Russellville, Arkansas, has far more dining variety than a quick drive along the interstate might suggest. You can sit down to Southern comfort food, order a bowl of Vietnamese pho, grab a freshly ground burger, try local barbecue, or choose Italian, sushi, and familiar fast food. The best choice depends on what you want to eat and the kind of meal you have in mind.
Quick Answer
For a first meal in Russellville, consider Old South for Southern comfort food, Linh’s for Vietnamese dishes, CJ’s Butcher Boy Burgers for burgers, Ridgewood Brothers BBQ for smoked meats, Venezia’s or Pasta Grill for Italian food, and Umami for sushi and hibachi. Daddy’s Smackin’ Wings & Things is no longer open in Russellville.
Key Takeaways
- Old South is still operating, but its original 1947 diner was lost to a 2023 fire and the restaurant now serves customers at 105 East Harrell Drive.
- Linh’s Vietnamese Cuisine remains a strong choice for pho, banh xeo, rice dishes, noodles, and other Vietnamese favorites.
- CJ’s Butcher Boy Burgers focuses on freshly ground burgers and fresh-cut fries.
- Ridgewood Brothers BBQ, Pasta Grill, The Old Bank, and Umami expand the local choices beyond the original five restaurants in this guide.
- Daddy’s Smackin’ Wings & Things closed its Russellville location on August 24, 2025, so it should no longer be treated as a current restaurant recommendation.
- If you must avoid gluten for celiac disease or another medical reason, ask about ingredients and cross-contact before ordering. A restaurant offering gluten-conscious choices does not automatically mean it has a dedicated gluten-free kitchen.
Best Restaurants in Russellville at a Glance
| Restaurant | Best For | What to Know |
|---|---|---|
| Old South | Southern comfort food | Historic Russellville restaurant now operating at 105 E Harrell Dr. |
| Linh’s Vietnamese Cuisine | Pho and Vietnamese food | Family-run restaurant with pho, banh xeo, rice, noodles, and vegetarian choices. |
| Venezia’s Pizza & Pasta | Pizza and Italian food | Local Italian option at 1321 E Main St. |
| CJ’s Butcher Boy Burgers | Burgers and fries | Known for fresh-ground-in-house beef and fresh-cut fries. |
| Ridgewood Brothers BBQ | Barbecue | Craft barbecue with meats cut to order; some items can sell out. |
| Pasta Grill | Italian-style dinner, pasta, steaks, and seafood | Downtown restaurant at 319 W Main St. |
| The Old Bank | Downtown dining, brunch, and groups | Offers reservations, weekend brunch, and evening entertainment. |
| Umami Sushi & Grill | Sushi and hibachi | Japanese and Asian-fusion restaurant at 304 N Elmira Ave. |
| Daddy’s Smackin’ Wings & Things | Historical mention | Russellville location closed August 24, 2025. |
Note: Restaurant hours, menus, delivery coverage, and service formats can change. For a special trip, use the official restaurant links in this guide to confirm the latest details before leaving.
Old South
Old South remains one of Russellville’s best-known choices for traditional Southern and American comfort food, but its story has changed significantly in recent years. The original diner was built in 1947 and became a long-running Russellville landmark. That building was destroyed by fire in 2023. The restaurant later continued in a new home at 105 East Harrell Drive.
The current Old South Restaurant still leans into the comfort-food tradition that made the name familiar to generations of diners. Depending on the day and current menu, you may find breakfast dishes, meat-and-side combinations, chicken, catfish, pasta specials, sandwiches, desserts, and other homestyle choices.
The biggest reason to visit is not that you are stepping into the exact 1947 building, because that building is gone. Instead, you are visiting the continuation of a Russellville restaurant tradition that survived the fire and moved forward in a new location. That distinction makes the current story both more accurate and more interesting.
Pro Tip: Old South currently lists service Monday through Saturday and closes on Sunday. If the history is part of the reason you want to visit, remember that the present restaurant is the successor to the original East Main Street diner rather than the original building itself.
Linh’s Vietnamese Cuisine
If you want a break from burgers and Southern comfort food, Linh’s Vietnamese Cuisine gives Russellville a very different set of flavors. The family-run restaurant is located at 624 South Knoxville Avenue and maintains an extensive current Vietnamese and Asian menu.
Pho remains one of the natural starting points, but the menu goes well beyond noodle soup. You can also find rice dishes, fried rice, vermicelli, stir-fried noodles, curry, vegetarian choices, boba drinks, and banh xeo, the crisp Vietnamese crepe filled with ingredients such as pork, shrimp, onion, and bean sprouts.
Linh’s is particularly useful when a group wants several types of dishes instead of everyone ordering variations of the same meal. Noodle soups, rice plates, stir-fries, vegetarian choices, and drinks give diners plenty of room to build a meal around their preferences.
The restaurant’s official site currently lists Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday hours from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., closure on Wednesday, and Saturday and Sunday hours from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Because restaurant schedules can change, confirm the current listing before making a long trip.
Daddy’s Smackin’ Wings & Things
Daddy’s Smackin’ Wings & Things deserves clarification because older Russellville dining guides still recommend it. The restaurant became known locally for unusual wing flavors, including its memorable peanut-butter-and-jelly wings, alongside more familiar sauces and loaded creations.
Warning: Daddy’s is no longer a current Russellville restaurant recommendation. An official Facebook post dated August 24, 2025 announced that day as the last day at the Russellville location. Do not make a trip to the former Russellville restaurant expecting it to be open.
The section is worth preserving as part of the city’s recent food history because the restaurant developed a distinctive local following and was repeatedly highlighted for its creative wings. For a current meal, however, choose one of the operating restaurants elsewhere in this guide.
Venezia’s Pizza & Pasta
Venezia’s Pizza & Pasta remains an Italian option in Russellville at 1321 East Main Street. Current local listings and online ordering information confirm the restaurant is operating at that location.
The restaurant is a practical choice when you want familiar Italian-American comfort food such as pizza and pasta rather than barbecue, burgers, or Asian cuisine. Instead of relying on older claims about exactly how far the kitchen sits from the dining room or unverified descriptions of individual recipes, it is better to judge Venezia’s by its current menu and the dishes available on the day you visit.
Discover Russellville also marks Venezia’s as a restaurant that can serve gluten-free customers. That is useful as a starting point, but anyone with celiac disease or a strong sensitivity should still ask the restaurant what can be prepared, which ingredients are used, and how cross-contact is handled.
CJ’s Butcher Boy Burgers
CJ’s Butcher Boy Burgers is one of the more focused restaurants in Russellville. Its official website emphasizes beef that is ground in-house from chuck shoulders and fresh-cut fries. The Russellville location is at 2803 North Arkansas Avenue.
CJ’s began in Russellville in 2005. The retro burger-shop atmosphere reinforces the simple menu concept: this is a place to visit when a burger and fries are the main event rather than just one option on a huge menu.
Here’s a quick look at what CJ’s has to offer:
| Menu Item | Description | What to Know |
|---|---|---|
| Burger Varieties | Fresh-ground-in-house beef with customizable toppings | The core reason to visit |
| Milkshakes | Classic burger-shop shake option | A natural pairing with burgers and fries |
| Chicken Options | Not a core focus of the current official restaurant description | Verify the current menu if you specifically want chicken |
If you want a straightforward local burger stop rather than a broad sit-down menu, CJ’s remains one of the easiest restaurants in Russellville to match to that craving.
More Russellville Restaurants Worth Considering
A current guide should go beyond the same five restaurants that appeared in older Russellville roundups. These additional options fill important gaps for barbecue, downtown dining, Italian-style dinners, sushi, and hibachi.
Ridgewood Brothers BBQ
Ridgewood Brothers BBQ at 803 West Main Place specializes in craft barbecue and live-fire cooking. Its current menu includes smoked brisket, pulled pork, turkey, pork spareribs, sides, and other rotating items.
The restaurant states that meats are cut to order and that it may remain open only until food sells out. That makes Ridgewood a strong choice when barbecue is your priority, but arriving earlier can be smart if you have your heart set on a particular smoked meat.
Pasta Grill
Pasta Grill Russellville is located at 319 West Main Street and gives diners another substantial option for pasta and a sit-down dinner. Its current ordering menu includes Italian-inspired appetizers and pasta dishes along with a broader restaurant menu.
It works particularly well when your group wants a more complete dinner than a pizza-only stop, or when you want a downtown meal before or after exploring the surrounding area.
The Old Bank
The Old Bank offers a different kind of dining experience in downtown Russellville. It serves food and drinks in a historic downtown setting and currently offers reservations, weekend brunch, and scheduled entertainment on selected evenings.
This is one of the more useful choices for a planned night out, weekend brunch, or group gathering. Its reservation option also makes it easier to plan around a specific time instead of relying entirely on walk-in seating.
Umami Sushi & Grill
Umami Sushi & Grill at 304 North Elmira Avenue fills an important gap in the city’s dining mix with sushi, hibachi, and Asian-fusion dishes.
If one person wants sushi while another prefers fried rice, hibachi, or a cooked entrée, Umami’s broader menu can make group ordering easier. It is also a good counterpoint to the Southern, burger, barbecue, and Italian restaurants that dominate many Russellville recommendation lists.
Choosing a Restaurant by Craving or Occasion
- Southern comfort food: Start with Old South.
- Vietnamese food or pho: Choose Linh’s Vietnamese Cuisine.
- Burgers and fries: CJ’s Butcher Boy Burgers is the most focused choice.
- Barbecue: Ridgewood Brothers BBQ is the strongest dedicated barbecue option in this guide.
- Pizza or casual Italian: Consider Venezia’s.
- A broader Italian-style dinner: Consider Pasta Grill.
- Sushi or hibachi: Umami is the obvious fit.
- Downtown brunch or an evening with reservations: The Old Bank is worth considering.
- A quick chain meal: KFC, Wendy’s, Burger King, and other national chains have Russellville locations.
Gluten-Free Options
Russellville has restaurants where diners can ask about gluten-conscious or gluten-free choices, but the original version of this guide overstated how certain those choices are. Menu ingredients and kitchen practices are two different things. A dish made without wheat ingredients can still come into contact with gluten on a shared grill, fryer, cutting surface, or utensil.
Warning: If you have celiac disease or another medical reason to avoid gluten strictly, do not rely only on a menu label. The FDA’s gluten-free standard uses less than 20 parts per million as part of its definition for foods bearing a gluten-free claim, and cross-contact can still matter. Ask the restaurant how your food is prepared.
Featured Gluten-Free Restaurants
IHOP requires especially careful wording. IHOP’s own menu uses the term gluten-friendly, not guaranteed gluten-free. The company says it has multiple sources of gluten in shared cooking and preparation areas, including shared fryer oil, and cannot guarantee that a menu item will be completely free of gluten or allergens. You can review the current IHOP menu and dietary statement before ordering.
Venezia’s Pizza & Pasta is marked by Discover Russellville as a restaurant that can serve gluten-free customers. Ask what gluten-free choices are currently available and how they are prepared.
La Huerta Mexican Restaurant offers dishes built around ingredients such as meat, rice, beans, corn-based components, vegetables, and sauces, but that does not automatically make every dish gluten-free. Flour tortillas, sauces, seasonings, shared fryers, and preparation surfaces can all matter. Ask specifically about the dish you intend to order.
Nonna Bella’s Pizzeria is an active family-run pizzeria at 717 South Arkansas Avenue. Its current public website does not clearly spell out a detailed gluten-free and cross-contact policy, so it is better to ask about today’s crust options and kitchen procedures rather than assuming a particular item is suitable for a strict medical diet.
Diverse Gluten-Free Cuisines
You can still find a range of cuisines when avoiding gluten, but the safest approach is to separate possible ingredient choices from a restaurant’s ability to control cross-contact.
| Cuisine Type | Restaurant Name | Gluten-Related Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| American | IHOP | Uses the term “gluten-friendly”; shared preparation means items are not guaranteed gluten-free. |
| Mexican | La Huerta Mexican Restaurant | Ask about tortillas, sauces, seasoning, fryers, and cross-contact for the specific dish. |
| Italian | Venezia’s Pizza & Pasta | Discover Russellville identifies it as able to serve gluten-free customers; confirm today’s choices and preparation. |
| Japanese / Asian Fusion | Umami Sushi & Grill | Ask about soy sauce, marinades, fried foods, imitation crab, and preparation surfaces before ordering. |
For a strict gluten-free diet, your best restaurant is not necessarily the one with the longest list of potentially suitable dishes. It is the one that can clearly explain ingredients and cross-contact procedures for the meal you plan to order.
Dining Experience
Russellville’s dining scene works well because the restaurants do not all serve the same purpose. Old South gives you a long-running local comfort-food tradition. Linh’s brings Vietnamese dishes into the mix. CJ’s keeps the focus on burgers. Ridgewood specializes in barbecue, while Venezia’s and Pasta Grill cover different kinds of Italian dining. Umami gives sushi and hibachi fans an option, and The Old Bank offers a downtown setting suited to brunch or an evening out.
For a casual meal, burger, barbecue, pizza, and counter-service restaurants make ordering simple. For a date, group meal, or planned evening, a restaurant with reservations or a broader sit-down menu may work better.
Pro Tip: Choose by craving first and ratings second. Online scores change constantly, while a restaurant’s specialty is more stable. If you want smoked brisket, a great burger rating at another restaurant will not solve the craving nearly as well as choosing a dedicated barbecue restaurant.
Fast Food Options
When you need a faster meal, Russellville also has familiar national chains. Current Discover Russellville dining listings include KFC, Wendy’s, Burger King, McDonald’s, Popeyes, Sonic, Taco Bell, and several other quick-service restaurants.
It’s Just Wings should not be described as a local independent gem. It is a branded wing concept associated with Chili’s. The Russellville It’s Just Wings page promotes pickup and delivery and explains that the concept’s wings can also be ordered through Chili’s.
Quick Meal Choices
If speed matters more than a long sit-down meal, these familiar options cover several common cravings:
| Restaurant | Useful For |
|---|---|
| KFC | Fried chicken, chicken meals, and quick takeout |
| Wendy’s | Burgers, chicken, fries, salads, and quick-service meals |
| Burger King | Burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, and familiar chain options |
| It’s Just Wings | Wing-focused pickup or delivery associated with Chili’s |
Numeric restaurant ratings have been left out because they differ across review platforms and can change from week to week. Check the current ordering or restaurant page if review scores are important to your decision.
Popular Fast Food Chains
Russellville’s chain choices cover the familiar categories most travelers expect:
- KFC focuses on fried chicken and family-style chicken meals.
- Wendy’s offers burgers, chicken, fries, salads, breakfast items at participating locations, and other quick-service choices.
- Burger King centers its menu on flame-grilled burgers along with chicken and sides.
- It’s Just Wings is useful when wings are the priority and pickup or delivery is more important than choosing an independent local restaurant.
If your goal is to experience Russellville rather than simply eat quickly, however, the locally rooted restaurants earlier in this guide provide a stronger sense of the city’s food scene.
Drive-Through Convenience Options
Drive-through service can be especially useful during a road trip or a busy workday, but lobby and drive-through hours do not always match. Russellville has multiple quick-service restaurants along major commercial roads, including North Arkansas Avenue and East Main Street.
If drive-through access is essential, check the current chain location page before leaving. This is more reliable than assuming every location follows the same schedule.
Food Services
Russellville restaurants support several ways to eat, depending on how much time you have and where you want to have your meal:
- Dine-in experiences for relaxed meals at local restaurants.
- Quick drive-through or counter service when time matters.
- Pickup and delivery from participating restaurants.
- Catering services from selected local restaurants for meetings, parties, weddings, and other events.
Uber Eats currently operates in Russellville, and participating restaurants vary based on your delivery address and the time you order. DoorDash and restaurant-run ordering systems are also used by several local businesses.
For catering, restaurants such as Ridgewood Brothers BBQ and Pasta Grill advertise catering or larger-order services through their official sites. If you are organizing an event, ordering directly from the restaurant can also make it easier to discuss quantities, pickup times, dietary requests, and serving needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the restaurant hours for each location?
Hours vary by restaurant and can change. Old South currently lists Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday closed. Linh’s currently lists 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday; Wednesday closed; and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Ridgewood Brothers BBQ currently lists 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, or until sold out, and closes Sunday and Monday. Use the official restaurant links in this guide for the latest schedule before a special trip.
Do any Russellville restaurants offer delivery services?
Yes. Uber Eats currently serves Russellville, and some restaurants also use DoorDash or their own online ordering systems. Availability depends on your address, the restaurant, and the time of day, so check the current ordering platform when you are ready to order.
Are reservations recommended or required?
Many casual restaurants in this guide are suitable for walk-in dining. The Old Bank actively offers reservations, making it a useful choice when you want to secure a table for a particular time. For larger groups or busy weekend dinners, contacting the restaurant ahead is sensible even when reservations are not normally required.
What payment methods do the restaurants accept?
Payment policies differ by restaurant, so there is no reliable single rule for every business in Russellville. Major credit and debit cards are common at modern restaurants, but if a specific card type, cash payment, mobile wallet, or split payment is essential, verify that policy with the restaurant before ordering.
Is outdoor seating available at any of the restaurants?
Outdoor seating is not consistently documented across every restaurant in this guide, and availability can be seasonal. It is better not to assume a restaurant has a patio based on older photos or reviews. Check the restaurant’s current site or social page if outdoor seating is important for your visit.
What is a good restaurant for Southern comfort food in Russellville?
Old South is the clearest choice in this guide for traditional Southern and American comfort food. The restaurant has served Russellville since 1947, although it now operates from a newer location after the original diner was destroyed by fire in 2023.
Where can I get barbecue in Russellville?
Ridgewood Brothers BBQ is a dedicated local barbecue option at 803 West Main Place. Its menu includes smoked brisket, pulled pork, turkey, pork spareribs, and sides. The restaurant notes that service may end when food sells out.
Where can I get sushi or hibachi in Russellville?
Umami Sushi & Grill at 304 North Elmira Avenue serves sushi, hibachi, fried rice, and Asian-fusion dishes, making it one of the clearest choices when you want Japanese-style food rather than burgers, barbecue, or Southern cuisine.
Which Russellville restaurants are best for gluten-free diners?
There is no single restaurant in this guide that should be described as automatically safe for every gluten-free diner. Venezia’s is identified by Discover Russellville as able to serve gluten-free customers, while IHOP offers items it calls gluten-friendly but specifically warns about shared preparation and cooking areas. If you have celiac disease, ask each restaurant about ingredients and cross-contact before ordering.
Conclusion
Russellville’s restaurant scene gives you several distinct ways to build a good meal. Old South carries forward a local comfort-food tradition, Linh’s offers Vietnamese favorites, CJ’s keeps burgers at the center of the menu, and Ridgewood Brothers BBQ covers smoked meats. Venezia’s and Pasta Grill add Italian choices, Umami handles sushi and hibachi, and The Old Bank works well for a planned downtown meal or weekend brunch.
The most important update is that older restaurant lists should not be followed blindly. Old South has moved since the 2023 fire, and Daddy’s Smackin’ Wings & Things ended its Russellville run in 2025. Choose from the restaurants that are currently operating, confirm important hours or dietary needs before you go, and match the restaurant to the food and experience you actually want.
Sources
- Old South Restaurant — current location, hours, restaurant history, and continuation after the 2023 fire.
- Linh Vietnamese Cuisine — current Russellville location, hours, pho, banh xeo, and menu information.
- Daddy’s Smackin’ Wings & Things official Facebook post — confirms August 24, 2025 as the final day at the Russellville location.
- CJ’s Butcher Boy Burgers — Russellville location, history, fresh-ground-in-house beef, and fresh-cut fries.
- Discover Russellville Dining & Drinks — current local restaurant directory and gluten-free-service indicators.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Gluten-Free Food Labeling Rule — gluten-free definition, less-than-20-ppm criterion, and cross-contact guidance.
