Bars

Bentonville, Arkansas

Bentonville's downtown square has transformed into one of Arkansas's most vibrant bar and restaurant districts — energized by Walmart headquarters, the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and the Razorback Greenway cycling trail system that has made Bentonville one of America's top cycling destinations. The square's combination of tech executive money, cycling culture, and the Crystal Bridges art world creates a bar environment of unusual sophistication for a small Northwest Arkansas city.

The Square, Bentonville, AR 72712

Fayetteville, Arkansas

Fayetteville's craft brewery taproom scene, anchored by establishments like Ozark Brewing Company and Tanglewood Branch Brewing, has established the University of Arkansas college town as Arkansas's craft beer capital. The Ale Trail connecting Fayetteville's breweries creates an excellent bar-hopping experience for the city's growing young professional population and the millions of visitors drawn to the Ozark Mountains' outdoor recreation culture.

Fayetteville, AR 72701

Hot Springs, Arkansas

The Ohio Club is Arkansas's oldest operating bar — a Hot Springs institution open since 1905 that counts Al Capone, Babe Ruth, and Jack Dempsey among its historical patrons during the Prohibition-era gambling heyday of the Spa City. The bar sits at the heart of Hot Springs's Bathhouse Row historic district and serves as a living museum of the city's colorful past as America's most famous illegal gambling resort town.

336 Central Ave 71901

Little Rock, Arkansas

Atlas Bar is one of Little Rock's most creative cocktail destinations — a bar dedicated to showcasing Arkansas spirits alongside exceptional cocktail craft for the state capital's growing cocktail community. The Arkansas craft spirits industry, growing rapidly since state laws were modernized to allow distilleries, finds an enthusiastic showcase at Atlas Bar's carefully curated spirits selection.

Little Rock, AR 72201

Little Rock, Arkansas

Big Orange is an Arkansas restaurant and bar success story — a locally grown chain that began in Little Rock and expanded across the state with exceptional burgers, craft beer, and the genuine Arkansas hospitality that has made it a beloved gathering place for communities throughout the state. Its consistent quality and community-focused atmosphere across multiple locations reflect the best values of Arkansas's food and beverage culture.

207 N University Ave, Little Rock, AR 72205

Little Rock, Arkansas

Core Public House is Little Rock's most acclaimed craft cocktail bar — a destination for Arkansas cocktail enthusiasts seeking expertly crafted drinks in a sophisticated setting. As Little Rock's craft cocktail scene continues to develop beyond the beer-and-shots culture of its earlier decades, Core Public House serves as the benchmark for what sophisticated Arkansas cocktail culture can achieve.

Little Rock, AR 72201

Little Rock, Arkansas

Lost Forty Brewing is Arkansas's most successful craft brewery — a South Main District taproom named for the 40-acre tract of wilderness in Arkansas that survives by legal clerical error, serving exceptional Arkansas-crafted beers in a beautifully designed space that has become one of Little Rock's most important community gathering places. Its success in building a distinctively Arkansas craft beer brand has made it the most recognized craft brewery in the state.

501 Shall St, Little Rock, AR 72203

Little Rock, Arkansas

Petit & Keet is Little Rock's most sophisticated restaurant and bar — a Midtown establishment serving exceptional cocktails and Southern-influenced cuisine that has established itself as the benchmark for contemporary Little Rock dining and drinking culture. Its commitment to quality ingredients, professional service, and the kind of restaurant bar experience that reflects the aspirations of Arkansas's growing creative professional class makes it essential to understanding contemporary Little Rock.

1620 Market St, Little Rock, AR 72211

Little Rock, Arkansas

South on Main is the anchor of Little Rock's most creative neighborhood bar and restaurant district — a South Main District institution that has become the cultural hub of Little Rock's arts community, presenting live music, community events, and the kind of gathering-space programming that makes a neighborhood come alive. The South Main Oyster & Wine Bar concept reflects the district's extraordinary ambition to transform Little Rock's entertainment culture from convention to genuine creativity.

1304 S Main St, Little Rock, AR 72202

West Memphis, Arkansas

Southland Casino Racing in West Memphis is the primary gaming complex for the greater Memphis metropolitan area — a greyhound-turned-casino property that serves as the entertainment hub for Tennessee gamblers who cross the Mississippi River for legal casino gaming. The property's bar and live entertainment spaces are central to the West Memphis casino visitor experience.

1550 N Ingram Blvd 72301

Kansas City, Kansas

Kansas City Kansas (KCK) serves the metro's most diverse and rapidly changing community — a city where the extraordinary Boulevard Brewing tradition, outstanding Mexican-American food culture, and the remarkable sporting Kansas City legacy create a bar culture of genuine heartland American character. KCK's remarkable transformation from a post-industrial community to one of the metro's most dynamic neighborhoods creates a bar scene of unusual vitality and genuine Kansas character.

Central Ave, Kansas City, KS 66102

Lawrence, Kansas

Free State Brewing is Kansas's most historically significant craft brewery — the first legal brewery in Kansas in 100 years when it opened in 1989, and a Massachusetts Street institution that has anchored the Lawrence bar scene for over three decades. Its role in establishing craft brewing in a state with historically strict liquor laws makes it one of the most pioneering craft beer establishments in the American Midwest.

636 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS 66044

Lawrence, Kansas

Free State Brewing Company is Kansas's most important craft brewery — a Lawrence institution that was the first legal brewery in Kansas since Prohibition, producing outstanding ales and lagers since 1989 in a state that was historically the most anti-alcohol in America (it was the first state to constitutionally ban alcohol in 1880). Free State's extraordinary historical significance and its consistent production of outstanding craft beer create a brewery taproom of genuine Kansas temperance-to-craft-beer historical significance.

636 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS 66044

Lawrence, Kansas

Replay Lounge is Lawrence's most beloved dive bar and music venue — a no-frills Mass Street institution with an outdoor deck, cheap beer, and nightly live music from local bands that captures the unpretentious spirit of Lawrence's music community. A beloved gathering place for students and locals who want live music without a cover charge or pretension, the Replay epitomizes why Lawrence consistently ranks among America's best college bar towns.

946 Massachusetts St 66044

Manhattan, Kansas

Tallgrass Brewing is one of Kansas's most acclaimed craft breweries — a Manhattan, Kansas establishment producing outstanding IPAs and seasonal beers that have earned national recognition. Kansas State University's Wildcat community provides ideal support for a craft brewery in Little Apple, Kansas's surprising college town whose entertainment scene punches well above its size.

Manhattan, KS 66502

Manhattan, Kansas

Aggieville is Kansas's most remarkable college entertainment district — a Manhattan commercial area adjacent to Kansas State University where outstanding bars, excellent restaurants, and genuine K-State community spirit create the most vibrant college town entertainment scene in Kansas. Manhattan's remarkable "Little Apple" character and Aggieville's extraordinary concentration of K-State sports bars and independent establishments create a bar culture of genuine Big 12 college town significance.

Aggieville, Manhattan, KS 66502

Wichita, Kansas

Augustino Brewing is one of Wichita's most acclaimed craft breweries — a family-owned taproom producing award-winning craft beers that represent the best of Kansas brewing culture. Wichita's craft beer scene, growing rapidly from near-zero as Kansas liquor laws have modernized, has found exceptional quality representatives in Augustino's thoughtfully produced ales and lagers.

6710 W Highway 96, Wichita, KS 67205

Wichita, Kansas

Lew's Bar is one of Wichita's most beloved neighborhood establishments — a straightforward Kansas bar with cold beer, strong cocktails, and the genuine hospitality that characterizes the best Plains State bar culture. Wichita's working-class heritage and its extraordinary aviation industry workforce create a bar culture that values authenticity and value over pretension.

Old Town, Wichita, KS 67202

Wichita, Kansas

The Monarch is Wichita's most celebrated cocktail bar — a craft cocktail lounge in the Douglas Design District that has elevated Wichita's bar culture with a rotating menu of seasonally inspired drinks, a carefully curated spirits selection, and a sophisticated but welcoming atmosphere. Consistent recognition in national bar publications has made The Monarch the destination bar that demonstrates Wichita's emergence as a serious food and beverage city beyond its aviation industry identity.

1114 W Douglas Ave 67213

Wichita, Kansas

Wichita Brewing Company is Kansas's largest craft brewery — a Wichita institution producing outstanding ales and lagers for the Air Capital of the World. Wichita's extraordinary aviation industry (Boeing, Spirit AeroSystems, Cessna, Beechcraft, and Learjet all manufacture here) creates a workforce of technically sophisticated professionals who appreciate the quality craft brewing that WBC consistently delivers.

535 N Woodlawn St, Wichita, KS 67208