Looking for a fun activity over the weekend in Northwest Arkansas? There is so much to do along the Razorback Greenway Trail system. The trail is currently 36.7 miles long, extending from Fayetteville to Bella Vista and constantly growing. Along the trail, there are various parks and lakes, as well as shops, restaurants and bars. I run and bike the trail regularly for exercise, yet my favorite weekend activity is getting friends together and doing a pub crawl! There are many great breweries, bars and restaurants on the ride from Fayetteville to Bentonville, here are just a few of our favorites along the first stretch from Fayetteville to Springdale:
Nomads
A great place to grab a bite to eat before the ride is Nomad’s Music Lounge on the corner of S. School St. and 15th St. in South Fayetteville. This is one of our favorite places for breakfast or lunch and it’s right across the street from Walker Park, which is almost the beginning of the Greenway trail system. Their menu has a wide variety of options from breakfast burritos to sandwiches and burgers. The best part is that most of their ingredients are sourced local and are always fresh. They always have great craft beers on tap and their patio is dog friendly and great for people watching. They are also well-known for their Brunches on the weekend, where they usually have specials on their Bloody Marys and different variations of Mimosas.
From here, if you head north on the trail toward Dickson Street, there are many more restaurants, bars and shops.
Puritan Coffee and Beer
Once you get to the crossing at Dickson Street, just up the road to the right is great stop to satisfy your caffeine fix, Puritan. They are known for their great selection of gourmet coffees and pastries. Also, while they do not brew their own beer, they do carry a wide variety of craft beer from breweries around the world. I love this place because it’s one of the few places in Northwest Arkansas on the Untapped mobile app, where they keep their list of beers on tap updated (real-time.)
Farther up the trail, just up the hill on North St. is our next stop, Columbus House Brewery.
Columbus House
Columbus House is another great dog-friendly establishment with a patio in the back and sometimes, food trucks. While they don’t serve food inside the brewery, they usually let you bring your own, or grab some from a food truck out back. Their beer selection typically includes five taps of their own beer as well as three rotating taps with other craft options.
Back on the trail and heading farther north, you’ll come to a crossing on Poplar Street. Down the road to the right is another of our favorite stops, Fossil Cove.
Fossil Cove
Fossil Cove is one of the first microbreweries to open up in Northwest Arkansas and has been our “go-to” Sunday hangout for years. They offer a wide selection of beers ranging from a light Blonde to very flavorful Barrel Aged Imperial Stouts, and also Cider for those who are Gluten Free. The outside patio is dog-friendly and a great place to hang out and catch some sun while you enjoy your suds. If you’re hungry, they have a wonderful “Container Kitchen” food truck right next the tasting room, which offers sliders, tacos and other small bites to snack on.
Moving north on the trail, just south of Lake Fayetteville is our last stop in Fayetteville, Apple Blossom Brewing.
Apple Blossom (ABBC)
Located on the corner of Zion and Vantage Drive, Apple Blossom Brewing Company has a nice large patio right on the trail. In addition to their core IPA, APA, ESB, Stout and Porter styles, this brewery is known for experimenting and producing “unique” beers such as the Orange Wheat or Soulless Ginger. ABBC also offers a larger selection of food than most of the breweries as well as wine and cocktails.
That wraps up our usual Brewery Crawl (or bike ride) for Fayetteville. If you’re still thirsty or want to change it up and try a different leg of the trail, stay tuned as we ride farther North.
