The Preacher's Son is the newest hotspot in Bentonville when it comes to good food, cool vibes, underground bar and a rooftop bar all in one place. The executive chef, Matt Cooper, is actually a preacher's son and modified the oldest church in Bentonville (built in 1904) into a gorgeous bright establishment. We were very excited to dine at one of newest additions to this up-and-coming foodie town.

We didn't make a reservation and since it was a Saturday, we had a feeling it would be really busy and our chances of getting a table would be slim-to-none. So, we got to the restaurant right at 5 PM and luckily, we were able to get a seat at the bar since all the tables on the main dining floor were reserved. Good thing we arrived early because the place was filled within 30 minutes.

When we walked in, we were blown away by the light beaming in through the art glass windows. We rarely dine at restaurants for dinner because they always make the lighting so dim to the point where you can barely read the menu. The Preacher's Son was just the opposite. There was tons of natural light coming in from the large windows and we couldn't be happier. I wish all restaurants would let in more natural light or turn up the lights a tad more during dinner hours. The entire atmosphere of this restaurant was amazing.

Sitting at the bar ended up being perfect because we learned a little more about the restaurant from the friendly bartenders. When we were handed the menus, they told us that everything on the menu was gluten-free because the chef himself had to adhere to a gluten-free diet since he has celiac disease. We've come across restaurants where there are a few menu items that are gluten-free but an entire gluten-free menu is pretty impressive! On top of that, the chef uses local and sustainable ingredients, encouraging community building. Can this guy be any cooler?

We ordered our drinks first and loved the fun names like The Preacher's Daughter and Fraise Plein Air. We got a kick out of the Fraise Plein Air because it was a play on the popular 90's TV show, Fresh Prince of Bel Air. For our entree, we ordered the Schnitzel, which was a fried chicken breast that came with smashed potatoes.

We were told that it was a pretty big plate, so we decided to share and order more later if we needed to. Good thing we shared that dish because the size of that chicken breast was HUGE. It was such a large portion that we couldn't even eat all of it. The Schnitzel was great but we wish it would have came with some vegetables like green beans, kale or brussels sprouts. The potatoes with the fried chicken was a little too heavy for us.

After our dinner, we headed downstairs to Undercroft, an intimate speakeasy lounge. Getting to the lounge was super fun because you go through the Closet Door that's located by the bathrooms. You'd never think that's an entrance to a bar! It was such a change of atmosphere. One minute, we were in the light and the next, in darkness.

We ordered a couple of their specialty drinks, Fog Lifter and Orchard Punch, and then headed to the rooftop. This part of the restaurant is relatively new and had their soft open in July. We wanted to lounge in the welcoming outdoor space but Bentonville was experiencing a heat wave that week, so the beaming sun was getting unbearable. It would have been perfect during sunset or later in the night when the temperatures cooled down.

A few days later, I was at Preacher's Son once again because my company was having a team dinner. I love being invited to team dinners because the host practically orders everything on the menu and we get to try a little bit of everything.

Chicken Meatballs with Polenta - so good!

Everyone enjoyed pretty much everything that was ordered and my favorites were definitely the Chicken Meatballs, Spaetzle Mac and Cheese, Pork Shank and the Schnitzel. A really fun item on the menu was the Cornbread because the inside was blue! I had no idea cornbread came in that color.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time at The Preacher's Son and highly recommend everyone to check this place out.

THE PREACHER'S SON
ADDRESS: 201 NW A St, Bentonville, AR
HOURS: Mon - Fri: 11AM - 2PM / Mon - Sat (Dinner): 5PM - 10PM

Camera equipment used: Canon 5D Mark III, Sony a7S II, Canon EF 50mm f/1.4, Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm f/4