Chef Driven
A pleasantly surprising fact about Bentonville is that there happen to be a lot of very talented chefs around town working not just in restaurants, but in innovation for some very big global retailers. This means that Bentonville has a large concentration of chefs thinking about food in dynamic ways, which has resulted in a wide-variety of chef-driven concepts. Chef Micah Klasky leads the team at The Hive in 21C Museum Hotel, focusing on High South cuisine of the Ozarks. The Preacher’s Son, led by Chef Neal Gray is a long-standing favorite for “casual, understated elegance” in a beautifully retrofitted church off the Bentonville square that is such a vibe. Across the street is another fine dining favorite, Bar Cleeta, owned by Trey and Weisi Basore (I can’t decide what I love more, the food or Weisi’s incredible wine list).
Chef Matthew Cooper, a 2025 James Beard Foundation Award Finalist, focuses on developing seasonal, farm-driven menus that are 100% gluten free at Conifer (his downtown restaurant) and Ryn (a farm-to-table tasting menu). Fellow 2025 JBF Award Finalist Chef Rafael Rios also emphasizes a farm-to-table ethos with all of his concepts operating with produce from Rios Family Farm. I have it on good authority from multiple local and visiting chefs that Chef Rios’ corn tortillas are the best they’ve ever had (they’re right).
You can wax poetic about the quality of the pizza in Bentonville, too, with Oven & Tap’s Chefs Luke Wetzel and Mollie Mullis turning out incredible wood-fired pies and a menu focused on live-fire cooking. Coming soon from Chef Mike Robertshaw is Pizza Lottie’s, sister restaurant to wildly popular NWA restaurant Pizzeria Ruby. We welcome all styles of pizza here and Robertshaw’s New England style pies are highly nostalgic for this former New Havenite. Are you picking up on the concentration of talent? It’s real.
Conifer in Bentonville
Local Standards
There are a lot of cities that claim coffee as their “thing,” but Bentonville has the receipts. Don’t believe it? Check out any of the Onyx locations around Bentonville and ask them which coffee shop was ranked 2026’s #1 in the world by The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops list and watch them beam with pride. Airship Coffee is another ubiquitous brand with several coffee shop locations, including the cafe at Coler Mountain Bike Preserve, which can only be reached via foot or bike, which is pretty dreamy. A local favorite for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, Crepes Paulette has a crowd pleasing menu of sweet and savory crepes (the buckwheat crepes are gluten free) that always make you feel like you’re having a special treat. Don’t sleep on Ozark Mountain Bagel–literally, they will sell out and almost always have a (fast-moving) line.
Onyx Coffee Lab in Downtown Bentonville
Food Trucks
If you’re looking for something low key without sacrificing flavor, check out one of the many food trucks around Bentonville. You can find three to four food trucks operating outside Bike Rack Brewing at 8th Street Market offering a range of cuisine, like sandwiches from Loafin’ Joes, Northern-Indian food from Spice Shuttle, barbeque, and more. For burgers with a wicked theme, check out The Witching Hour, a horror movie-themed burger truck with items like their eponymous classic burger, “caskets” of fries, and “crop circles,” otherwise known as onion rings. The downtown Yeyo’s food truck is a classic (remember those tortillas I mentioned? Plus a burrito? You need it). Priato Pizzeria is also a favorite for piping hot Neopolitan style pizza ready in minutes.
Yeyo's Food Truck on West Central Ave.
Nightlife & Bars with Food
Bars with food are becoming more and more popular and for good reason; anyone can find something they like. Bentonville has a great variety of bar-driven restaurants like this, which are perfect for unwinding at any time. For a higher end experience, go directly to Lady Slipper, where you can graze on small bites or their $25 house burger, fries, and signature cocktail special for more substantial, all while sitting under a Kehinde Wiley painting. For a music-focused bar, check out Loveless, a vinyl record listening bar that serves a scene and a menu of deluxe hot dogs. Other great cocktail bars with more cocktails than food are Scotch & Soda downtown for a busy scene and Hardwater near the Market District for an intimate experience. Mixed use cafes like The Meteor, a coffee/bike shop/beer/wine/cocktails/food spot, and The Hub Bike Lounge, also a bike-centric bar with limited menu, are popular across the city. If you’re looking for a great dive bar experience, you can’t go wrong with the First Seat, a baseball bar known for their burgers and cold beer. Don’t forget about the breweries! Aforementioned Bike Rack Brewing has the 8th Street market food trucks as well as all the 8th Street brick and mortar restaurants. Stoic Brews Alternative is all gluten free with allergy-friendly food options, too. Bentonville Brewing Co. not only has an in-house restaurant, Nosh Nola, but food trucks, a playground, and dog park, too.
Bentonville Brewing Co. Taproom
