There are very few places in Little Rock that have survived as long as Terri Lynn’s BBQ and Delicatessen on Rodney Parham. The bbq and sandwich shop turns 65 next year and looks well poised for the foreseeable future with an ownership change to a longtime customer and lover of the restaurant. Aaron and Kristin Hether took over the business in 2005 and have worked hard to build the restaurant and customer base to the strongest in the long history. We wrote several years ago about the quality work the Hethers have done with the business. Life changes have brought a move to north Arkansas and the ..read more

With the closing of yet another restaurant/bar in the River Market the talk of Little Rock this week seems to be the failing entertainment area. Is the area really collapsing or is there more going on? As many of you know, over the past couple of years I’ve shifted a significant portion of my energy to commercial real estate, especially in the restaurant industry, so this is a topic close to my heart. We have slowed down writing here at Rock City Eats (with a plan to bring it back soon), but this topic needs to be discussed. So the big question, is the entire River Market district collapsing ..read more

The tornado that went through Little Rock and surrounding areas on Friday. Along with the dozens of homes and other businesses damaged and destroyed there were a number of our local restaurants also in the path. We have compiled a list of local restaurants we know that received significant damage and will likely be impacted for several weeks as a result. Some will be back quicker than others, so keep on eye on their pages for reopening dates and information. Keep in mind there are a number of other restaurants in the immediate areas that did not receive damage, but are still closed due to powe ..read more

Sterling Market, which opens today, sits in a category all of its own in the Little Rock food scene. It is part restaurant, part bakery, part butcher shop, part bar, and part grocery, but the sum of all the parts doesn’t quite add up to the potential it has to fill in the local scene. We have tried to define the “market”, which is the latests from owner Fidel Samour’s Remolinos Group, it is something you have experience to fully comprehend. The best way I have to describe the space at 515 Shall Ave in East Village is something similar to the Eataly concept of a market hall with many different ..read more

Waldo’s Chicken and Beer wasted no time rolling out a second Arkansas location of the joint venture between Fresh Hospitality and JTJ Restaurant (Petit & Keet, Cypress Social, Taziki’s) groups. This will be the first Little Rock proper location, and will be in the Outlets area at 6 Bass Pro Drive (former David’s Burger spot). The opening date is planned for February 21st. Waldo’s first opened their doors in May of 2019 in the Germantown neighborhood in Nashville, TN and has worked on expansion across the region since. They focus on a variety of chicken dishes including sandwiches, half/who ..read more

The Little Rock beer front has remained fairly quiet over the last few years, aside from a couple of second projects from Lost Forty and Flyway. That is all about to change in a big way starting with a return from one of our favorite brands, Moody Brews, which is looking to open a new brewery in Pettaway Square early next year. If you are not familiar with Moody, or have not been around the local beer scene for more than five years, then you are in for a treat. Josiah Moody was the former head brewer at Vino’s Brew Pub, which is the longest standing brewery in the state. While there he launche ..read more

J&S Italian Villa, a mainstay in the Hot Springs dining scene for over twenty years, is under new ownership. The reimagined restaurant includes updates to the menu, dining room, and bar and lounge, and the grand opening is July 14. Saddiq and Jeannie Mir purchased J&S in April. Saddiq previously served as Oaklawn’s vice president of hospitality, overseeing aspects of the recent expansion including the hotel spa and food and beverage operations. His over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry include leading teams at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas, the Omni Hotel in Houston ..read more

At the end of every year there are always a number of restaurant changes. Many choose to close at the end of the year to time with tax returns, while many decide to dive into new projects or take advantage of new leasable buildings at the first of the year. This list is by no means comprehensive and we will update for a period of time after, if you have an update please email me at greg@rockcityeats.com. Please note that some of these are current or former clients through our Rock City Commercial business that provides business brokerage and consulting services, as well as commercial real esta ..read more

When Merrick Fagan took over the Bar Manager role for Ciao Baci, he knew that he wanted to ensure the local favorite cocktails had the same level of creativity and execution that came from the kitchen. The new cocktail menu for this winter does just that. While the old specialty cocktails and full wine list can still be found behind a QR Code, the physical cocktail menu has a curated list of seasonal specialties, classic cocktails with Baci’s own tweaks, and zero proof cocktails so there is something for everyone. Fagan has a few tasting notes included on each seasonal drink so patrons can get ..read more

It has been just a little over a month since the mayoral election and I want to say first off thank you all who have reached out to show your support. I’ve heard from supporters as well as a huge number who voted for someone else that still wanted to wish me well, and I appreciate that more than I can ever express. I took a bit of a quiet period this last month, I have dealt with birthdays, deaths, business obligations, and everything in between. A large number of you have asked me what is next, and honestly for the first time in a few years, I have absolutely no idea. I have said before that ..read more