Tree Top Saloon: Roots in the soil, food in the sky

Late-ish on a Thursday night, I recently had a good meal in a restaurant that is absolutely like no other in our area. After a twisty and dark drive down State Highway C through the metropolis of Pocahontas, I turned right onto County Road 532. After an even more twisty-turny drive, I saw a long horizontal pole on the left side of the road, and a small "OPEN" sign was attached to it. I drove up a steep gravel driveway into the woods, and there shining like a beacon was the Tree Top Saloon. The address of the place is 4946 County Road 532, Jackson, if you want to go visit, and you absolutely should.

With the building beautifully lit at night, I crossed a sturdy wooden bridge to go into the Tree Top Saloon, which sits about 25 feet off of the ground, according to social media. Upon entering, I immediately loved how intimately the room was lighted. To translate, that means it was pretty dark in there at night. Red string lights outlined the ceiling, and the larger dining room was mostly lit by the pool table light. Suspended over the pool table with thick chunky ropes and pulleys anchored into a pillar and a wall, this light was a focal point at night and certainly made a statement. Then I finally noticed the stuffed moose head and began to pick out details, such as the casually lolling stuffed raccoon and the huge stuffed fox squirrel clinging to the wooden wall.

The Tree Top Saloon, warm and welcoming on a dark evening.

The Tree Top Saloon, warm and welcoming on a dark evening.

The dining room smelled of freshly hewn wood, and that's what it was lined in: roughly hewn rustic planks, floor to ceiling wood. A cathedral ceiling kept it from feeling too close and heavy, and the absolutely huge windows opened the room out to the woods outside, though it was too dark for me to see anything. I will definitely have to return during the day to see the sights and actually feel like I was up in the air. There were two outdoor seating areas, which I am sure will be incredible to sit at as the year warms up.

This place was exciting. The building is beautiful and unique. I mean, there are live trees growing through it, plexiglassed off and showcased. The owners nailed the venue, but how was the food?

We ordered a supreme pizza and a grilled burrito. There were burgers on the menu, along with salads, paninis, chicken wings and sandwiches, quesadillas, nachos ... lots of options. The pizza came out first, and it looked delicious. Tons of fresh vegetables, generous amounts of meat, and when I picked up a slice, it was heavy. Loaded with cheese and toppings on a crispy stout crust, I enjoyed a couple of pieces with relative happy chewing. Then the burrito came out, and an involutary "Oh my goodness!" burst out of me. This thing was huge — a large flour tortilla plump and full, rolled up and absolutely drenched in toppings like lettuce, more cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, salsa and jalapenos. It was pretty, but the filling inside was my favorite, obviously homemade, no frozen filling here. It tasted like the taco meat my mom made, and I had a hard time not eating more than I should.

Tree Top Saloon's Grilled Burrito, reminiscent of the best home cookingSubmitted by Rebecca LaClair

Tree Top Saloon's Grilled Burrito, reminiscent of the best home cookingSubmitted by Rebecca LaClair

My husband put some money in the jukebox, so we listened to Metallica, Johnny Cash and Billy Idol while we ate and hummed along. Some people came in and started playing pool, so the distinctive clink of the balls clacking together served as a backdrop. We ordered pickle shots, and I had no idea what I was ordering. I just like pickles. The result was a shot glass full of pickle vodka, which went down smoother than you'd think. I believe that I can cross that experience off of my list and not revisit it again, if you know what I mean.

The food was good, the room was beautiful, people were having fun, and we relaxed and unwound after a long day, in a way that we usually don't experience at a restaurant. Due to the Tree Top Saloon's proximity to our home, we are sure we will be visiting often.

The Tree Top Saloon is open from Thursday to Monday. It opens at 2 p.m., stops serving food at 8 p.m., and stays open to whenever people start to trickle away, with the listed times being from midnight to 1 a.m.