Scott-Walker Eatery: Downtown Lunch with Pizazz!
It’s all home-made, with both care and flair.
The personal touch is very much in play here, and the price is so right even I can do the math. And live with it!
Stay and enjoy, or have your meal prepped to go—it’s all good at The Scott-Walker Eatery, located on South Main in Poplar Bluff’s re-emerging historic quarter.
“This is our passion. This is what we do,” says Jeff Walker, who, with Gary Scott, owns and operates The Scott-Walker Eatery. It’s a cozy little lunch-only meeting spot that’s become a regular haunt for many, from the downtown office crowd to key movers and shakers on the civic and social front in Poplar Bluff.
The kitchen is mainly Chef Scott’s territory; Jeff Walker, who sat down with me recently for a chat and a glass of tea, is the host you’re most likely to encounter in the dining area.
Freshness, flavor, value, and personal attention are the components that make up the Scott-Walker vibe, and this formula has won The Eatery the kind of loyal patronage some restaurateurs only dream of.
How fresh are the ingredients that go into the salads, sandwiches, soups, and sweets at The Eatery? “We don’t know what we’re having until the day itself,” says Walker. “We shop every day.”
The Eatery’s “Quiche of the Day” and its chicken dishes are longstanding favorites. The establishment also receives raves 
for its poppy seed, cracked peppercorn ranch, and Italian Parmesan salad dressings—which, like all dishes on offer, are whipped up in-house.
As to value, says Walker, “You can get a [daily] special—drink, salad, entrée, dessert—and, tax included, that’s $6. And we guarantee you’re going to go away full!”
The personal approach to serving customers may be seen in more than one way at The Eatery. Walker muses, “All my regulars? I don’t have to ask them about their drinks, don’t have to ask about salad dressing; that’s all done for them. I know my regulars.” He adds that “if they’re coming all the way across town”, he can save them time by prepping their preferred items as early as possible.
If you’re tempted to doubt Jeff Walker’s powers of memory in this respect, allow me to share something with you. When I arranged for this interview, I mentioned I’d had the pleasure of visiting the restaurant a single time before in my wanderings, and on what occasion.
When I arrived, he had no difficulty telling me exactly where I’d sat on the previous occasion, as well as the names of two of my companions at the time…he even remembered who I got up to talk to, in a room full of people, before I returned to my own table.
Dear reader, that was 2 ½ years ago! Mr. Walker would appear to have a natural gift for making people feel special, and 
very much at home.
So, hey, you might consider holding off, for now, on that next sack of “flame-broiled”, mass-produced chow tossed into your moving vehicle from a burger-palace window. (“Catch!”)
Think, “Scott-Walker” for lunch, and come in for a delightful change of pace!
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The Scott-Walker Eatery, 301 South Main Street, Poplar Bluff. Tel: 686-3111.
Serving lunch Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Catering is also available, as is rental of The Eatery for private functions.