The Perfect Couple’s Weekend Guide to Downtown Hot Springs, Arkansas
Recently Adam and I took the dreamiest weekend trip to Hot Springs, Arkansas. We love Arkansas in general and fell in love with the Hot Springs area earlier this year. We’ve decided to build a hilltop cabin there, so we’ll be back and forth quite a bit until we have our own place to stay and enjoy. Hopefully it will be completed Spring/Summer 2023!
While we were there, we explored downtown and tried to experience as much as we could in our three short days. I’ll highlight the places we ate, a few tourist attractions and also the incredible loft where we stayed.
Our stay.
We knew we wanted to be in the middle of downtown this trip, so we chose a beautiful loft, and it ended up being the ideal location! The Ohio Club Loft is located directly above the Ohio Club Bar on Central Avenue. It was built in 1905 and is the oldest bar in all of Arkansas. The loft was used as a secret casino during prohibition and still has much of its original charm. It was beautifully decorated, clean, and private. We could hear the music from the bar downstairs each night, which didn’t bother us at all, but is worth considering if you’re booking a stay.
Overall, I highly recommend the Ohio Club Loft for its location and convenience, cleanliness and overall charm. We will definitely stay there again!
Meals.
Downtown Hot Springs is full of restaurants of any kind. We tried a few that we absolutely loved and recommend!
Rolando’s Ecuadorian Restaurant is one of the most delicious places I’ve eaten, ever! The fajitas are everything! I recommend you sit outside (live music on weekend nights) and get the full experience. Its vibrant and romantic, cozy, but open and airy. Obviously get the fajitas. It’s enough to share, but you won’t want to! The spicy margarita was just ok, (Adam’s are better) but the atmosphere is hard to beat.
The Kollective Coffee + Tea House is a must for your morning beverage. The atmosphere is adorable, and the coffee is great! Adam and I didn’t see many, if any, other coffee houses on Central Ave. so it’s definitely the most convenient option.
Diablo’s Tacos & Mezcal is a great spot for nachos! There is indoor and outdoor seating. Their “trashcan” nachos are served steaming hot in a big bean can and poured over your plate by the waitstaff. It was a fun experience, and the chicken nachos were incredible and enough to share!
Fat Bottomed Girls Cupcake Shoppe is a really popular bakery in downtown Hot Springs. A lot of people recommended we check it out, so we tried! Unfortunately the line was to the door, which is a good sign, but we didn’t stay. They’ve been featured by “Cupcake Wars” on Food Network and have a very loyal following, so we’re keeping it on our list for next time!
Rocky’s Corner was the number one recommended restaurant by our Instagram friends, so it made the top of the list to try! It’s outside of the “downtown scene” and wasn’t walking distance from the loft, so we saved it for the last day. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint! It is family owned and operated and located across the street from the famous Oaklawn Racetrack. We tried the white pizza and lasagna. Both were excellent!
Vault is a beautiful high-end restaurant on a corner of Central Ave. near Al Capone’s loft. The cocktails are beautifully delicious, the service was top-notch, and the food was next level, truly. We will be sure to eat there every time we’re in town. It was a lovely experience all around.
The Pancake Shop is the top breakfast spot in downtown Hot Springs. You should get there early, before they open, because it’s not a big place. Go hungry and be prepared to skip lunch that day! So delicious!
What we did.
Besides eating and shopping around a bit, we did enjoy a few specifics that I’ll share with you. There’s so much to do, this list doesn’t even scratch the surface, but it may give you some ideas for your own trip.
Quapaw Baths & Spa was our first experience at a full-service bath house. We loved how so much of the traditional baths were preserved, but the amenities were modern. We enjoyed a couples Swedish Massage and then spent a while in the baths. It was very clean and well-run and will be a place we visit again.
Hot Springs Haunted Tours was a very interesting experience! It’s a one-hour walking tour in the heart of downtown Hot Springs. The history of this great city is remarkable! It runs every night at 8 pm, with no reservations needed. You literally just show up, pay your $15 and go! We learned a ton and stepped out of our comfort zone for sure!
Lavish Boutique is a great women’s shop I wanted to mention! We happened upon it walking one day and went back the next for some permanent jewelry. I met the owner (she’s fabulous!) and looked around a bit. They had some beautiful clothing as well as gifts and accessories. I can’t wait to go back when I have more time to shop!
Experiences we want to try.
When Adam and I vacation together, just the two of us, we like to have plenty of down time. There are so many attractions we’re saving for the next time we’re there. I’ll list them below to help you plan and as a reminder to myself what’s on the list to do!
Garvin Woodland Gardens & Anthony Chapel
Big Axe Battleground (axe throwing)
Machine Gun Grotto (indoor gun range)
Oaklawn Racing Casino & Resort
I really hope this post gives you a look into all that downtown Hot Springs, AR has to offer. It is a beautiful and romantic place to visit for a long weekend, as well as super fun for families too! I’ll make another post after we spend a little more time there with the kids, so stay tuned for that! Also, be on the lookout for the availability of our new cabin being built there Spring 2023! Can’t wait! xo, Jamie
