Sports grill touts views, brews
Hot Springs locals and visitors alike can now travel to a single destination to enjoy food, beer, sports, a shoreline and a sunset.
Bubba Brew’s, located on the east end of the Airport Road bridge over Lake Hamilton, opened its doors to the public Oct. 13. The restaurant has a goal of appealing to all who enter, says co-owner Bubba Bass.
“It’s different than other places,” Bass said. “We like to keep a family atmosphere but still like to let everybody have a great time.”
Bass, a native of the Hot Springs area, decided to open the restaurant after running a successful Bubba Brew’s with his wife, Nancy, on Lake Norris in Tennessee since 2009. The couple had initially relocated to Tennessee with Bubba’s father, Ned, who owned Brady Mountain Resort and transitioned to the restaurant business with the move.
The two franchised their Lake Norris restaurant, moved back to “where we always wanted to be” two years ago and began planning the restaurant. The now-completed restaurant is owned three ways, between Bass, Nancy and Ned.
The restaurant features two indoor sports bars with porches and rooftop seating with a clear view of Lake Hamilton’s west shore. Inside the restaurant, those dining in are treated to no shortage of TV screens “that you can see from
every chair.”
“If you like sports, it’s a nice place to be,” Bass said.
The Lake Hamilton Bubba Brew’s is the restaurant’s second location in Garland County — the first, in Bonnerdale, brews the Lake Hamilton location’s beer. Bass said that the Lake Hamilton location carries nine of the company’s beers, and had good things to say about his restaurant’s food, as well.
“We’ve got anything, from wings, burgers, pizzas, catfish, and then we have a chef,” Bass said. “It has all his signature sandwiches and all that kind of stuff.”
Bass said the Lake Hamilton location’s chef incorporates the beer into some of the dishes he makes.
Bass said that since opening the restaurant last Friday, he has already had return customers. He noted one party that had dined at the restaurant three times in the first week it was open.
“Any time you get returning customers, it’s always a great thing,” Bass said.
In the future, Bass hopes to book plenty of events while continuing to draw customers. He said his restaurant is booked “up through December” with Christmas parties and private parties.
“I hope it stays successful,” Bass said of his restaurant. “That’s the main thing.”