Tusk & Trotter American Brasserie in Bentonville, Arkansas
We were given a complimentary meal for this post, but as always, all opinions are 100% our own.
Tusk & Trotter caught our attention as they have received numerous awards and recognitions since their opening in 2011. The award-winning eatery is located right off "The Square" in downtown Bentonville, Arkansas and the building was once Sam Walton's general office and warehouse. It is owned by chef Rob Nelson, who attended culinary school in France and studied under many Michelin star chefs. The talented chef turns to local produce whenever possible and shifts his menu seasonally.
Tusk and Trotter gastropub located right off "the Square" in Bentonville
Rustic-chic setting inside Tusk & Trotter, which once used to be Sam Walton's general office and Warehouse
Tusk & Trotter is described as a gastropub and we've been hearing this term a lot recently and wanted to know what it was all about. If you were wondering, a gastropub is a bar and restaurant that serves high-end beer and food. We are all about establishments that concentrate on quality food, so we were really looking forward to our dining experience.
A laid-back, neighborly atmosphere inside Tusk & Trotter
We walked in and were kindly greeted by the host and loved the rustic-chic space. It was inviting and the casual vibe conveyed a relaxing atmosphere.
There were so many interesting items on the menu that we couldn't decide what to order on our first visit. Thankfully, Katherine, the general manager of Tusk & Trotter, helped us out and ordered the best of the best from the restaurant.
Tusk & Trotter's "Don’t Blame the Butter for What the Bread Did"
Candy excited to try the Bloody Mary flight
Tusk & Trotter's Bloody Mary flight - Pickle Mary, Bacon Mary and Tequila Lime
We commenced our Sunday brunch with a Bloody Mary flight. This is such a genius idea! I'm hoping more restaurants will catch onto this and start creating more cocktail flights. There are 10 different flavors you can choose from and our flight included: Tequila Lime, Pickle Mary, and Bacon Mary. The Pickle Mary and Bacon Mary both consisted of house infused vodka and you could definitely taste the pickle and bacon flavors. Surprisingly, the Tequila Lime was our favorite out of the three.
House made red potato bread with roasted garlic, cheddar, scallions, rosemary served with bone marrow butter
Tusk & Trotter's house made potato bread with bone marrow butter was beyond amazing
While we were enjoying our Bloody Mary's, Katherine brought out the most unique and original dishes. To start off, we had the "Don't Blame the Butter for What the Bread Did". The name is definitely unique, but what really caught our attention was the bone marrow butter. We have never tried anything with bone marrow, so we didn't know what to expect, but wow, it was phenomenal. There was texture to it with some beef flavor that paired nicely with the potato bread. The potato bread is house-made and the aroma itself, consisting of roasted garlic and rosemary, was mouthwatering.
Tusk & Trotter's Charcuterie & Cheese Board
Arkansas bacon, country paté, head cheese, duck pastrami, local cheese selection, pepper jelly, pickled vegetables and more
Next, we had the most amazing Charcuterie & Cheese Board. We've had our fair share of charcuterie and cheese boards, but this one was by far the best we've had to date. The board was beautifully arranged and packed with so much goodness: 1950 Arkansas bacon, country paté, head cheese, duck pastrami, local cheese selection, pepper jelly, pickled vegetables, olives, capers & stone ground mustard. This was our first time trying duck pastrami and it was delectable!
Tusk & Trotter's Award winning dessert, "Trot on Over Here"
We were stuffed after our drinks and entrees, but knew we would regret it if we didn't try their dessert. We had the "Trot on Over Here" made with sticky toffee pudding cake. It is baked with brandy soaked dates and topped with butterscotch and maple bacon ice cream. We were both blown away by the flavors and ended up devouring it within seconds. We could come here just for dessert alone, no joke (and Bloody Marys of course)! It's no wonder that this dessert was voted best bacon dish by Southern Living Magazine. And we couldn't believe how reasonable the price was at $6.50. It seriously tasted like a million bucks. A bit of an exaggeration, but we've had desserts at fine dining restaurants and none of them have come close to how awesome this dessert was.
Tusk & Trotter located in Bentonville right off "The Square"
The dessert was the perfect ending to our dining experience at Tusk & Trotter. We can't wait to come back and try the other Bloody Mary flavors and more delicious entrees from their unique menu.
TUSK & TROTTER AMERICAN BRASSERIE
ADDRESS: 110 SE A St, Bentonville, AR
HOURS: Mon 4:00 PM - 9:30 PM, TUE - THU 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM, FRI 11:00 AM - 11:00PM, SAT 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM, SUN 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM (kitchen closed 2:00 - 2:30)
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