An Eater’s Guide to Bentonville, Arkansas, the Home of Walmart (2024)

In 1960, Bentonville, then a town of 3,600 in northwest Arkansas, was known for its quaint downtown square and beloved local haunts like the Station Cafe. By 1971, after Sam Walton had launched Walmart, Bentonville became home to the retailer’s first distribution center and corporate office, kicking off a series of changes in the small town. Fast-forward 40 years to when Walton’s daughter Alice opened the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in 2011, making the town a destination for art lovers. Bentonville has since ballooned to around 61,000 residents, and the landscape surrounding downtown has evolved with ambitious urban planning. In 2025, a 350-acre Walmart campus is projected to open as its own self-contained community, complete with a food hall, hotel and rooftop bar, on-site childcare, parking garages, an amphitheater, bike paths, and a couple of lakes.

All the while, the food scene has grown alongside the town. The city has attracted a range of Japanese, Mexican, and French cuisines, as well as chic craft cocktail lounges, buzzy cafes, and picturesque bed and breakfasts. Most notably, chefs like Matthew Cooper, Rob Nelson, and Case Dighero have earned national recognition as ambassadors of High South cuisine, which champions local farmers and culinary sustainability.

“The most beautiful component of the High South movement is the first-hand view we have of people creating new, dynamic concepts from ideas that originated here but embellished by their own back story,” Dighero says. “History, amalgamation, diversity, and design are the backbone of High South cooking.”

Crystal Bridges Museum and the ongoing Walmart expansion can’t account for all the town’s growth (and some skepticism of Walmart’s impact on similar small towns across the nation is warranted), but credit where it’s due: The company has brought big city amenities to Bentonville, making eating in this town an exciting endeavor.

“Like most people who love the High South in all its appendages — geography, culture, food — I can’t wait to see what’s next,” Dighero says.

Angelina Lopez

Angelina Lopez

What is High South cuisine?

High South cuisine — a broad reference to foodways across the Ozarks in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri — relies heavily on local produce and sourcing practices. Hunting for wild game has sustained the people of the Ozarks for many generations, and meat and fish feature prominently on menus, including hogs (local bacon jam is a must-try), chicken, venison, trout, and catfish. On the northeast side of the state, flourishing fields help produce a majority of the nation’s long-grain rice. Arkansas is also home to berries, peaches, tomatoes, and persimmons. The Ozark Mountains in the north produce hundreds of varieties of apples, including the Arkansas black apple, notable for its flavor and persnickety nature. Similar to the persimmon, it must fully ripen before eating, usually in October or November, when it reveals notes of cardamom.

“It means something different to everyone,” says Dighero. “Matt Cooper sees it through the eyes of a mindful celiac, Rafael Rios from the history of his Mexican heritage, and [I see it through] my own experiences from my family’s cattle farming, peach orchards, foraging, and white bass fishing. The complexity of its meaningfulness is what makes it so dynamic and important.”

Ultimately, High South cuisine is about respecting the land and its sustenance, as well as the sense of community that both provide. Visitors will find traces of that mentality in many of Bentonville’s restaurants, even if they don’t explicitly subscribe to the region’s burgeoning cuisine.

Drager Creative Courtesy of Visit Bentonville

What to know before you go

8th Street Market: Less than a mile away from downtown, 8th Street Market is a space for small restaurant startups and culinary entrepreneurs. Don’t miss Markham and Fitz, a bean-to-bar chocolate shop (try the old-fashioned truffles and the chocolate martini). The market is also home to the culinary school Brightwater.

Bentonville Film Festival: Co-founded by actress Geena Davis in 2015, the Bentonville Film Festival takes over town every May, as filmmakers and actors from around the world gather to celebrate diverse voices. 21c is the official hotel of the film festival, and it books up fast, so plan your visit accordingly.

Crystal Bridges Museum: Crystal Bridges was a big deal when it opened in 2011, bringing works by a range of artists — from Rockwell to Rothko — to the public for free. Over time, it’s only expanded and brought more money and attention to town. The museum is also home to High South restaurant Eleven.

Downtown construction: You’ll find a lot of Bentonville’s most exciting venues downtown. You’ll also find a lot of chaos due to several construction projects, especially the Quilt of Parks, which will connect six local green spaces. While these projects will eventually make the town more walkable and bikeable, for now, they make driving and parking difficult, so stay at a hotel or short-term rental downtown to have access to the most food with the fewest headaches.

21c Museum Hotels

21c Museum Hotels

The best restaurants, cafes, and food trucks in Bentonville

Onyx Coffee Lab

Bentonville offers several breakfast and brunch options, but start your day at Onyx Coffee Lab, a chic, vaguely modernist hangout with good Wi-Fi, breakfast sandwiches, and plenty of caffeinated options. The shop offers detailed tasting notes for its various pour-overs, which are on offer alongside seasonal drinks like tamarind cider soda or miso pumpkin lattes. The cafe will also have a location inside the new Walmart complex.

Crepes Paulette

Bentonville native Paula Jo Chitty Henry spent time working as an actress in New York, where she fell in love with Frenchman Frédéric Henry. The couple eventually married and she convinced him to move back to Arkansas, where, in 2010, they opened a food truck serving crepes and galettes, among other French casual fare. The truck was an instant hit and is still worth a stop for buckwheat crepes, either sweet or savory.

The Hive

In 2013, the 21c Museum Hotel, known for its ceramic honeycombs and eclectic decor, opened the Hive, a standout restaurant led by executive chef Matthew McClure. It quickly set the standard for High South cuisine. McClure’s then-sous chef Micah Klasky, now executive chef, shares his vision for sophisticated regional fare highlighting local farms, seasonal ingredients, and elevated interpretations of Ozark classics, such as chicken liver mousse served with onion jam and toasted sourdough; pan-roasted chicken thigh with crispy farro; or local peaches and tomatoes with herbed labneh and cilantro.

The Preacher’s Son

The Preacher’s Son

On the corner of A Street and Second is an unassuming red brick church, formerly the First Christian Church, built in 1904. For many Arkansans of a certain age who grew up in dry counties, refreshments at church included fizzy punch and sweet tea served in a basement reception hall; no alcohol was allowed, not even for weddings. So when the Preacher’s Son opened in 2017, with executive chef Matthew Cooper at the helm, diners were pleasantly surprised to find dazzling cocktails served from a refurbished altar with stained glass windows crafted by George Dombek. Cooper moved on to start his own restaurant, Conifer, but executive chef Neal Gray continues to deliver upscale Southern classics and Ozark culinary excellence. It’s worth booking reservations ahead of a visit.

Tusk and Trotter

Like McClure and Cooper, Rob Nelson has been essential to advancing High South cuisine since 2011. His restaurant, Tusk and Trotter, offers Ozark-style pub food, including dishes that reward brave newbies, like pig-ear nachos. Try the catfish pastrami Reuben or lamb patty melt, too.

Conifer

In 2022, chef Matthew Cooper realized his dream of opening a restaurant, the stylish Conifer, where he became a James Beard semifinalist. Cooper is committed to crafting gluten-free menus with seasonal ingredients. “The vision of Conifer is to make a difference for our local farmers and for our restaurant family, while providing that safe space for people with dietary restrictions,” Cooper says. Expect starters that center Ozark produce, such as cherry and roasted corn salad with honey-lime yogurt and mint vinaigrette; fragrant meat and fish main courses like local chicken served with purple hull peas; or red rockfish with coconut, ginger, cucumber, and blue tree rice. Seats go quickly, so make a reservation early.

Bentoville

Bentoville

At Bentoville, one of the latest additions to the Bentonville scene, chefs Shinichiro Takagi and Billy Kong, both with Michelin-starred restaurants on their resumes, offer the best bento boxes any office worker could hope for on a lunch break (though meals work equally well for dinner, too). This restaurant is sure to gain national attention even as it reflects the culinary tastes and diversity of northwest Arkansas.

Eleven at Crystal Bridges Museum

Eleven, the signature restaurant of Crystal Bridges Museum, is well-known for marrying art, ambiance, and unique takes on High South cuisine. Despite the environs, the seasonal menu is casual, complete with a kids’ menu. Diners shouldn’t miss Jeff Koons’s “Hanging Heart” sculpture, acquired by Alice Walton in 2014, in the center of the space, or the stunning views designed by architect Moshe Safdie.

Yeyo’s

Inside 8th Street Market, James Beard semifinalist chef Rafael Rios operates this popular restaurant, where he shares his Mexican heritage and the dishes of Michoacan with his community. Yeyo’s is both a personal passion for Rios and a family endeavor; the restaurant uses farm-fresh ingredients from the Rios Family Farm for items like street tacos, burritos, and handmade corn tortillas. There’s a reason the line spills out the door during its lunch and dinner hours.

Table at the Hickory Inn

In 1970, retirees Fred and Lou Gaye, who had spent their careers traveling the world for work, bought a piece of unkempt land near Walton Boulevard and opened their dream restaurant. Fred’s Hickory Inn quickly became a local favorite steak joint. Fred would drive his lawnmower over to the restaurant, mow down unruly weeds, and smoke meat outside, earning fans like Sam Walton and Robin Leach along the way. While new owners changed the name, it’s still a must-visit with plenty of Bentonville lore — and smoked prime rib.

Rogers, Springdale, Fayetteville, and Johnson

Bentonville is just one of several growing cities in northwest Arkansas. Hop on Interstate 49 and you’ll land in neighboring Rogers, Springdale, Fayetteville, or Johnson within about 20 minutes. Check out the 1907 complex in downtown Rogers, home to the Onyx Coffee Lab headquarters and the exclusive Heirloom restaurant. Grab the best pizza in Arkansas at Pizzeria Ruby in Johnson, or nosh on late-night cabeza tacos at El Guanajuato in Springdale. In the mood for a dive bar? Have a PBR and a smash burger at Art’s Place in Fayetteville.

Where to Drink in Bentonville

Lady Slipper

Sip craft cocktails, made with ingredients like dragon fruit mint syrup or cold-pressed watermelon juice, at this speakeasy in the basement of the former Massey Hotel. It’s worth visiting just for the art, which includes works by Jeffrey Gibson, handpicked by Crystal Bridges curators.

Undercroft

Located in the former church coat closet on the basement floor underneath the Preacher’s Son, this cheeky bar is a boozy, slinky paradise. Expect live music paired with drinks like the Holy Water (dark rum, banana, Campari, and orange) and the Spirit in the Sky (tequila, turmeric, ginger, and peach).

Tower Bar at the Momentary

Take in extraordinary views of the Ozarks from the Tower Bar at the Momentary, Crystal Bridges’ hub for art, music, and culture housed within a former cheese factory. Various performances take place throughout the complex, including at the bar, set on the sixth floor. You’ll also find a range of cocktails and a few small bites.

Where to Stay in Bentonville

21c Museum Hotel

Visitors who want to stay within walking distance of every notable restaurant and bar in downtown Bentonville — and who don’t mind paying extra for the convenience — should book a room at 21c. Peruse art exhibits in the lobby, make a reservation at the Hive downstairs for dinner, and walk to Undercroft or Lady Slipper for a nightcap. Rooms start around $300.

Motto by Hilton

Another option for visitors aiming for a more traditional hotel stay near downtown and Crystal Bridges is Motto by Hilton, which offers standard amenities along with bike storage in case guests wish to hit a trail or cruise around Bentonville. Rooms starting around $200.

The Victoria Bed & Breakfast

Feel fancy at the Victoria Bed & Breakfast on Main Street. The property offers uniquely decorated rooms, and it’s close to downtown Bentonville, Crystal Bridges Museum, and biking trails. Rooms starting around $250.

Short-term rentals

For visitors who prefer an Airbnb or other short-term rental — or anyone curious to see inside the multimillion-dollar houses and condos downtown — there’s no shortage of options. Visit Bentonville provides a comprehensive list. Nightly prices vary depending on the season, demand, and the whim of the host, but generally start around $65.

Born and raised in Arkansas, Emily Blackshear covers unexpected food stories in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri for the New Territory Magazine. She has worked as an oral historian for Oklahoma State University, where she led a multiyear project that amplified the voices of Oklahoma’s poets and writers, and currently fundraises for a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting hunger.
Copy edited by Laura Michelle Davis