Redfield, Arkansas: Mammoth Orange Drink Stand

Our family thinks we are nuts. "You're going to drive 50 miles to eat a hamburger in an orange because you saw it on Roadside America?" "Why yes of course, cause that's the way we roll" we tell them. Well, both the hamburgers and the prices were great! Next time we visit in Arkansas we plan to go back on a Friday night so we can try their catfish and prawn special.

I absolutely love the Orange. I've lived in Redfield all my life, and as a matter of fact, worked at the Orange for a very long time!

Mrs. Earnestine Bradshaw opened the Mammoth Orange in 1965, similar to A "Mammoth Orange" drink stand she worked and managed in California for years. My Grandfather, F.P. Baugh, along with Mrs. Earnestine's husband, William, built the Orange.

It has remained open for all these years. Other than Holidays, the ONLY day it has been closed is on the day we buried Aunt Earnestine (of course, she wouldn't hear of that if she were alive to have a say so!). Hand spun real milkshakes, daily lunch specials, and a large menu awaits! Oh, I forgot the friendly service!

I have been going to the Mammoth Orange since I can remember.

Mrs. Ernestine Bradshaw opened the "Big" Orange in 1965. She was the most amazing woman I have ever known. I couldn't go in there without getting a hug. Sadly, she passed away last year. She is missed by the whole town.

Mrs Ernestine organized and donated her time and supplies to ensure we had fireworks on the river every Fourth of July, and baseball for the kids every year. She even coached softball. She is the only woman I ever called Granny. The Orange is now owned and managed by Cynthia Carter, Ernestine's daughter, who has the kindness and compassion of her mother. There are pictures on the walls of some of the Redfield baseball and basketball teams that the Mammoth Orange has sponsored over the years. If there were pictures of all the teams, they would cover the inside and out.

I have visited this restaurant for many years until moving to Chicago. I have always been greeted by the amazing Miss Ernestine, the owner, who was always ready with a hug and greeting and a minute to chat. If we called ahead and let her know we were coming on Catfish Fridays she would make an extra hot batch of her famous jalapeno hush puppies. I have never met a more perfect example of Southern Hospitality. When I walked in to the Orange it was like coming home.

I have just learned that Miss Ernestine passed away last month. She will be missed by all.

I ventured from Hazen to the Mammoth Orange for lunch today before work in Little Rock. Chocolate and vanilla real milk shakes were shared by a friend and I. I also had a grilled cheese and bacon cheeseburger. The menu is quite large for a dairy bar and making food selections is a difficult choice. Everything there has been great during my visits. The menu states that the (formerly Big I think) Mammoth Orange opened in June of 1965 and the place still seems to be going strong.