A table full of delicious eats is the perfect way to begin exploring a new destination.

Bricktown Brewery – Fort Smith First Tastes

It seems to me that I’m always hungry when we arrive at a new destination. While this could be tied to the length of time spent in the car, often it is more about getting to know the culinary vibe of the city. We always hear about the importance of first impressions, but what about first tastes? Our visit to Fort Smith was focused on the downtown region, which is filled with enticing eateries. The compact nature of the area makes it easy to navigate by foot, so we ditched the car and headed off toward Bricktown Brewery for our first meal.

We want to thank Experience Fort Smith and Bricktown Brewery for hosting our visit. Rest assured all opinions are our own. 

Diners belly up to the bar at Bricktown Brewery in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Chill Vibe

While neither of us will ever rank as “beer connoisseurs”, we do enjoy the relaxed vibe found in places like Bricktown Brewery. From the moment we stepped through the door, we felt the casual atmosphere that filled the restaurant. Being a weekday, the other clientele was a mix of business people and locals. There were a few travelers blended into the mix and we became two more of them. As I moved around the space taking pictures, I struck up a conversation with a couple of guys at the bar. They explained that they were from Kansas and found this place to be a great place to chill out for a while.

A cold hard cider makes for a refreshing drink while exploring the menu at Bricktown Brewery.

What’s in a Name?

While this was our first visit to a Bricktown Brewery, we were aware of their presence in the Central states. Our trips through Oklahoma City and Wichita had shed light on their existence, but we had yet to make a stop. Now that we had broken through that barrier, we were ready to make the most of our time. As we reviewed the menu, I was surprised at their numerous choices. Many brew bars focus more on the beverage side and leave us, foodies, feeling a little overlooked. Bricktown avoids that by offering everything from burgers and pizza to full-blown homestyle meals. With my days of beer drinking behind me, I ordered up a hard cider and perused the menu.

Our meals at Bricktown Brewery were a combination of handheld options.

Bricktown Brewery Delivers

Here’s where the rubber meets the road for us. I went full bore and ordered the Blue Ribbon Burger with fries. Loaded with; peppered bacon, frizzled onions, and Buffalo blue cheese sauce, this mountain of a burger were more than enough to tame my hunger hankerings. I enjoyed every last bite, as I watched Crystal investigate her choice. Knowing her affinity for avocado, I predicted she’d choose the Turkey Bacon Guacamole Melt. The sammie was filled with roasted turkey, peppered bacon, Swiss cheese, bacon aioli, and tons of guacamole. She changed it up a bit by selecting the Sweet Potato Fries for her side. Paired with a sweet caramel sauce, they were pretty darn tasty.

The authors toast a successful first tastes event at Bricktown Brewery in Fort Smith.

Fort Smith First Tastes

Now that we had our first tastes of Fort Smith under our belts, we were ready for more exploring. During our walk to lunch, we spotted lots of interesting artwork dotting the landscape. It was obvious to us that we would be taking plenty of strolls, with camera in hand, to capture some of these unique creations. To get a true taste of a city, we have learned it is important to tackle it from a variety of angles. Our lunch at Bricktown Brewery allowed us to check off one box on our “to-do” list. Now it was time to tackle some more. How important do you feel it is to explore the local dining scene in new destinations? Let us know in the comment section below!

the authors signatures.

2 thoughts on “Bricktown Brewery – Fort Smith First Tastes”

  1. Independent locally owned restaurants are always my goal. The National chains may be good, but they are too predictable. A local menu shows what the area is all about.

    1. We agree with that approach for the most part, but there are times that our destination partner prefers that we showcase a particular set of experiences, so we are happy to help.

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