Restaurant News: Girls Gone BBQ, Chicken Headz, Arsaga’s Mill District, and more

You guys look hungry for some restaurant news.

Here’s what we know about several places that have opened, closed, re-opened, or will soon open in Fayetteville.

Girls Gone BBQ

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A new barbecue restaurant is coming to downtown Fayetteville.

The new place is called Girls Gone BBQ, and is owned by self-described “humble pitmistress” Dana Neely.

Neely, originally from Des Ark, Arkansas, opened a version of the restaurant in Seattle before recently moving back to Arkansas.

According to the menu on her website, the restaurant will focus on barbecue staples like pulled pork, smoked chicken, brisket, ribs, and more, along with a few vegetarian items.

The restaurant will be located off Block Avenue, with an entrance on the back of the buildings home to Block Street Records, Hugo’s, and other businesses (near Vault bar).

Construction on the space is underway. If all goes well, Neely told us she hopes to be open sometime this fall.


Chick’n Headz

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A new restaurant focusing on chicken tenders, wings, catfish, shrimp, and other items is coming soon to west Fayetteville.

Signs on the building in the space formerly home to Ye Ol’ King Pizza at 3162 W. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. indicate the new place will be called Chick’n Headz.

Renovations have been underway since about August. According to a Facebook page we found, the restaurant is now hiring, and plans to soon open for business.


Uncle Chubb’s Soul Food and Barbecue

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Uncle Chubb’s Soul Food and Barbecue food truck has relocated to the west side of town.

The truck, which got its start in a lot on Township Stret, is now parked in a new food truck court that’s forming in a lot located at 3570 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Fayetteville.

As we mentioned in our last restaurant update from this summer, the menu for the new restaurant includes barbecue sandwiches, ribs, pork chops, and other items.

According to the company’s Facebook page, the truck is open 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Sunday.


Arsaga’s Mill District

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Progress has been made on a much anticipated restaurant project in south Fayetteville.

Painted signs are now in place for Arsaga’s Mill District, a project from the family behind the Arsaga’s coffee and restaurant concepts around Fayetteville. The building is the former home of Greenhouse Grill at 481 S. School Ave.

The Arsaga’s purchased Greenhouse Grill in 2017, with plans to open a similar farm-to-table style concept.

Renovations have been ongoing since then, with new windows added to create more natural light for the space, along with a fresh coat of white paint, and several outdoor features including unique landscaping and two Airstream trailers behind the restaurant along the Razorback Greenway trail.

We have reached out to Cary Arsaga, and we’ll provide information on his updated plans, and more on when he hopes to be up and running.


Moonsnow at Arsaga’s at the Depot

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Speaking of the Arsaga’s, the downtown Depot location at 548 W. Dickson St. hasn’t reopened for dine-in service yet, but they have come up with another creative way to earn some revenue as the pandemic continues in Fayetteville.

The restaurant has been serving coffee, drinks, and something they are calling “moonsnow” out of the back entrance along the trail.

Moonsnow, best we can describe it, is like a hybrid shaved ice / ice cream-y treat, with flavored sauces, freshly whipped creams, and other toppings.

We included a photo of it above.

They’re open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from noon until 10 p.m.


Black Bear Diner

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A California-based restaurant chain specializing in all-day breakfast has opened a Fayetteville location.

Black Bear Diner opened its second Arkansas restaurant in the building formerly home to Applebee’s at 4078 N. College Ave.

The chain was founded in 1995, and has since expanded to open more than 130 locations in the U.S.

The restaurant’s menu lists a host of breakfast items, including chicken fried steak and eggs, omelettes and scramble dishes, pancakes, waffles, bendicts, and other breakfast fare, along with some burgers and sandwiches for lunch, and steaks, meatloaf, pot roast, and other items for dinner.

They are open 7 days a week from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m.


Wood Stone

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Wood Stone Craft Pizza has reopened its uptown location.

The restaurant, located at 3619 Mall Ave. in Fayetteville, is offering limited dine-in, carryout, curbside, and dining on their patio. A new 1,700-square-foot deck is also under construction, though it is not quite ready for diners just yet.

Wood Stone was one of the first restaurants to close when the pandemic began. The restaurant reopened briefly over the summer, but concerns over the rising cases in the region, among other factors, led the owners to announce they would close until the fall.

Since closing, the restaurant has focused on making pizzas for Fayetteville Roots Festival’s Meals for Musicians program to provide food for local artists who have been unable to perform due to the pandemic.

The uptown location will be open Tuesday-Friday from 4 p.m. until close, and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. until close.


East Side Grill

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An east Fayetteville favorite has reopened under new ownership.

East Side Grill, the restaurant formerly owned by longtime local restauranteur Scott Bowman of The Bowman Group that had been closed since the beginning of the pandemic, recently sold to Southern Food Co. owners Todd and Marti Martin and reopened last month.

Martin invested in some improvements inside and outside the restaurant, including upgrades to the patio, kitchen, and dining room.

Otherwise, for now, the restaurant has focused on bringing back most of the old favorites that fans have come to enjoy.

They are open for dinner Monday-Saturday from 4-10 p.m., and for Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.


Theo’s

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Downtown fine dining establishment Theo’s has also reopened under the Martin’s ownership after being closed since March.

The restaurant got started with a few pop up events for drinks, and officially reopened on Aug. 28.

They are focusing on dine-in, patio dining, and take out for now. The menu includes several old favorites, along with a handful of new items.

The restaurant is open Monday – Saturday from 5 p.m. – close, with happy hour from 5-6:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.


Eureka Pizza

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Eureka Pizza has relocated their west Fayetteville location to the University of Arkansas campus.

Owner Rolf Wilkin told us he jumped at the chance to open a location inside Brough Commons on campus this semester, next to Starbucks.

As a result, Wilkin said he decided to close the location on West Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and move to the new campus location.

In addition, Eureka Pizza still operates locations on Leverett Avenue and a new drive-thru location on Mission Boulevard in Fayetteville, along with stores in Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville, Siloam Springs, and Fort Smith.


Smiley’s Smokehouse

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A new barbecue truck has opened along the Razorback Greenway.

Smiley’s Smokehouse is located at 514 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., next to the blue building that was most recently a car repair shop along the trail.

The restaurant specializes in pulled pork, ribs, brisket, sandwiches, loaded tots and fries, and other items.

According to their Facebook page, they are open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. for lunch, and 5-8 p.m. for dinner.


Big Whiskey

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A Missouri-based restaurant chain is planning to open a Fayetteville location soon.

According to a banner that appeared on the building recently, Big Whiskey’s is coming soon to 1320 N College Ave., in the Evelyn Hills space formerly home to East Buffet.

Their menu focuses on steaks, seafood, pastas, sandwiches, salads, and other items.

According to their website, the chain operates a location nearby in Bentonville, along with restaurants in southern Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Alabama. They also opened a location in Siloam Springs recently.

The Bentonville location was the first franchise location for the chain, and opened in 2017.

The banner on the building indicates the Fayetteville location will open this fall.


Wendy’s

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“Sir, this is a Wendy’s.”

(On Mission Boulevard, near the new Eureka Pizza drive thru location.)


Pizza Hut

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Pizza Hut has closed their College Avenue location in Fayetteville.

The chain still operates locations on Steamboat Drive and South School Avenue.


Fork & Crust

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It appears as though Fork & Crust has permanently closed their Fayetteville location.

The restaurant closed in mid-July amidst a legal dispute among the owners, according to reports.

The building, located at 600 N. Mission Blvd., was up for sale recently, and the MLS currently lists the sale as pending.


Grill N’ Chill NWA

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Grill N’ Chill NWA is open at the new court located at 3570 M.L.K. Blvd. Fayetteville.

UPDATE: This truck has since moved to the Yum N Go Food Court at 405 S. Bloomington St. in Lowell.

The truck focuses on burgers, basket meals, sandwiches, and fry bread tacos.