Have you been to the Argenta Arts District here in North Little Rock? It’s a historic area located right across the Arkansas River from Downtown Little Rock and just 5 minutes away from The Pointe North Hills.

Taking a stroll around the Argenta District, you will find several great entertainment venues, fun bars, stunning art galleries, and other local businesses. But today, we are all about the restaurants.

Peruse our list of eight awesome places to eat and give one a try tonight!

#1: Brood & Barley

Our Favorite Dish: Raclette Burger

Brood & Barley is a newer addition to the Argenta neighborhood, and their food has quickly become Instagram famous. In fact, you need to follow them on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with it all.

As a restaurant concept developed by Flyway Brewing (more on that below), all the food at Brood & Barley pairs perfectly with beer. They even have a fun happy hour menu!

Whether you order the beer cheese fondue with pretzel dumplings or fried chicken with confetti creamed corn, you will enjoy a unique culinary experience. 

#2: Cregeen’s Irish Pub

Our Favorite Dish: Fish & Chips

Gaelic for "little rock," Cregeen's is a classic Irish pub that was literally built in Dublin, Ireland, and shipped to their location on Main Street! 

It has all the hearty pub fare you expect and want, plus 50 beers on tap and over 200 whiskeys. 

Go have a Guinness, order something to eat, and enjoy the atmosphere. 

#3: Diamond Bear Brewing

Our Favorite Dish: Fried Cheese Curds

Diamond Bear Brewing has been making delicious craft beer for over 20 years. In fact, they’ve won gold medals at both The Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup!

You can find their beer in most local liquor stores, but you can’t beat the experience of stopping by their taproom for a hand-poured pint. 

While you’re there, order a big sandwich, nice salad, or their daily burger special. Seasonal beer and food menu changes do happen, so follow them on Facebook for the latest updates. 

#4: Flyway Brewing

Our Favorite Dish: Bacon-Wrapped Quail Sliders

Flyway Brewing may be well-known locally for making awesome IPAs, but they're known nationally for serving good food, too.

Their taproom in the Argenta District was featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, showing off staples like their Gumbo Cheese Fries. Yum!

We enjoy stopping by on live trivia nights, and we appreciate that they created an outdoor “Tent City” to accommodate more customers safely during the pandemic.

The beer list and food specials change daily, so we suggest you follow Flyway Brewing on Facebook or Instagram to get the latest details.

#5: Four Quarter Bar

Our Favorite Dish: Smoked Wings

If you love a good local dive bar, Four Quarter Bar is where you need to go in the Argenta Arts District. Cold beer, spicy wings, live music…what more do you need to get down on a Friday night?

Dinner is served every night of the week, but you can also stop by on Sundays for a great brunch. Everything on the menu has Cajun or Southern flair, so you can get classics like Shrimp & Grits or Chicken and Waffles.

We’ll meet you at the bar afterward for cocktails! 

#6: Mugs Cafe

Our Favorite Dish: Pancakes (Saturdays only!)

Our favorite spot for the perfect cup of coffee has to be Mugs Café. The baristas are amazing at what they do, and you won’t find a bad seat in the house. It’s so cozy!

Mugs is a great place to go when you want to get out of your apartment, read a book, or do some remote work. 

You can get a light lunch to go with your drink like a veggie wrap or smoked salmon salad or stop by on a Saturday for their super fluffy pancakes. 

Follow them on Instagram to see what the specials are – the latest one we saw was strawberry white chocolate pancakes!

#7: Ristorante Capeo

Our Favorite Dish: Risotto (Changes daily!)

If you’re craving old-school, elevated Italian cuisine, Ristorante Capeo is where you need to make a reservation. 

They have all the linguine, fettuccine, and tagliatelle you could want, plus house-made tiramisu, panna cotta, and gelato. 

Go have a romantic, elegant dinner and order a nice bottle of vino! 

#8: Skinny J’s

Our Favorite Dish: Louisiana Frittata (Brunch only!)

Despite its name, Skinny J’s is where you go when you are ready to chow down. They have a huge menu full of sandwiches, quesadillas, burgers, and steaks, so you will never leave hungry. 

Our favorite items can be found on the appetizer menu, which features fun dishes like Crawfish Dip and Bacon Confit Wings. 

But you should also stop by Skinny J’s for brunch to try a “brunch boat” and a Bloody Mary!

Dining During a Pandemic

Now that you know all the best places to eat in Argenta, it’s important that we remind you to remain vigilant.

Each restaurant should be taking the precautions necessary to operate safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. For some spots, that may mean you need to make a reservation due to limited seating. For others, they may highly encourage to-go orders. 

Either way, call ahead so you know what to expect.

Another fun option is to visit the outdoor dining district that opened last summer in Argenta. 

Instead of going inside to these restaurants, you can sit outside at a socially distanced table, listen to music, have drinks, and even order food from several of the spots on this list.  

If you have questions about dining out in Argenta, feel free to ask a member of our concierge staff or contact our team at 501.404.4800. 

Photo credit from left to right, left to right: Brood & Barley, Skinny J’s, Flyway Brewing, Mugs Café, Ristorante Capeo, Cregeen’s Irish Pub, Four Quarter Bar, Diamond Bear Brewing.