Rachel Cannon's dry-aged Prime Tomahawk in a 1937 schoolhouse is Fort Smith's milestone room — book the dining room, not the bar.
About StoneHouse
Book the dining room, not the bar, and call ahead for a weekend — StoneHouse is the room Fort Smith books when the dinner has to mean something. It sits at the edge of town in Chaffee Crossing, inside the 1937 Maness Schoolhouse, the only building left standing when Camp Chaffee was carved out around it, its rear patio laid by German prisoners of war in 1943. It opened in 2015 as a chef-driven New American steakhouse, the steak program is the point, and in 2025 it was named the city's best fine-dining restaurant (Quality Business Awards USA). For the criteria we judge it against, see our seven signs of a great restaurant.
The Kitchen
Rachel Cannon runs the kitchen as executive chef and director of operations, back in her hometown since 2023 after two decades with restaurant groups, television cooking spots, and a stint under James Beard–awarded chef Lorenzo Polegri in Orvieto, Italy. She brought in Josh Torres, who started on lunch service and climbed to executive chef beside her.
The brief is a serious chophouse with a modern hand. The plate to order is the dry-aged Prime Tomahawk — a 36-to-40-ounce bone-in ribeye, aged on the bone and carved tableside, at $95 and built to share. Under it the menu reads straight: a 14-ounce ribeye at $34, filet mignon from $38, and a hog chop at $25 with maple-pecan bacon jam and apples. Start with the Black n Gold bisque, a lobster bisque finished with saffron and squid-ink cream. Cuts are prime, the aging is done in-house, and this is the rare Fort Smith room cooking at this level on a nightly menu rather than for one occasion a year.
The Room
The schoolhouse does the heavy lifting: thick stone walls, tall windows, an age you cannot fake, and a patio out back built by POWs during the war. Inside, the mood is warm and low-lit rather than clubby — white tablecloths without stiffness, a bar that fills early, and space between tables for a private conversation. For a milestone, ask for the dining room and skip the bar side. Smart-casual is right: you will see neat denim and you will see jackets, and neither looks wrong.
Best for a Milestone Dinner
Book StoneHouse for an anniversary or a birthday because the historic schoolhouse hands the night a sense of occasion a strip-mall steakhouse never will, and the dry-aged tomahawk is the plate a table remembers. It is comfortable enough for a long dinner and polished enough to mark something. Compare the best restaurants for an anniversary, the best birthday tables, and our best steakhouses worldwide for the wider field.
Not for
Not for a quick weeknight bite or anyone counting the cheque — this is a sit-down steak dinner with tableside carving and prime-cut prices, and it is closed Sundays.
Frequently Asked
Is StoneHouse worth it?
Yes — for a milestone dinner in Fort Smith it is the strongest room in town, cooking prime dry-aged beef in a genuinely historic schoolhouse. The Prime Tomahawk runs $95 and a la carte steaks land between $25 and $38, so it is a special-occasion spend rather than a casual one. In 2025 it was named Fort Smith's best fine-dining restaurant (Quality Business Awards USA). See the Fort Smith dining guide for alternatives.
What should I order at StoneHouse?
The signature is the dry-aged Prime Tomahawk — a 36-to-40-ounce bone-in ribeye carved tableside at $95, ideal to share. If you are dining solo, the 14-ounce ribeye at $34 or the filet mignon from $38 are the move, and the hog chop at $25 with maple-pecan bacon jam is the sleeper. The steak program is the reason to come.
Where is StoneHouse in Fort Smith?
StoneHouse is at 8801 Wells Lake Road in Chaffee Crossing, on the eastern edge of Fort Smith, in the 1937 Maness Schoolhouse — the only building left when Camp Chaffee was built around it. It is a short drive from downtown and has its own parking, with a historic rear patio laid by German prisoners of war in 1943.
Do you need a reservation at StoneHouse?
For a weekend dinner or any milestone night, yes — book ahead, and ask for the dining room rather than the bar. StoneHouse takes reservations by phone and through OpenTable, and the kitchen is busiest Friday and Saturday. Weeknights are easier, but the better tables still go to those who call first.
Who is the chef at StoneHouse?
Rachel Cannon is executive chef and director of operations, having returned to her hometown of Fort Smith in 2023 after twenty years with restaurant groups, TV cooking appearances, and study under James Beard–awarded chef Lorenzo Polegri in Italy. Joshua Torres, whom she brought on, has risen to executive chef alongside her.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at StoneHouse
Via OpenTable · or call 479-242-3221
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address8801 Wells Lake Road, Fort Smith, AR 72916
NeighbourhoodChaffee Crossing
CuisineNew American steakhouse
Signature dishPrime dry-aged Tomahawk ($95)
Mains$25–$95
Dress codeSmart-casual
ReservationOpenTable / phone
Executive chefRachel Cannon (since 2023)
RecognitionAY Magazine feature, 2024
