Get hungry, restaurant fans. It’s time for some restaurant news.
Here’s what we know about a handful of places that are opening, closing, moving, or coming soon to Fayetteville.
Moonlight Cafe
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A couple months ago, we wrote about a vegan restaurant that also served coffee and sweets along the trail system.
That didn’t work out, but another restaurant with a similar concept has already opened in its place.
The new place is called Moonlight Cafe, and is located at 1877 #2, N Pluto Dr. just off the Razorback Greenway in Fayetteville.
We haven’t yet been able to track down the menu, but according to its Facebook page, it offers “vegetarian cuisine, coffee, sweets, CBD products, and more.”
It’s open from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, and from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Mo’s Tacos & Churros
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A local food truck will soon expand into its first brick and mortar location in Fayetteville.
Mo’ Tacos & Churros, the truck that has been located at a few places around town over the years, will soon find a more permanent home at 329 N. West Ave., next to Teatro Scarpino just off Dickson Street.
As the name suggest, the truck specializes in tacos, churros, and other Mexican foods. It has popped up events around town for years, and was recently located in the Quick Town mobile business park, next to Walmart Neighborhood Market on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Signs for the new location appeared recently, and renovation of the space is currently underway.
According to owner Juan Garcia, the restaurant will open for business on Nov. 23.
Meme’s Caribbean Flavour
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A new restaurant focused on the flavors of Trinidad and Tobago is now open in Fayetteville.
The new place, called Meme’s Caribbean Flavour, opened last week at 6315 W. Wedington Dr. on the west side of Fayetteville, in the same space as Brian’s Knockout Breakfast.
Here’s the description of the restaurant, from the Facebook page.
Trinidad influence Caribbean Flavored Food in NWA! Trinidad and Tobago cuisine reflects a blending of African-West African, Amerindian, Arab, Chinese, Creole, European, North Indian-South Asian, and Latin American-Spanish-Portuguese influences. In other words, we’re a melting pot! Join Meme’s on this journey of introducing and serving delightful and tasty dishes in our neck of the woods!
Owner Shurla Jobe said the restaurant focuses on jerk chicken, oxtails stew, chicken stew, Calypso rice, mac and cheese pie, hand pies, curry potatoes, Pelau, and other items.
The restaurant is open from 4-8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday.
A bit more information is available at the restaurant’s Facebook group.
Natural State Sandwiches
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Natural State Sandwiches has moved to Dickson Street.
The truck is currently located at 205 W. Dickson St., in the parking lot of Fayettechill/Puritan.
The truck got its start at The Yacht Club on College, and even tried a brick and mortar for a while in Springdale before returning to Fayetteville.
It’s known for over-the-top, high-stacked sandwiches.
The truck is open for lunch from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.
Persephone on Wheels
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Speaking of well-loved local food trucks, Persephone on Wheels is now in Fayetteville.
The truck has been parked during the day at the new Pink House Alchemy location at 928 N. College Ave.
We’ve also heard it will serve food at the new Holidaze Christmas-themed pop-up bar on the square once it opens next week.
The truck specializes in Mediterranean street food fare, including gyros, falafel, and other items.
Its hours and location varies, but the owners do a good job of updating their Facebook page with information.
Atlas Restaurant
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A new fine dining restaurant serving food inspired by cuisine from around the world is coming to Block Avenue.
The new restaurant, called Atlas, will be located at 208 N. Block Ave. in the building formerly home to Big Star bar, Beaver Electric, and a host of other businesses since it was built back in the 1920s.
Atlas is co-owned by locals Elliot Hunt and Brandon Rostek. Hunt is a chef who has cooked and studied at locations all over the world, and the food at the restaurant will take inspiration from his travels to France, India, Ecuador, Australia, Morocco, and other locales, he said.
From the restaurant’s website:
Inspired by Chef Elliot’s culinary journeys across six continents, Atlas incorporates striking dishes, modern techniques, and a spirit of adventure to create a restaurant that tells the story of our world through the language of food and hospitality.
Our mission at Atlas is to deliver a dining experience that takes you on a journey, involving all your senses, while setting the standard for service in Northwest Arkansas.
Our passion for discovery through travel is purposefully reflected in the thoughtfully curated interior design of the c. 1925 Ellis Building in downtown Fayetteville. The lounge and dining room showcase antiques, serving pieces, and art objects from around the world to captivating effect.
Rostek has restaurant experience as well. His mother is a general manager and catering coordinator, and his father is a chef and graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and Brandon grew up working in their restaurants.
If all goes well, Elliot said he hopes to have the restaurant up and running sometime before the end of 2019.
JBGB
Photo: Courtesy, JBGB
After a couple years open, local restaurant and brewpub JBGB is ready to reinvent itself.
The restaurant closed in late September for renovations and enclosure of the patio area, according to a press release issued Monday night. JBGB officially opened in May 2017.
From the release:
When we opened JBGB’s doors, we had no idea how the public would react to all the things we were offering, and quickly thought of a few things that we could have done a bit differently.
While some of these were easy to check off like the kids’ area, others could only be fixed by a complete remodel which would require massive expense and cause a temporary closure to JBGB in order to accomplish.
So it is with great happiness and equal sadness that we announce that as of Sept. 30, JBGB will be closing down in order to enclose the outside games/music area and add new and improved features to our already fun experience. With the enclosure, we will be able to accomplish a few things such as the ability to hold concerts year round, make upgrades to our patio that weren’t possible previously due to weather exposure, and not to mention that we will be able to enjoy the use of our outdoor activities during the cold months.
The on-site brewery will continue operations as normal, and the beers created there will be available at all JJ’s Grill locations around the state.
Doomsday Coffee
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Doomsday Coffee recently closed its original location in the Evelyn Hills Shopping Center on College Avenue.
Owner Jason Collins said at the time that he and his wife Rosie had been trying to decide what to do with the original shop since they opened a second location in downtown Fayetteville at 436 W. Watson Street.
The new Watson location will eventually extend its hours to open at 6 a.m. and close at 1 a.m. and will serve Doomsday’s signature breakfast tacos all day long. Once that decision was made, the two agreed to close the College Avenue shop.
From Collins:
It sounds like an easy decision. It was not. We opened in Evelyn Hills to be close to the veterans. That’s the only reason why. I am a crazy combat veteran who likes to be around other crazy veterans. I love my combat brothers and sisters and hope they understand and continue to follow us. Rosie and I love and appreciate you all.
The College Avenue location first opened in the summer of 2017 in the space formerly occupied by Chicken Depot.
Longhorn Steakhouse
LongHorn Steakhouse in Bismarck, ND / Courtesy
A steak restaurant chain that got its start in Georgia has plans for a location in west Fayetteville.
Developers recently submitted plans for a LongHorn Steakhouse at the northwest corner of Shiloh Drive and Wedington Drive.
The plans show a 5,660-square-foot restaurant with 117 parking spaces set to be built on a 1.88-acre lot near the Interstate 49 interchange between the Holiday Inn Express and Comfort Inn & Suites.
LongHorn Steakhouse was founded in 1981 in Atlanta, Georgia. It was purchased in 2007 by Darden Restaurants, which owns several other brands including Olive Garden and Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen.
The company currently operates one location in northwest Arkansas on Promenade Boulevard in Rogers.
We reached out to Darden Restaurants to ask when the Fayetteville location might open, but they said they can’t yet comment about the new restaurant.
Eat My Catfish
Photo: Courtesy, Eat My Catfish
Central Arkansas-based restaurant Eat My Catfish is now open in Fayetteville.
The restaurant opened at 32 E. Joyce Blvd. back in early October.
The restaurant got its start in 2008 with founder Travis Hester cooking up catfish in a food trailer in Benton Arkansas. Since then, Hester expanded to open his first brick-and-mortar in 2012, and has grown to operate locations in Conway, Little Rock, and North Little Rock.
The restaurant focuses on fried catfish dishes, along with crab legs, boiled shrimp, crawfish, fried chicken, and po-boy sandwiches.
It’s open from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m.Monday-Thursday, from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Sunday.
