Bentonville sits right across the Missouri State line in Northwest Arkansas. It is a charming town with a great arts scene and is the mountain biking capital.
The Bentonville square is nostalgic, as its well-maintained buildings bring back the feeling of past America where the town square was the hub of the community for shopping, gathering, and eating.
The Bentonville food scene is fantastic, with southern comfort food, bakeries serving up delicious treats, and crepes that will rival Paris for taste.
If you ever find yourself in Bentonville, and I hope you do, check out these top restaurants that will be sure to bring food joy.
The 8 Best Restaurants Bentonville AR
The Hive
200 NE A St // +14792866575
The Hive restaurant is tucked away inside the 21c Museum hotel, and has a prime location just a block from Bentonville square. Cleverly displayed Beehive sculptures line the walls throughout the restaurant, along with the signature 21c penguins, which happen to be bright green.
The Hive has a casual vibe that is perfect for a relaxing meal with friends. Brunch and lunch menus offer a range of options but pay tribute to southern comfort food.
If you are at the Hive for brunch, bring your appetite and choose the Hive burger. The Hive burger is a beef burger topped with pimento cheese, tomato jam, and house pickles and served on a soft brioche bun. The pimento cheese is made in-house and is a cheesy delight, while the tomato jam adds a tasteful addition.
To top off your southern meal, order the peachy keen beverage. It is a cup of brewed iced tea with peach and vanilla flavor add-ins. The tea is not overly sweet, but the peach and vanilla flavor is an excellent addition to a traditional iced tea.
Crepes Paulette
100 SW 8th St #4 // +14792501110
A crepe was one of my favorite street foods on visits to Paris, and tucked away in Bentonville, Arkansas, Crepes Paulette serves crepes that can rival a Parisian crepe any day. The restaurant started as a food truck and moved to a brick-and-mortar store in 2016. The interior is adorable, with yellow umbrellas hanging artistically from the ceiling and an outdoor seating area that provides extra space.
Sweet or savory is the question, and it will be hard to choose, so do yourself a favor and select one of each. The Crepes Paulette menu is extensive, so give yourself some time to read through the menu to select your favorite. For savory, I recommend the La Spinach, which is served on a thin buckwheat crepe and has a layer of eggs, cheddar cheese, and fresh baby spinach.
Choose the Nutella and strawberry crepe for the sweet option, served in a thin and sweet crepe. The chocolate and hazelnut spread with the fresh strawberries is a classic flavor combination that will appeal to those with a sweet tooth.
The crepe is wrapped in foil and served in a small metal tin that holds the crepe if you need to set it down between bites. The container is genius as it keeps the crepe upright, and all the crepe ingredients stay together as you take a break.
Sweet Freedom Cheese
801 SE 8th St #1 // +14792685867
Sweet Freedom Cheese is Inside the 8th Street Market, an indoor and outdoor food hall. The market is a fun place to wander around and enjoy some food, featuring some great artwork and plenty of patio seating.
Sweet Freedom Cheese offers an array of sandwiches or charcuteries featuring all sorts of cheese. First, grab the ploughman’s lunch, which includes cheddar cheese and salami with some baguette slices.
The lunch is boxed up nicely for you and contains spicy mustard to top your cheese and meat. If grilled cheese is what you are looking for, you won’t be disappointed. The menu has a variety of options, from Caprese with a pesto sauce to French raclette. The raclette sandwich includes ham, a pineapple pepper jam, and potato chips for a tasty crunch.
Sweet Freedom Cheese has a large case of meat and cheeses ready for purchase, so it would be a great option if you want to grab a snack for later.
Bakery at Table Mesa
110 East W Central Ave // +14797156706
Bakery at Table Mesa is located right in the Bentonville square, offering convenience to stroll around to the nearby shops or look at the many murals covering the buildings around the square. The bakery is aesthetically pleasing, with some exposed brick walls and bright white paint.
The menu is on clever shelving with cutouts of the menu sitting on them. Bakery cases are filled with delights, including cannoli’s ready to be filled with cream and slices of cake asking to be your next sweet treat.
Cake plates with covered glass lids displaying cookies and scones line the counter, and it may take a moment to determine what you want to enjoy. The homemade donuts are why I will revisit Bakery at Table Mesa.
The flavors may change, but the lemon old-fashioned was a pleasant surprise. The lemon glaze provided a tartness with each bite that wasn’t overpowering. There is a small amount of seating inside the bakery.
If the weather cooperates, there are plenty of benches in the square. You can enjoy the fountain, and people-watch others discover the Bentonville charm.
Table Mesa Bistro
110 East W Central Ave // +14797156706
Next door to the bakery is a restaurant that serves up Latin cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The bistro offers outside sitting with Parisian-style café tables and chairs or various tables and comfortable booths inside.
The restaurant serves breakfast from 8:00 am to 11 am, and there’s a nice variety of sweet and savory options. If you are looking for a meal on the spicy side, check out the breakfast tacos.
You can have your choice of chorizo, eggs, cheddar, potato, and salsa, or a combination of avocado, eggs, potato, cheddar, and salsa. If choosing one option is difficult, ask for one of each as the meal includes two tacos. The soft taco shells filled to the brim with spicy chorizo ingredients create a delicious breakfast meal. A jar of fruit is served on the side and adds a delightful taste of freshness to your breakfast.
If you order a scone or donut, it will be from the Table Mesa Bakery next door. The restaurant is happy to pack up the sweet treat to go if you’re ready to continue discovering Bentonville.
Trash Creamery
401 SW A St Suite 101 // +14793672412
I went for the sweet dreams are made of mix,with vanilla ice cream. The mix included Oreos, black walnuts, peaches, cherries, and caramel. blended with more Oreos and caramel sauce added on top.
Next, choose the Pour Some Sugar on Me mix, ice cream loaded with Trix, Fruity Pebbles, Nerds, and Jolly Ranchers if you need an extra sugar rush. Honestly, it’s a childhood dream mixed in one ice cream treat.
Are you a real foodie? I’ve compiled a list of the best foodie gifts you can get for yourself and your closest ones. Cheese, meat and sweets subscriptions, and some classic must-have foodie gadgets.
If the mix menu options aren’t up your alley, you can add whatever mix-ins, including candy and fruit, you would like to a vanilla or chocolate ice cream base. The staff is friendly, and the space is retro, with white walls featuring 80s movie and music posters.
The Pedaler’s Pub
The Pedaler’s Pub pays tribute to the biking culture of Bentonville, and you will find plenty of bike racks in front of the restaurant if you come straight from a ride. The restaurant features wood-fired pizza, and you’ll see the giant oven, as there is an open kitchen layout. Pizzas are cooked quickly for two minutes at eight hundred degrees Fahrenheit.
The pizza has a thin crust with a bit of a crunch on the outside but chewy inside. The pizza flavors are inventive, such as the Arkie, which includes ham, mushrooms, and jalapeño peppers on a tomato base.
The Alpe pizza includes ribeye steak, spinach, feta cheese, onions, and sundried tomatoes on an olive oil and roasted garlic base. The pizzas will serve more than one person, so bring a friend or prepare for some leftovers!
If you want to stop in for an appetizer, try the loaded fries. The fries are a generous portion and covered with a house beer cheese, ranch dressing, hot sauce, and bacon crumbles.
You probably want a fork as the toppings are plentiful, but the fries do not get soggy even with the toppings. The tasty food and relaxed atmosphere felt like getting an authentic glimpse into Bentonville. Bentonville is a city with a heart, and Pedalar’s Pub will be a great experience.
Buttered Biscuit
1403 SE Moberly Ln // +14793194822
The Buttered Biscuit is a breakfast place that is full of locals and visitors alike. I had to drive around the building twice to get parking, and pros learn to get their name in early as there will be a wait. Grab some patience because the restaurant is worth waiting for a southern breakfast that will leave you delightfully full.
The Buttered Biscuit is a lovely restaurant with white walls and blue and white accented booths and tables. There is also patio seating, which is ideal when the weather is cooperating. From breakfast sandwiches to pancakes, the menu has all the breakfast delights.
To start, order a cinnamon roll and share it with the table. The cinnamon roll dough is more of a biscuit consistency and fills a breakfast-size plate with caramel sauce and a generous dollop of cream cheese frosting. If you are looking for a savory dish, you can’t go wrong with biscuits and gravy.
The serving includes a giant biscuit with a side dish of sausage gravy, eggs cooked to your preference, and fried potatoes. The gravy has just the right amount of sausage for flavor, and potatoes are cooked to perfection as they had a bit of a crunch on the outside. It is easy to see why the Buttered Biscuit is a Bentonville favorite. Bon Appetite!
Conclusion
With so many local restaurants to enjoy in Bentonville, Arkansas, you will never go hungry. However, be prepared that many places close on Sundays, so you might have to research what remains open if you are there on a long weekend. From delicious crepes to freshly made pizza, it will be fun to plan out your foodie journey.
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Erin Jones works in the corporate world, but her true passion is exploring. Whether it is navigating across cities in America or Europe there are no vacation hours left behind at year-end. You can find Erin’s latest travels on her blog Adventures of Erin.