Downtown Benton doesn’t need a revival, but it needs this new restaurant

Owner Heather Roe describes it as “Craft burgers. Clever cocktails. Creative wings. Loaded fries. Home of the ‘Sausage Dog.’ Vast beer list. Craveable bar fare. Brick oven pizza.”

That’s good enough for me to be interested in the new restaurant, called Revival. It’s also in downtown Benton, an area of the city that has become quite popular, speckled with colorful murals, boutiques and creative eateries. 

I’m calling this a “new” restaurant, but it was already a restaurant before. It is also owned by the same people as the previous one, Heather and her husband Craig Roe. They own Baja Grill (Benton and Little Rock locations) and Rober, and they did own Valhalla – but it’s now Revival. The name is different of course but also the theme.

Think camping. The woods. Lawn chairs. The owners stated via social media, “We have a love for the outdoors. We’re going to let that shine through with Revival.”

The menu is all different – except where it isn’t. You’ll find four choices of half pound burgers made with a blend of short rib, brisket and chuck, alongside chips or fries or even sweet potato tots. You might try Craig’s Black & Bleu Burger, with crumbles of bleu cheese, carmelized onions, leaf lettuce, tomato and mayo.

Among the list of sandwiches, find the Gyro, Philly, Meatball or several others. They also have Sausage Dogs and Pasta choices. There’s an array of appetizers and salads. Try Cheese Curds or Duck Wings, Spicy Pickle Fries or a Sausage and Cheese Tray.

And what did they keep from the Valhalla menu? There are still several wings and pizza varieties on the menu as well. My dinner partner had the “The Staff Loves This One” pizza, with white sauce, chicken, bacon and red onions. I had the Gyro with a mix of beef and lamb, in a pita with tomato, lettuce, red onion and taziki sauce. Both were very tasty. I’m looking forward to trying so many other dishes. See the menu below for all the items, descriptions and prices.

This part is a pause in the article to show the gallery of selfies with friends I saw at Revival. Some publications have a society page, so I wanted to keep up with them.

The restaurant is located behind Baja Grill at 226 W. South Street in Benton or get there from Ashley Street, through the beer garden entrance next to Koffee with a Kause. Yes, I did say beer garden. They have added shade to the patio and will be delivering in the very local downtown area.

They’re opening to the public on Thursday, May 11th and they will still have live music on Thursdays but also Saturdays. Craig has created a show experience with great sound and lights – even fog! 

Revival will also be open for lunch – I know you were wondering – on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Dinner will be Tuesdays through Saturdays. It’s worth noting that the axe throwing venue upstairs, Valkyrie, is still in business. You may look for Valhalla on Google maps and find that it says it is permanently closed. Valkyrie is a separate business, but still owned by Heather and Craig and still slinging axes for birthdays, team building, or just because you wanted to. Follow Revival on social media at @eatdrinkrevival.