Bentonville, Arkansas, a fast-growing region home to more than half a million people, has long been recognized as the corporate home of Walmart. Today, however, the city is rapidly transforming into a dynamic cultural capital, driven by the recently expanded Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, miles of scenic bike paths, a calendar of public art installations, and a fiercely independent business community. For both locals and travelers exploring the Northwest Arkansas area, the destination offers a unique intersection of contemporary culture, world-class design, and a burgeoning culinary identity that blends traditional Southern flavors with international influences.
At the geographic and historical heart of the city lies the Bentonville town square, a bustling hub where visitors can experience both the local history and the modern lifestyle. Just off the square, a small museum chronicles the storied history of the Walton family, offering a nostalgic stop where visitors can pick up two-dollar ice cream cones at The Spark Cafe, a classic soda fountain. Beyond the square, the surrounding streets pulse with activity, anchored by the award-winning cafes of Onyx Coffee Lab and a dining scene where local chefs relentlessly innovate with regional ingredients, barbecue traditions, and global techniques.
Art, Architecture, and Regional Cuisine at the 21C Museum Hotel
Steps away from the central square stands the 21C Museum Hotel, an art-focused hospitality destination that mirrors the city’s broader cultural ambitions. Inside the hotel, The Hive restaurant serves as a culinary showcase for regional Arkansas dishes, translating local ingredients into sophisticated, inspired preparations under the direction of chef Micah Klasky.
The hotel’s dining experience is deeply intertwined with its contemporary art programming. Currently on view is “The SuperNatural 2.0,” a multimedia group exhibition featuring works by 43 artists. The exhibition explores how humanity experiences the natural world through a lens that is both organic and artificial. In this creative ecosystem, Chef Klasky draws on a diverse array of seasonal local ingredients to craft menus that celebrate the heritage of Arkansas cuisine while incorporating broader global culinary perspectives.
Klasky’s culinary vision extends well beyond the hotel dining room. In October, the chef cooked for Outstanding in the Field, a renowned roving restaurant project, during an event hosted at The Momentary—Crystal Bridges’ multidisciplinary space dedicated to contemporary art, music, food, and community gatherings. The menu for the evening paid homage to local farms and ranches across the region. Diners enjoyed dishes such as cured Berkshire Ridge Farms country ham, buttermilk-fried James Marie Farm quail, Koji-cured Bansley pork loin porchetta, and a vibrant farm salad featuring Porch Life lacto-fermented carrots, A&A Orchard grilled apples, Anson Mills farro, and whipped quark.
The meal was expertly paired with wines curated by sommelier Laura Williamson and concluded with a decadent interpretation of possum pie, Arkansas’s unofficial state dessert, reimagined with caramelized croissants, whipped cream cheese mousse, and chocolate cremeux.
Contemporary Art Meets Culinary Culture at The Momentary
The setting at The Momentary provided an ideal backdrop for celebrating regional agriculture while highlighting Bentonville’s vibrant arts scene. Current exhibitions at the venue continue to draw thematic parallels between contemporary artistic expression and the world of food and daily life.
Among them is “Ordinary Wonders” by Chuck Ramirez, an exhibition featuring dozens of striking photographs by the late San Antonio-based artist. The works focus on ordinary, everyday items—plates of barbecue, canned fruit salad, Marshmallow Peeps, flower bouquets, and plastic shopping bags—elevating the mundane aspects of consumption and culture into high art.
Further engaging visitors is British artist Lucy Sparrow’s ambitious exhibition, “The Beginning of Convenience,” marking her first museum solo show in the United States. Sparrow and her studio team constructed an immersive, 1980s-era, Walmart-inspired market installation entirely out of felt. The shelves are meticulously stocked with hand-sewn products ranging from Folgers Coffee and Dinty Moore Stew to Vienna Sausages, Rice-a-Roni, and Skippy Peanut Butter, complete with an adorable fabric produce section.
The level of detail throughout the installation is staggering. The faux grocery store features a fully realized pharmacy stocked with felt medications and medical posters, a Kodak photo department, a magazine rack, a movie section, record displays, and cash registers accompanied by candy racks. Whimsical world-building touches, such as a community bulletin board and a coin-operated kiddie car ride, complete the nostalgic tactile experience.
The Thriving Coffee Culture of Northwest Arkansas
Beyond the museums and hotels, it quickly becomes evident that the people of Arkansas share a deep-rooted passion for specialty coffee. The 21C Museum Hotel proudly serves Onyx Coffee, incorporating the roaster’s beans into espresso drinks and creative coffee cocktails.
In the nearby town of Rogers, the historic circa-1907 Onyx Headquarters building serves as a bustling nerve center for the brand. On sunny days, natural light floods the historic structure, offering visitors clear views of the active roastery and on-site bakery. Upstairs, a dedicated cupping table overlooks the cafe, positioned near the entrance of Heirloom restaurant, which shares the space with the hi-fi record bar Pinky Swear and Yeyo’s Taqueria & Mezcaleria. Onyx is known for sourcing exceptional coffee beans from producers around the globe, with recent offerings ranging from an Elid Estate Gesha from Panama to a micro-lot from producer Silvia Herrera in Mexico.
Expanding its footprint locally, Onyx Coffee Lab recently opened Onyx at The Preserve, an all-day restaurant located on the Walmart campus. Designed by prominent Arkansas-based architect Marlon Blackwell in collaboration with Onyx founders Jon and Andrea Allen, the landform hybrid-style structure is engineered to blend seamlessly into the natural topography.
The building features a green roof by Ozark Green Roofs, landscape architecture by SZA, and direct integration with accessible bike paths. The project realizes the founders’ vision of creating a community-focused green space paired with ambitious food and beverage offerings. The menu at The Preserve, developed by chef Arturo Solis, highlights seasonal Mediterranean and North African flavors designed to complement signature Onyx beverages, such as The Preserve Pistachio Latte.
A Diverse Food Scene Rooted in Community
The broader culinary landscape of Bentonville encompasses a diverse array of regional specialties and global cuisines. Among the local favorites is Wright’s BBQ, located just steps away from the Bentonville Square and the 21C hotel. Locals frequently recommend the signature burnt ends or loaded barbecue meat nachos, which diners can enjoy at wooden outdoor tables on warm evenings, capturing the relaxed charm of a community picnic.
The Onyx Coffee Lab cafe in downtown Bentonville also shares space with the Bentonville Food Theater, a dynamic culinary concept featuring three chef counters and a rotating lineup of pop-ups. The space has hosted Japanese handroll bars, curry and ramen concepts, and upcoming Korean barbecue menus, alongside a lively Saturday farmers market that winds around the Bentonville Square from April through October.
Culinary arts and traditional gallery experiences continue to intersect inside the Crystal Bridges Museum itself, where Onyx Coffee Lab operates two distinct cafes. One is situated adjacent to the museum’s main restaurant, while the other, Quartz + Honey, offers a bird’s-eye view of the surrounding water. An additional pink-hued Onyx cafe welcomes visitors inside The Momentary, ensuring that specialty coffee remains a constant companion to the region’s cultural explorations.
Whether arriving in Bentonville for professional endeavors or to immerse oneself in the thriving regional arts landscape, visitors quickly discover that the best way to understand life in Northwest Arkansas is to experience it one thoughtful bite and sip at a time.
