The Rail Yard in Little Rock Combines Fun, Food and Drink in an Outdoor Setting That’s Perfect in October

 

Those familiar with The Rail Yard, the predominantly outdoor venue in Little Rock’s up-and-coming East Village, will tell you that it has quickly become one of the city’s top hangout spots. Opened in 2018 at 1212 East 6th St., the venture was the brainchild of family members Linda Newbern, Murry Newbern and Virginia Young.

 

 

“We were all at a point in our lives where we were looking for something to get involved in,” Linda Newbern says. “At different times we had been to Dallas and went to a business named Truck Yard Dallas. It is an outdoor restaurant and bar with food trucks similar to The Rail Yard. What we really loved about it was that there were people of all ages, children and dogs. Everyone was talking to each other, and no one was on their cellphones. With the food truck industry on the rise in Little Rock, we thought this concept would work here.”

 

 

And right they were. In fact, it was love at first sight. 

 

“We began looking around Little Rock for a spot,” she says. “Virginia went to high school with Jimmy Moses (of Newmark Moses Tucker Partners), so we decided to ask his advice. He said, ‘I think I have the perfect spot,’ and took us to East Village. I think we all knew immediately that this was what we wanted. We loved the big outdoor area that also seems private.”

 

 

Almost three years after opening, both The Rail Yard and the neighborhood itself have seen a rise in popularity. In terms of the former, the setting is totally chill, complete with an outdoor beer garden filled with tables, lounge chairs and fire pits for the cooler days and evenings. Food trucks, a huge draw for customers, line the side areas. Various mobile eateries, including Low Ivy Catering, rotate in-and-out throughout the week. 

 

“I love The Rail Yard,” says owner of Low Ivy Catering, Amanda Ivy. “In January, we will have been setting up there for three years. They offer a fun hangout spot for the guests with awesome bar options, which is great for us. We find that people show up earlier, but hang out most of the night, so they eventually get hungry and come over to the truck. We also get the benefit of live music most of the time, so we get to jam out, too. You can catch us there almost every Friday night. We love that because it gives our regulars a place to know where they can find us almost every week.”

 

 

Other regulars include A Little Crêpesy, Delta Biscuit Company, La Casa de Mi Abuelita Mawmaw’s House, The Magic Food Bus and Nach’yo Nachos, just to name a few. Ownership views the eclectic mix of cuisine as a definite plus for diners. 

 

“It is nice to be able to offer a variety of foods,” Newbern says.

 

 

The Rail Yard also maintains a fun, informative social media presence, complete with schedules for attending trucks and performing acts posted at the beginning of each week. Those familiar with The Rail Yard also know about their permanent resident, Count Porkula, the ever-popular barbeque joint, which offers outdoor ordering along with an indoor dining option for folks who prefer the benefits of air conditioning. The partnership has benefitted both businesses and customers alike, with a marriage that made sense right from the very beginning. 

 

“In order to have a mixed drink license in Little Rock, you must serve a full plate of food,” Newburn says. “We did not want to be in the food business and wanted to have various food trucks in the yard to serve. The ABC was not comfortable with the food truck idea because they were not permanent. A friend of ours told us that Count Porkula, who had had a food truck for three years, was looking to expand.

 

 

“It has been the perfect match. Count Porkula rents our kitchen, and they are able to smoke their meats and cook for catering events, as well as serve food at The Rail Yard.”

 

Serve food, they do. And if you find yourself at The Rail Yard on a Friday afternoon, be sure to get an order of Count Porkula’s burnt ends with seasoned french fries. An order of smoked wings dipped in ranch should also be high up on your list, as should a rack of baby back ribs. Consider playing hooky from work for the rest of the day, and set up shop in the beer garden until the evening hours when a food truck or two arrives. There is even live music on most Friday and Saturday nights. The best part is that the setting is just as ideal for a date night as it is for hanging with friends and family while watching a Hogs game. In fact, the open-air conditions have allowed The Rail Yard to thrive during a time when many people are looking to socialize in a safe environment. 

 

 

“We are really grateful that we have such a big outdoor space,” Newburn says. “I think people do feel safer outdoors these days. We were also lucky in that just before the pandemic we bought a trailer and modified it to be an outdoor bar. The timing was perfect. People could get food and drink without going indoors.”

 

 

When it comes to Little Rock — or Arkansas as a whole, for that matter — there is not a better month than October to get outside and enjoy this great weather. 

 

Newburn says, “We are looking forward to a busy fall with lots of music, food trucks and special events.”

 

 

If you have never been, make it your business to go check out The Rail Yard. Just be prepared to relax, maybe crush a few ribs, birria tacos, or even a crepe, and wash it all down with a beer or two. 

 

Photos by Ian Lyle. 

 

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