King of Rock and King of Rocks

Four-wheelers in tow, some neighbors and I headed to Warsaw, Mo. early Saturday morning.  Friends of ours who grew up in the area had secured permission for us to explore nearly 4000 acres of private land in Benton County, Mo.


The Induction of Elvis - King of Rock

But before hitting the hills, we needed some nourishment.  We found it at Dar's, a popular local eaterie staffed by a single waitress and a single cook.  At Dar's, patience is rewarded with a home-style breakfast.  As we waited, I admired the ancient pictures of Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, and Babe Ruth which adorned the walls, including one picture of a youthful Elvis in his tighty-whities being inducted into the U.S. Army.  

After breakfast, more like brunch, really, we unloaded our ATV's and headed into the woods.  The oaks and hickories and cedars have adorned the Ozark landscape for centuries, but the one feature with which our ancestors would most readily identify would be the rock.  Not the kind that made Elvis famous - the kind that seems to grow wild in the Ozarks.

Missouri - King of Rocks

Though the temperature was near 90, an overcast sky and an abundance of shade made our ride more pleasant than I expected.  After covering 13 miles of rugged terrain in just under 4 hours we loaded our four-wheelers back on the trailers to head home.  But first, we needed - more nourishment.  After wandering in the wilderness for a while, we discovered Charley's Buffet.  The website says it is in Lincoln, Mo.  It wasn't on my GPS.  What it was was good. 



Charley's Buffet - Limited Hours, Unlimited Food

We arrived around 4 PM.  People were already lined up.  The door said Charley's would open at 4:30.  It opened at 4:45.  In Benton County patience is advised when visiting restaurants.  By the time the doors opened people were lined up around the building.  Charley's features an old-fashioned buffet, all-you-can-eat, $14 a head, drink and tax included.  The food was great.  The dessert bar was amazing.  I had strawberry pie, blackberry cobbler, coconut cream pie and german chocolate cake.  After that I seemed to have lost my appetite.

I will definitely visit Charley's again.  I believe it is only open Friday & Saturday nights.  I'd suggest calling ahead at 660-668-3806 to find out their hours for sure.  You can find it on Facebook by typing in "Charley's Buffet, Lincoln, Mo.  The only thing I will do differently next time is to walk the 13 miles through the woods instead of riding an ATV.  Then maybe I'll have room for the soft-serve ice cream.                                                     

Charley's Dessert Bar