There are lots of great places to eat and drink in and around Little Rock! This is by no means an exhaustive list. These are places that we personally know and love that are close to the Little Fish, everything is within 10 minutes by car ride. Click the streets address to see the location on Google Maps. For directions, remember your starting point is 401 Midland St. when you are at The Little Fish.
The Little Fish has a well stocked kitchen, too. Interested in making your own food? Scroll to the bottom for grocery/market options.
Pizza
- Damgoode Pies: 2701 Kavanaugh Blvd (4 min drive, 20 min walk) Small location with dining room located above the kitchen. Great pizza and house brewed beers on tap. Also, Loblolly ice cream. Note: Early July 2021, this location was getting new pizza ovens. Call ahead to see about availability.
- US Pizza: 2710 Kavanaugh Blvd (4 min drive, 20 min walk) Great outdoor seating and gluten free options.
- Vino’s Brewpub: 923 West 7th (5 min drive) Good pizza and calzones with a great selection of house brewed beers. Live music, check website to see who’s playing.
Sushi
- Kemuri: 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd (3 min drive, 20 min walk). More than just fantastic sushi, Kemuri has seafood and robata. The Little Fish can also recommend the Steamed Mussels and Kemuri’s take on the classic Moscow Mule. This is a great place to call in your order for takeout as well.
- Kamikaito: 521 Main St, North Little Rock (10 min drive). This is another great sushi place, located just across the river in the Argenta section of North Little Rock.
Italian
- Two of our favorites, Ciao’s and Cafe Prego have closed. We’ll update this section when we have a good recommendation.
BBQ
- Whole Hog Cafe: 2516 Cantrell Rd (6 min drive) World champion BBQ. Casual place to eat in, great place for takeout with online ordering. Try the giant loaded baked potato with pulled pork- delicious!
Burgers and more
- Big Orange: 207 N University Ave (7 min drive) Killer burgers, excellent drinks, incredible shakes. This is one of our favorites. The burgers are all excellent. Gluten-free buns available, if that is your jam. Wanting something besides a hamburger? The Southern Fried Chicken, The Hot N Hot Chicken, and Falafel sandwiches are all Little Fish recommendations. Danny recommends the Thai Chop salad with grilled Grouper as one of his favorites, after Jennifer told him about half a dozen times to try it. Great drinks here- Jennifer recommends the Velvet Orange, Danny often goes with the Strong Old Fashioned. The shake menu is delightful- the adult shakes are a special treat as well.
Mexican
- Heights Taco and Tamale: 5805 Kavanaugh Blvd (10 min drive) Another Little Fish favorite. Good tacos and good drinks. Fun place!
- La Hacienda: 3024 Cantrell Rd (6 min drive) Family run authentic mexican. Casual atmosphere and good food.
- Cantina Laredo: 207 N University Ave (7 min drive) Upscale stylish Mexican restaurant. Good margaritas and mojitos. Also makes a good brunch spot.
Coffee
- Mylo Coffee Co.: 2715 Kavanaugh Blvd (4 min drive, 20 min walk) Cozy coffee place, also great for breakfast
- Walter’s Speakeasy & Coffee: 5018 Kavanaugh Blvd (8 min drive) Large, spacious comfortable coffee shop in the morning,awesome speakeasy after dark.
- Nexus Coffee Collective : 301 President Clinton Ave (6 min drive) This one is located in the River Market district in the heart of downtown Little Rock. Great place to stop in. It sounds fussy, but the Oat Milk Vanilla Latte is winner.
Brunch
- Cafe Bossa Nova: 2701 Kavanaugh Blvd (4 min drive, 20 min walk) Wonderful brunch menu, but really good anytime. The owners of Bossa Nova also own Rosalia’s Family Bakery right next door.
Brewery and More
- Lost Forty Brewing: 501 Byrd St (9 min drive) Great selection of beers, fantastic food menu.
- Stone’s Throw Taproom: 3015 W Markham St (1 min drive, 4 min walk) New taproom just a few minutes walk from The Little Fish. For Spring 2019, the Taproom is closed on Mondays. When walking, be smart and use the crosswalk at Kavanaugh by the Meteor.
- Flyway Brewing: 314 Maple St, North Little Rock (10 min drive) Cool tasting room with board games. Pretzels are good, and the duck nachos are great! Need a beer recommendation: try the Bluewing Berry Ale, The Little Fish sometimes has these as welcome gifts for guests.
- Rocktown Distillery: 1201 Main St (7 min drive) Local distillery that now has a great tasting room and bar area. Worth visiting for the tasting tour alone.
Breakfast
- Mylo Coffee: 2715 Kavanaugh Blvd (3 min drive, 20 min walk) Great place for a quick delicious breakfast. Lady Little Fish really likes the Chai Latte.
- Boulevard Bread Co:1920 N Grant St (8 min drive) The breakfast sandwich with pancetta and a fried egg is divine. Good lunch menu as well. As you might expect, fresh baked bread that is delicious.
- Leo’s Greek Castle: 2925 Kavanaugh Blvd (3 min drive, 20 min walk) Greasy spoon vibe without the actual greasy spoons. Also a good spot for a lunch time burger or gyro.
- Mugs Cafe: 515 Main St, North Little Rock (10 min drive) Great breakfast spot in North Little Rock. Biscuits and gravy are awesome. New location! Mugs has opened a location on the corner of Kavanaugh and Pierce at 5719 Kavanaugh Blvd (9 min drive)
- Community Bakery : 1200 Main St (7 min drive) Get your doughnut and pastry fix here. If you’re looking for baked goods, this is the spot.
Lunch
- The Oyster Bar: 3003 W Markham St (5 min walk, 2 min drive) Neighborhood restaurant. Load up the jukebox, try the catfish, and chill out.
- Three Fold Noodles: 611 S Main St (6 min drive) Noodles and dumplings. Everything is handmade daily. Great for lunch or dinner, located in the heart of downtown.
- Gus’s Fried Chicken : 300 President Clinton Ave (7 min drive) Hot and spicy chicken that the Colonel wishes it could be. Little Fish power move: 3pc dark meat, all legs, with greens and mac&cheese for sides. Located in the Rivermarket area downtown. Lots of other options for folks that can’t handle the spice.
- The Flying Fish: 511 President Clinton Ave (7 min drive) Casual seafood shack. Create your own basket combos, or the Little Fish recommends the Grilled Grouper Poboy. Don’t forget to tell them to “make it snappy”. Another Rivermarket location, great place to eat after spending some time downtown.
- The Fold: 3501 Old Cantrell Rd (5 min drive) Fun little place, “taco shop and mezcal bar”. Located in an old gas station- patio seating is divine when the weather is nice. Thirsty for a bourbon cocktail? The Smoking Jacket might be right up your alley.
Dinner
- Ciao Baci: 605 Beechwood St (3 min drive, 15-20 walk). Eat like a lucky local! New favorite of the Little Fish. For Spring 2019, the Chef’s tasting menu is where it’s at.
- Maddie’s Place: 1615 Rebsamen Park Rd (5 min drive) Cajun restaurant located in Riverdale section. Laid back, local favorite. Little Fish recommends the Shrimp and Grits.
- The Pantry Crest: 722 N Palm St (4 min drive, 25-30 min walk) German/Czech comfort food and more. Tasty dinner option, located in a converted house in Hillcrest. Good selection of imported beers.
- Samantha’s Tap Room: 322 Main St (7 min drive) New American food, all delicious. 32 Beers and 20 wines *all on tap*. Upscale and low key at the same time. Great date night dinner option, located in the heart of downtown. Note: Samantha’s is reopening July 7, 2021 after suffering extensive flooding in the great freeze of March 2021.
- Allsop and Chappel: 311 Main Street (7 min drive) Another New American restaurant. Fantastic cocktails, good whiskey selection. Food is excellent.
- Brave New Restaurant: 2300 Cottondale Ln #105 (7 min drive) Upscale American dining with a river view.
Sweet, Sweet Dessert
- LePops: 5501 Kavanaugh Blvd (8 min drive) When the weather is cool, a Hot Pop can’t be beat. A Little Fish favorite is the Salted Caramel. The pops vary with the season, there isn’t a bad day to head to LePops.
- Loblolly Creamery: 1423 Main St (9 min drive) Fun place for an ice cream scoop or grabbing a pint to take back to the Little Fish. Located in the South on Main (SOMA) neighborhood.
DIY (grocery stores and more)
- Hillcrest Farmers Market: 2200 Kavanaugh Blvd (3 min drive, 15-20 min walk) Saturday mornings until noon. Local meats, produce, and more. Little Fish has a hard time picking one, but really loves the Chipotle Honey from Sun Harvest Honey, and the mushrooms from Wye Mountain Mushroom Farm. * Currently closed for COVID reasons, but some vendors have been gathering at The Whitewater Tavern on Saturday mornings at 11am.
- Kroger in Hillcrest: 614 Beechwood St (4 min drive, 20-25 min walk) This is the closest location, and is walkable.
- Hillcrest Artisan Meats: 2807 Kavanaugh Blvd (4 min drive, 20-25 min walk) Located in the same shopping center as the Hillcrest Kroger, fresh high quality local meats. Also a good lunch spot for a quick sandwich
- Kroger in the Heights: 1900 N Polk St (9 min drive) This Kroger is a bit farther away, but offers more selection.
- Heights Corner Market: 5018 Kavanaugh Blvd (8 min drive) Upscale local market. Lots of local Arkansas brands. A lot of organic meat and seafood options. Prepared meals also available. Conveniently attached to Walter’s coffee and Speakeasy.
- Whole Foods: 501 Bowman Rd (10-12 min drive) Natural/organic grocer
- Natural Grocers: 9210 N Rodney Parham Rd (10-12 min drive) Another natural/organic grocer