A few weeks ago we reported that Heather Baber-Roe and Craig Roe, owners of Little Rock and Benton Baja Grill locations, as well as Benton’s Rōber::Cocktails + Culinary and Valhalla::Kitchen + Bar, were planning to open a new restaurant and beer garden in downtown Benton called Revival:: Restaurant + Beer Garden.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported on Thursday that Revival has taken the place of Valhalla, which resides in the Palace Theatre building at 226 W. South St.
The Roes purchased Valhalla — a pizza restaurant and axe throwing venue — in 2021. The restaurant’s last night of service was May 6. A post on the restaurant’s Facebook page says that the Roes wanted to create a concept of their own for the space.
If we were just “business people” we would continue with no change. But as our crews & anyone who dines with us know, Craig and I are IN IT. We are in the kitchens, we’re bussing tables, creating recipes, mowing the yard, running food, greeting guests, etc, etc. So for that reason, and because we spend so much of our time in our restaurants, we want to be serving a menu & working in a concept of our own. I hope that makes sense to the Valhalla fans.
The restaurants are what I think about most of my day – everything done is with the best intentions.
A social media post on Revival’s Facebook page displaying a picture of old school lawn chairs says the Roe’s love for the outdoors will shine through with Revival. The menu has a prominent camping theme throughout. The snacks section features items like wings, spicy pickle fries, meatballs and duck wings. Several pizzas are available, as well as a few burgers and sandwiches. There’s roughly 20 signature cocktails on the menu, an extensive bourbon/whiskey list and wide variety of beers available. Customers will be able to roast their own marshmallows for the table s’mores dessert, and there’s a Little Campers section of the menu with items like chicken nuggets, a grilled cheese, burgers, pasta and desserts like the Bomb Pop, orange push-pops and an ice cream sandwich.
The restaurant opens Tuesday night. Specific hours are not listed, but the restaurant will be open for dinner Tue.-Sat. and lunch/dinner Thu.-Sat.