Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Boar’s Nest bringing bayou and barbecue to Northwest Arkansas
Across America, you will be able to find countless amounts of restaurants that have just one style of food that they serve. Whether that is burgers, or Italian or Mexican; they usually stay in one lane when it comes to what is on the menu. Boar’s Nest in Northwest Arkansas, is a barbecue restaurant first, but that is not where the menu ends.
Flippin’ through the Boar’s Nest menu, you can find popular barbecue favorites such as ribs, brisket sandwiches and chopped up pork. But, right next to those delicious, traditional classics, set more classics, just not barbecue classics. From their Gumbo and Jambalaya to ‘Toby’s Catfish,’ Boar’s Nest brings the taste of the bayou to NWA.
Owner John Hudec and his wife, Heather, recently bought Boar’s Nest back in December. The restaurant already had the southern taste on the menu, which is what John grew up with.
The Southwest Texas native, grew up only six miles from the Louisiana border, so if he knows two styles of foods, barbecue and seafood are at the top of the list.
“Delta BBQ, more of Texas BBQ. We are changing the name to just barbecue, with southern favorites. A little sweeter taste, the only thing we dry-rub is our wings. Everything is dry-rubbed when its smoked,” Hudec said.
Of course one of the biggest things when you think Texas BBQ is the sauces; and the endless amounts of types there are.
“We have a sweet sauce, then we also have kind of a Texas, what they call a Delta sauce, which is a little spicier, little bit thiner sauce. Then, we have our Georgia White sauce, which is a mayo based,” Hudec said.
The Texas grown Hudec’s background was culinary management, which is what he was trained to do in many roles throughout his home state.
“I was a culinary manager, there were five restaurants in Dallas that I managed. And then basically got my training in a five-star restaurant in Houston,” Hudec said.
After taking a few years away from the kitchen and the restaurant business as a whole, Hudec knew that he wanted to get back into the culinary business and found the perfect place in Northwest Arkansas.
He had currently been living in Tulsa, Oklahoma working a non-culinary job when he found that Boar’s Nest needed new ownership. He had connections to Fayetteville, as his sister is a chiropractor in town, and Heather had worked for the Fayetteville Police Department for 13 years.
The new owners are currently working on a new menu that will be released in just a couple weeks, there will not be much turnover, though there will for sure be new items to look out for.
“We will have a pork belly sandwich that is coming out. We will also have a new sandwich that will be sausage and brisket combined, a pretty good sized po’boy,” Hudec said.
Also, something that Hudec is working hard to expand is their dessert menu. They have fried pies and other new items coming to the menu soon.
Though the menu is changing, do not expect the fan favorites to be leaving the Boar’s Nest tables anytime soon.
Their Cajun classic are all $9.99, which include their Red Beans and Rice which is exactly that with smoked sausage. The Jambalaya, which is smoked sausage and rice. Then, the true Cajun Gumbo with
rice, chicken and sausage.
The most popular item that customers can’t get enough of are their huge chicken wings. Which are the whole chicken wings, which you don’t often see at a bar typed restaurant.
“Our wings are the best. Monday night is dollar wing night and people love our wings because we smoke our wings, and then we flash fry before we serve them, then toss them in a dry rub,” Hudec said.
Along with the dollar wing night, Boar’s Nest has other specials which include Friday’s where it is all-you-can-eat catfish, Saturday’s all-you-can-eat ribs and along with the dollar wings, Monday is host of ‘Mug Night’. Buy one mug for $5, all refills after that are only $3.
Along with those great deals, the kids are covered too. Kids under 10 eat free with a paid adult, all seven days a week.
The original name of ‘Boar’s Nest”, comes from the restaurant in the television show, ‘Dukes of Hazzard’. Which was a play on words with that restaurant and the University of Arkansas’ mascot being the Razorbacks. Hudec wants to get away from the popular show and have the restaurant be about the Hogs.
This connection with the university comes out every Saturday in the fall, when Razorbacks take the field, the “Game Day Menu” hits the tables. It is also available during any big game. Right now for the NBA Finals, but also games such as big college football bowl games.
Boar’s Nest tries to separate themselves from other restaurants around town to be more of a relaxed, hang out place for customers.
“Dickson street is more college students, more of a party atmosphere. Here we have more of a laid back atmosphere, where we have a lot of regulars come in all the time. And people just come here to hang out. There is no rush, people can come in hang out, have a few wings or have some barbecue or have a couple beers,” Hudec said.
Another way that Hudec is changing from the “old” Boar’s Nest is their beer selection. They will still have all of the nationwide favorites in bottles available, but on tap, they are going to try to stay strictly local.
“We’re trying have most of our taps be local beer. We have Ozark, we have Bentonville, we’re about to have Apple Blossom who is going to start distributing so we are going to pick up one or two of theirs,” Hudec said.
Boar’s Next has two locations in Northwest Arkansas. In Fayetteville at 1189 Steamboat Dr and at 4404 W Walnut in Rogers. Sunday through Thursday they are open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Friday’s and Saturday’s from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
For more information and their menu, go to boarsnestnwa.com.