Top 10 Restaurants In Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas is home to many great things. Fayetteville has a ton of beautiful nature, history, and most importantly, Fayetteville is home to a bunch of great restaurants. Fayetteville is an extremely underrated city and everyone should take a visit to Northwest Arkansas during their lifetime! Here are 10 must-try Fayetteville restaurants the next time you’re in town.
1. Hugo’s
Hugo’s is by far one of my favorite Fayetteville restaurants. This hidden gem is located on the Fayetteville town square, but it really is hidden! To get there you need to walk below ground and you will find yourself in this little hole-in-the-wall burger joint. The town square is lively and is a hot spot for people to walk around on the weekends. Hugo’s gives off the same vibes as the bar in “How I Met Your Mother” for reference. This place is home to some of the best burgers in town. They have a huge sandwich menu and I have never heard of anyone disliking the food there. They have a full bar and lots of options for you to chose from. If you don’t have a lot of time in Fayetteville, you need to check this one out.
2. U.S. Pizza Co.
U.S. Pizza is located on the main bar street in Fayetteville. This is one of the Fayetteville restaurants that has a really laid back atmosphere and super friendly staff. This place mainly serves thin pizza, sandwiches, and salads. One of the best things on the menu is their philly cheesesteak pizza. It is truly to die for. It has thin crust, roast beef, green peppers, and the most gooey cheese sauce you will ever encounter (chefs kiss). This little restaurant has an outdoor patio as well as indoor seating. It fills up really fast on the weekend, so make sure to get there early.
3. Sassy’s Red House
Sassy’s Red House is an award winning barbecue restaurant in Fayetteville, Arkansas. They make all of their own barbecue sauces and have a couple of really delicious sauce choices to chose from. They smoke all of their meat in house and you can definitely tell how much time and effort they take making it perfect. The meat is basically falling apart because it is so tender. Truly delicious. This place is really good and is a local favorite. Pro tip: substitute your side for mac and cheese.
4. Powerhouse
The name of this restaurant says it all. Powerhouse is an upscale restaurant on the main bar street in Fayetteville. They have the best seafood in town. You will also get a super awesome basket of cornbread for free with your order! The staff is super nice there and they will give you extra cornbread to go if you ask for it! The appeal of this place really is the unlimited cornbread. It’s delicious. They have really great pasta as well. Literally everything you get there will be good, so you can’t go wrong!
5. Wasabi
This is one of the Fayetteville restaurants that is really popular among the University of Arkansas students in town. It is a very modern style sushi restaurant. Their sushi presentation is so cute and it is one of the best spots in town for those Instagram food moments. Sushi isn’t for everyone, but don’t worry! They have some vegetarian rolls as well as rice options. These are still very Insta-worthy dishes, so don’t feel like you’re missing out if sushi isn’t your thing.
6. A Taste of Thai
Thai food is a classic college student essential, but this Thai restaurant is special and unique to Fayetteville. The food is great, but the interior is decorated to reflect Thai culture. It is really like stepping into Thailand when you go to a Taste of Thai. Fayetteville restaurants have great food, but this one made the list because of its cool decorations and cultural experience.
7. Hammontree’s Grilled Cheese
Hammontree’s is another college student favorite for Fayetteville restaurants. Their menu is literally just an insane amount of grilled cheese sandwiches. There are so many unique sandwiches and you would have to eat there dozens of times to try every combination. This is a must-see restaurant. Everyone in town has tried it at least once. It is kind of like your initiation into town. Go eat there or we’ll have to make you leave.
8. JJ’s Grill
JJ’s Grill is by far the most popular restaurant for college students. This is one of those Fayetteville restaurants college students dream of turning 21 to go visit. They are a sports bar and a popular destination to see an Arkansas Razorback game. The greatest appeal to this place is probably their $2 margaritas. These frozen margs are special. I don’t know what they put in them, but they are delicious. Another great part of JJ’s is something called happy minutes. A few times a week they will have happy minutes, which is when they will put discounts on random menu items and you’ll get the discount if you order it before time runs out. If you’re looking for a good time, this is the place for you.
9. Shogun
Shogun is the at top Fayetteville restaurants list for hibachi. They create the classic hibachi experience, which is fun. Nobody dislikes watching hibachi. If for some weird reason you do dislike hibachi, half of the restaurant is dedicated to Asian food.
10. Pesto Cafe
This place is easy to miss because it is attached to a random motel on the side of the road. Do not let this places questionable exterior discourage you. This is the one of the best Fayetteville restaurants. They serve homemade Italian food that is to die for.
Bonus: Rick’s Bakery
This doesn’t technically qualify for the top Fayetteville restaurants list, but it does qualify for the top Fayetteville bakery list! They have cute Arkansas themed desserts and it is a local favorite. Make sure to stop by Rick’s after hitting one of the restaurants on the list!
Which restaurant do you want to try? Let us know!
My name is Kayleigh Hughes and I am a senior at the University of Arkansas majoring in Communication. I'm just a 20-something college student trying to figure everything out like everybody else. I love to travel, sing, and adventure. I'm just here trying to do everything that makes me happy.