Dana Neely was missing the flavors of her hometown.
Living in Seattle, the Des Arc native began making barbecue for friends and family, and as interest increased, she expanded to offering a catering service and selling at a farmers market back in 2008, she said.
"I was craving good barbecue like I used to get back home," she said. "The business flourished, and I decided to open up my first brick and mortar back home in Arkansas."
Planning to open Girls Gone BBQ in Fayetteville next month, Neely said she is looking forward to showing Northwest Arkansas the kind of food she grew up eating in the Arkansas Delta.
"There is some specific style to the barbecue in my family and hometown," she said. "Expect hickory-smoked meats, tangy pre-sauced pulled pork sandwiches, Eastern Arkansas staples like crunchy apple Arkanslaw, classic corn bread and seasonal fruit cobbler."
Local beers on tap and Seattle-influenced vegan and vegetarian offerings like smoked black eyed peas, grilled greens and smoked vegan beans will help Girls Gone BBQ stand out, she said.
Neely hopes to open the restaurant soon after the July 4 holiday at 2630 East Citizens Drive, near Walmart Neighborhood Market at the intersection of Mission and Crossover on the east side of town, she said.
In the meantime, there will be an opportunity to sample the shop's flavors today at a pop-up preview at Maxine's Taproom downtown. Visit the restaurant's Facebook page for more details about the event.
Mothership
Downtown Springdale restaurant Mothership has reopened after closing in 2020.
The bar and grill at 327 E. Emma Ave. specializes in burgers and sandwiches, but serves a variety of other foods like fish and chips, tacos and salads.
Mothership is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, according to a post on its Facebook page.
Island Vibes
Island Vibes opened recently in south Fayetteville.
The food truck, which claims to be the first authentic Caribbean and Jamaican food truck in the city, is owned by Jamaican Olympic runner Kemar Mowatt.
The truck is located on the way to Farmington at 3570 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
The menu includes jerk chicken, curry goat, oxtail, pepper steak and curry chicken in addition to Jamaican lemonade and a Jamaican sorrel drink.
Island Vibes is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, according to a social media post.
Follow the business on Instagram for a look at the menu and regular updates on the store's hours.
The Beacon
A new beer bar by Hawk Moth Brewing opened early last month in Bentonville.
The Beacon Beer Bar is located at 410 S.W. A St., a former location of Bike Rack Brewing Company.
Beacon is open from 3 to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. Sunday and 3 to 10 p.m. Monday.
Hawk Moth is a small batch brewery and beer parlor at 710 N. Second St. in downtown Rogers.
Confident Coffee
Fayetteville coffee shop and roaster Confident Coffee is opening a second location in Rogers.
"We are hoping for a September opening date, but nothing in our world is predictable, so we'll keep you posted," the shop wrote in a recent social media post.
The store will be located at 3939 S. Grand Ave. in the new Pinnacle Heights complex off of Pinnacle Hills Parkway, according to the post.
In addition to the business' current coffee and tea menu, the Rogers location will also serve beer, wine and new foods, according to the post.
Confident Coffee serves coffee in north Fayetteville, near Johnson, at 2015 Main Drive.
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Owner Dana Neely hopes to open Girls Gone BBQ in Fayetteville early next month. The restaurant aims to serve up a unique brand of Arkansas-style barbecue at 2630 E. Citizens Drive on the east side of town. (Courtesy Photo/Girls Gone BBQ)