentic with the rush of the War Eagle river in the background.

The War Eagle Mill is certainly a bit remote, but the location is what makes it decidedly unique. It’s well worth your time for a visit, a quick bite of food, and a nostalgic glimpse into a bygone era.

Or order up a bag of your favorite flour mix online!

http://www.wareaglemill.com/khxc/index.php