Need some good ‘ole fashioned American breakfast? How about some of the best coffee you’ve ever had at a little coffee shop? What about the best Reuben sandwich you’ve ever had in your life? If any of these things make your list of must-haves when traveling around Arkansas, then you definitely to make a special trip to Mountain View and stop in at The Rusty Cup where you’ll find all of this and more!
How it Started
Owner Scarleth, who is originally from California and migrated to Arkansas to get away from it all. Opening a restaurant wasn’t what she had planned to do for the majority of her life, but at the behest of many around her, she realized a dream she didn’t even know she had.
Owner Scarleth
Prior to owning and running her little coffee shop, she found herself in administration in the mental health field and did a stint for a year in real estate in the high dessert of California – in Antelope Valley.
Finding a beautiful property in Fox, about a half hour from Mountain View, she and her family never anticipated moving to the small town outside of where they were before, until one day by happenstance. According to Scarleth,
”Discovering Mountain View was a beautiful accident, and we fell in love with the quaint town and its history of folk music.” The close-knit family have a strong bond and a common love for the more simple things in life.
“My husband, Rick and I have six children all together, his, mine and ours. We’re the Pflieger Bunch. We’re old fashioned, love nature, coffee, and enjoy meeting people, making them happy by providing great food!” She makes a point to tell me with her beaming smile. And the family are capable of providing just that – I should know, I enjoyed quite a plentiful serving of their menu the day I visited.
But The Rusty Cup wasn’t always serving great food and coffee.
“It was a flea market and for many years (long ago) it was also known as the Whitfield’s Mercantile store where they sold original Levi’s,” Scarleth tells me. A bit different than the vibe you will find today walking into the shop.
And though the atmosphere is charming and quaint, it’s the food that makes this place all the rage. In fact, while visiting Mountain View for 4 days, I had everyone in town tell me about The Rusty Cup and how I needed to go there for breakast. Obviously I was already way ahead of them – that was my plan before I even got to town. But on my third day in town I made it happen. And I liked the food so much in fact, I stopped in on my last morning before leaving town to get some more hashbrowns, sausages and a Campfire Latte. But I’m getting ahead of myself…
The Food
Wowser. This food is going to blow your mind. And most especially the breakfast items. Their pancakes are the fluffiest, and some of the most delicious I’ve ever had in my life. Everything that pancakes are said to be from the perspective of a foreigner who’s never had them – this is it right here. Possibly the best, or at the very least some of the best pancakes in all of America.
Their hashbrowns…incredibly even better than their pancakes. It’s the seasoning. Which is a secret.
Their eggs – you guessed it, amazing.
But the star of the show most definitely is their Reuben sandwich. This is saying a lot since not only did I have a lot to try off their menu that day, but I also don’t usually like Reuben sandwiches. This sucker was out of this world incredible, and hands down the best one I’ve ever had in my life. Quite possibly the best Reuben you will ever have in all of the United States. The sauce? It’s a secret too.
Not surprisingly, this is not only their specialty item, but also their most popular.
Lest we forget the coffee, that’s also quite incredible stuff. Making their own house blend, Scarleth mentions how popular that seems to be as well. My favorite drink, as mentioned before was their Campfire Latte. And if you’re an espresso drinker like me, you might try their Cowboy Coffee – which is a double shot of espresso, but made with cinnamon while it’s brewing. It was fantastic.
And if all of this weren’t enough, Scarleth goes the extra mile, saying,
“We make almost everything from scratch including soup, use fresh ingredients and only use fresh locally roasted beans.”
She tells me that I’m not the only one in love with the little shop. Guests, both regulars and tourists alike have said they love the cozy atmosphere and old-world rustic décor with a touch of the modern influence.
Family run, her step-son Ricky is the main cook who works during the week, with Scarleth lending a hand on the weekends and making the soups herself. Did I mention how amazing her Baked Potato Soup was? It is.
The staff are warm and friendly and the environment much to be desired. Laid-back, family oriented, you feel more like long-time friends, even after just a few minutes of being in here, rather than just another customer.
Last but not least the gift shop. While Scarleth admits she has been a little busy to fill up her merchandise department, what she does have on offer is great. I went home with my new favorite sweatshirt, but she also has gift baskets, mugs, t-shirts and more to take home after you’ve filled your tummy with the most delicious breakfast or lunch.
So what are you waiting for? You know you want to visit The Rusty Cup to have some of the best breakfast in America. Just make sure that when you do pop in, you let them know that Lisa sent you!
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