It’s not just you, there has been a lot of restaurant news recently in Little Rock.
We’re excited to see what these new restaurants add to the already amazing food scene in the capital city. With all the recent restaurant happenings, we thought you might like a little refresher course on when and where you can look for these new eating spots.
Heights Taco & Tamale Co.
Location: 5805 Kavanaugh Blvd. Open Date: Late summer, early fall
The guys at Yellow Rocket Concepts just keep them coming, don’t they? With ZaZa’s, Big Orange and Local Lime already popular spots in Little Rock, the group, led by Scott McGehee, announced early this month it would be opening another restaurant. This one, Heights Taco & Tamale Co., is coming to Kavanaugh Boulevard in the soon-to-be former home of Browning’s Mexican Grill. Browning’s is set to remain open through June before making way for HT&T. The latest Yellow Rocket Concepts restaurant will feature authentic Mexican and Spanish dishes — including house-made tamales, burritos, nachos and churros — with a Texas flair. The restaurant will also have a full bar with a complete offering of original margaritas, in addition to local craft beers and house-made sodas. For more on the restaurant, check our story.
The Pie Hole
Location: All over the capital city! Open Date: Second week of June
Ever been in Fayetteville and enjoyed a great pie from a food truck known as “The Pie Hole“? Well, pretty soon you’ll be able to enjoy those sweet treats right here in Little Rock. Just this week, owner Lauren French announced the truck would be coming to set up all over Little Rock and the surrounding areas, including at some of the farmers markets and other neighborhood events. The Pie Hole will also be at the Main Street Food Truck Festival in October. The Pie Hole offers cakes, cookies and pies, ranging from coconut cream, oatmeal cream and fruit to German chocolate. For more information, check out their Facebook page or our story here.
Baja Grill
Location: 5923 Kavanaugh Blvd. Open Date: Now!
Here’s another food truck transplanted to the capital city, but what makes this one even better is it has opened up a brick-and-mortar shop. Baja Grill, once a popular food truck in Benton, announced a few months ago its plans to move to Little Rock and open a restaurant. Those plans came to fruition last week when it opened up in the Heights. Included in its menu, which features a Mexi-Cali cuisine, is a huge variety of tacos, burritos and quesadillas. Check out the menu here (PDF). There is a full bar coming to the restaurant, which will have an emphasis on signature margaritas, but not until July 1. The restaurant is now open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. For more on the restaurant, check out our story, or view their Facebook page and website.
Pizzeria Santa Lucia
Location: 5018 Kavanaugh Blvd. Open Date: No official date, but expected by mid-summer
Do you see a theme here? Traveling restaurants opening up brick-and-mortar locations in Little Rock. Add Pizzeria Santa Lucia to that list. You’ve probably seen their traveling wood oven at events around town. Pretty soon, you’ll see them in the Heights at Terry’s Finer Foods. Santa Lucia, owned by Jeremy and Jacquelyn Pittman, started work on the restaurant last month. It will feature a classic, Neapolitan style, pizza baking oven from Mario Acunto in Italy. The brick oven will be between 120 and 140 inches in diameter. Jacqueyn Pittman says the establishment, which will have a full bar with an emphasis on craft beer, will seat about 40 people and be more of a gastropub and less of a restaurant. For more on Santa Lucia, check out our story. The restaurant will be open from 5-11 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and 5 p.m. to at least midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. More good news, Pittman says she and her husband plan to keep the traveling wood oven operation going. To keep up-to-date with the restaurant, check out Santa Lucia’s Facebook page.
The Pie Shop at Terry’s Finer Foods
Location: 5018 Kavanaugh Blvd. Open Date: Now!
Well, Pizzeria Santa Lucia is not the only new development at Terry’s Finer Foods, and it’s not the only one spearheaded by the Pittmans, who also own Palette Catering and Event Planning. They are also responsible for The Pie Shop at Terry’s, which opened in March. The shop offers several varieties of fresh pies, including nut, chocolate and fruit, in addition to several out of the freezer like sausage egg and cheese, key lime, southwestern shepherd’s pie and chocolate peanut butter. Slices are $3.99 and whole pies are $20-$32. It’s open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., except Sundays when hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, check out our story and The Pie Shop’s Facebook page.
Potbelly Sandwich Shop
Location: 314 S. University Ave., Suite 160 Open Date: August
Potbelly Sandwich Shop first opened in Chicago in 1977, and now has more than 300 shops across the country. This summer, the first one is coming to the Natural State and Little Rock. The shop, which specializes in signature sandwiches and hand-dipped milkshakes and features live music, will open in August in the Park Avenue shopping center at 314 S. University Ave., Suite 160. Ryan Hamra, a Little Rock native and operator of North Little Rock’s Blue Coast Burrito, will be Potbelly’s operating partner. The restaurant’s operation and delivery hours have yet to be announced. Check out the shop’s menu here.
Boulevard Bread Co.
Location: 1920 N. Grant St. Expansion Finish Date: August
So far, 2014 has been good to the Heights and its food scene. To add to that, Boulevard Bread Co. announced last month that it was expanding its Heights location to make way for about 50-75 more patrons and double its outdoor seating area. With the expansion will also come a full-service bar. Right now, the bar only offers beer and wine, but soon, it will offer classic cocktails with fresh ingredients. More take-out options and more items in the deli and pantry are also things customers can look forward to in the near future, thanks to the expansion. In addition, the shop’s popular Sunday breakfast will extend to Saturday mornings. For more on the expansion, check out our story.
Taziki’s Mediterranean Café
Location: McCain Mall Open Date: Early fall
Late last month, Taziki’s announced it was opening another restaurant in central Arkansas. This one will be at McCain Mall next to the Regal McCain Mall Stadium 12 & RPX. The location will have outdoor seating, too. Just like its other locations, the restaurant will offer wholesome, fresh ingredients and flavors with a Mediterranean inspiration. For more information, check out our story.
Newk’s Eatery
Location: 314 S. University Ave., Suite 180 Open Date: Now!
Newk’s Eatery opened its third restaurant in central Arkansas in April in Midtown. The restaurant features fresh salads, soups and toasted sandwiches. For a full look at the menu, click here. The location at Park Avenue features indoor and outdoor seating for up to 160 patrons. For more on Newk’s, check out our stories here and here, or check out the location’s Facebook page.
U.S. Pizza Co.
Location: 5524 Kavanaugh Blvd. Reopen Date: Next week
If you haven’t seen the updates to the U.S. Pizza Co. in the Heights — wow! The location, which originally opened in 1987, closed last fall for some hefty upgrades that included an expanded kitchen and improved landscaping. The company’s Chief Operating Officer, Drew Weber, said the Heights restaurant is slated to reopen sometime next week, but did not give a specific date. For more information on the upgrades, check out our story. We’ll keep you guys updated!
Café Brunelle
Location: 17819 Chenal Parkway, Suite C-129 Open Date: Now!
Well, guys, there is another café in Little Rock! This one, Café Brunelle, opened this week and offers a variety of deli-style sandwiches, soups and salads, pastries, and of course, specialty coffees. The shop is locally-owned and has partnered with many local artisans. It hopes to establish itself as a vibrant communal hub. It’s just behind lululemon athletic at The Promenade and is open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Check out our story for more information , or check out their Facebook page.