Fayetteville, Arkansas was one of the first cities in the nation to pilot an Outdoor Refreshment Area (ORA), allowing visitors and residents of legal drinking age to openly carry and consume alcohol in our downtown entertainment district. Today, the ORA is a mainstay in downtown Fayetteville and remains one of very few places in the United States where you can legally drink in the street!

Fayetteville is the entertainment headquarters of the region and the Downtown and Dickson Street areas serve as the epicenter. Dickson Street is home to many of the unique boutiques, galleries, bars and restaurants that Fayetteville offers. Discover the eclectic sounds of Fayetteville at one of the many bars and restaurants offering live music almost every night of the week. From dancing to shooting pool, there is something for everyone’s tastes.

In the land of the Hogs, there’s a lot to beef about over barbecue. With a generous load of local barbecue joints, Fayetteville’s scene can satisfy your craving for smoked meats in a variety of ways, and even satisfy those with unusual tastes. CITY PARK An outdoor space with a thick menu that can please most any crowd, City Park offers barbecue on Friday and Saturday nights. Brisket, pulled pork, whole smoked chickens and racks of ribs are served with sidecars of charro beans, elote, loaded potatoes and fried cheese curds. Cocktails, beer, and non-alcoholic mixed drinks are also available. 1332 North Leverett(479) 332-0448CityParkFayetteville.com FLAVORSMITH’S CRAFT BARBECUE Housed inside Fayetteville Athletic Club, FlavorSmith’s offers the full spread of barbecue offerings, from brisket and pulled pork to baby back ribs, smoked turkey, and jalapeno cheese sausages. Billy Ray Smith has quickly gained recognition for consistently good and steady products, and what could be northwest Arkansas’s best banana pudding. 2920 E Zion Rd(479) 530-4911flavorsmithscraftbbq.com LUCKY LUKE’S BBQ This local bar and smokehouse features ribs as its star attraction - by the whole or half rack. Pulled pork, sliced chicken, brisket, kielbasa, and hot links are are also great bets, as are the whole smoked chicken dinners. But it’s the wings you really need to consider - truly smoked wings, crispy and succulent, that set this neighborhood joint apart. 1220 Garland Avenue #1(479) 521-7550GetLuckyAtLukes.com PENGUIN ED’S HISTORIC B&B and PENGUIN ED’S BBQ Two separate locations with two completely different origin stories. The original Penguin Eds began in 1993 with a tent beside the highway, then a little white trailer before moving into the brick-and-mortar at Mission and Crossover. The “penguin” in the name comes from the little papier-mâché penguins Ed Knight would make. He and his wife Diane took over running another famed barbecue joint, B&B BBQ, keeping the enterprise that had originally opened in 1962 alive for future generations. Both locations sport smoked brisket, Polish and ham, hot links, pulled pork and chicken - but at the Historic B&B, battered crinkle-cut fries, brown beans, and fried pies are still on the menu, while you’ll get cheezy tators, wings and cookies over on mission. 230 South East Avenue(479) 521-3663 2773 East Mission Boulevard(479) 587-8646 PenguinEds.com RONDA’S ROADHOUSE A locals-know joint where smoked ham is popular any time of day, along with pulled pork, sliced brisket, and hot links. It’s also one of the few places in town where you can get barbecue for breakfast, in the shape of smoked bologna and hot links with your eggs and biscuits. Fridays are rib days. 504 East 15th Street(479) 935-3240Facebook.com/RondasRoadhouse SASSY’S RED HOUSE and SASSYS BBQ AND GRILLE An original barbecue sauce created by Jasper Jones in 1895 is good enough to base an entire restaurant pair around. Allen Brummett continues a tradition begun by Sharon and Bill Jones in 2009, that has blossomed into two restaurants showcasing Ozark smoked meats on a thick menu. Fall-apart brisket, smoked ribs, wings, chicken, pulled pork and sausages are all stars here, served traditionally on platters and sandwiches and in tacos, nachos, quesadillas, salads, and mac and cheese bowls. 708 North College Avenue(479) 856-6366 1290 Steamboat Drive(479) 435-6996 SassysBBQ.co SOUTH SIDE SMOKE SHACK Pork butts? Sides of salmon? Lamb, chicken, tri-tip, brisket - what Anthony Breathitt decides to put over smoke comes out masterful. This food truck operator’s usual spot is on the south side of town, but he also is known to move to bigger events around Fayetteville. 3130 South School Avenue(479) 435-9543facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553596697543 WES’S BBQ BURGER PLUS You won’t find this old school barbecue joint on the main drag, but locals know where to find it - tucked into a hollow just off the campus of the University of Arkansas. Pork, beef, chicken, and sausage sandwiches have been served here since Wesley and Mary Whitmore opened it in 1985. It’s the oldest black-created business in Fayetteville, with a steady group of regulars who will point out that thick, sweet sauce and how good that meat is on toasted, seeded buns. Try the ribs and the Polish sausages, for sure, or go with a classic chicken sandwich with slaw. 14 South University Avenue(479) 521-5901WesBBQBurgerPlus.com WHOLE HOG CAFE The giant in Arkansas barbecue has a great location on North College, where you can dive into a plate of ribs, chicken, turkey, pork, or brisket with your choice of any (or all) six master sauces on the table. Mike “Sarge” Davis, Ron Blasingame, and Steve Lucchi - started the legend when they entered the 2000 Mem phis-in-May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest,  coming home with a second place trophy for “The Southern Gentlemen’s Society.” A couple of years later, they came out on top as World Champions with a first in the whole hog category. From barbecue trailer to brick-and-mortar to locations in four states, Whole Hog cannot be ignored. 3009 North College Avenue(479) 442-0100WholeHogCafe.com   By Kat Robinson, author of The Arkansas Barbecue Traveler

PIE. A simple, unassuming little word—yet the very mention of it conjures up such happy emotion! Meringue, cream, fruit, chocolate, crisp, nut, silk, caramel and even savory…do you lean toward a perfect flaky crust, perhaps the classic graham cracker or, dare we say it, fried into a heavenly, crunchy packet of goodness? We could argue for days about which is the best, but that would be precious time lost when considering how many glorious pie options exist for the tasting in Fayetteville. Here are a few for you to conquer:

Lake Fayetteville is not only an Ozarks destination for outdoor enthusiasts, but also home to a large food truck court offering some of the most authentic cuisine in town!

It has been said, and aptly so, “Without ice cream there would be darkness and chaos.” – Don Kardong We’re happy to report that for many reasons all is well in the City of Fayetteville, not the least of which is the profusion of great spots to satisfy your sweet tooth with something spectacularly cold and delicious. We haven’t been able to pick a favorite, but are so very content to keep the quest alive. Here are some must-tries when nothing will do but sweet, creamy perfection topped with your heart’s delight: