Ask the Locals What They Love About Hot Springs
We asked five well-known Hot Springs residents to tell us which Spa City attractions or eateries are "musts" for out-of-town visitors. Here’s what they had to say!
Rose Schweikhart
Owner & Brewer, Superior Bathhouse Brewery
A New Jersey native, Rose holds a master’s degree in tuba performance. She highly recommends any of the excellent brews at her downtown landmark, which is the site of Hot Springs’ first on-site brewery and taproom as well as the first brewery inside a national park.
“The first place I would take a visitor is probably to pick up some hot spring water, which, incidentally, is what we brew our beers with. That would give them a good introduction to what we’re all about here.
"My favorite place to eat is Steinhaus Keller in Spencer’s Corner on Central Avenue. Great, authentic German food and beer. I also love DeLuca’s Pizzeria. I’m there a lot on the weekends.
"Also on the weekends, you can find me listening to live music at Low Key Arts, which sponsors several music and arts festivals here.
"A shop I love would be The Savory Pantry. The selection is great, there’s always something new and you can find just about anything. It’s for the foodie in me."
Mackenzie Simon
Owner, Fat Bottomed Girl’s Cupcake Shoppe
Since purchasing the shop from her parents at age 18, hometown girl Mackenzie has made quite a splash. The shop gets rave reviews and was featured on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars (episode: “Comedy Cupcakes").
The first place she says she'd take a visitor is “DeLuca’s Pizzeria! The owner [Anthony Valinoti] hand-makes all of the pizzas right there for you. Best cannoli in town! A tip: If it’s your birthday, make sure to eat here — there’s a little surprise at the end of your meal.”
"One of my favorite places to eat is Belle of Hot Springs Riverboat. They have the best chicken. Definitely go to the Bathhouse Soapery, a unique bath and body shop on the 300 block of downtown, and also Evilo Olive Oil & Vinegar, located right next to the cupcake shop.
A neat hidden gem that I really enjoy is hiking to Balanced Rock. It’s a stack of huge rocks balanced on top of each other on the Balanced Rock Trail, right off of the Sunset Trail. It overlooks the mountains; it’s a magnificent place."
Anthony Valinoti
Owner, DeLuca’s Pizzeria
Anthony came to Hot Springs on a whim and never left. A first-time restaurateur, he named his pizzeria after his grandfather, who would no doubt have enjoyed the New Yorker’s acclaimed handcrafted pies.
He refers first-time visitors to McClard’s Bar-B-Q. "It’s an institution. Where I’m from, we don’t really know what barbecue is, and anybody who thinks they know what barbecue is, you go eat at McClard’s first—then you have a real good idea of what barbecue is.”
"You have to go to Central Park Fusion; I think it’s some of the best high-end food in Hot Springs.
I go to 3B’s a lot. It’s probably one of the my favorite bars; it’s a little pool hall on Ouachita Avenue. You’ll always find me in there.
You gotta float the Caddo River. I love the Caddo; it’s like my favorite thing. There’s nothing like it."
Kristie Rosset
Owner & Innkeeper, Lookout Point Lakeside Inn
Kristie and her husband, Ray, built the inn overlooking Lake Hamilton in 2003. The Dallas natives were named 2010-11 Innkeepers of the Year by BedandBreakfast.com.
“It depends on the season: One of the first places is Garvan Woodland Gardens, another would be the Superior Bathhouse Brewery, the mountain tower, the national park—that whole area downtown. If it’s racing season, Oaklawn Park, and if it’s summer, the lakes.
"While you’re here: "We like fine food and our favorite place is Luna Bella. The chef is fabulous, the wine list is comprehensive without being pretentious and the servers are fabulous.
"The Toy Chest is a favorite shop because I can tell them I need a gift for a child this age and I want to spend this much and they take me right to the best gift I’ve ever given.
"There are so many hidden gems in Hot Springs, but if I had to pick one, I’d say hiking at Lake Catherine to the waterfalls."
Nicole Good
Business Development Coordinator, Hot Springs Village POA
Marathon runner Nicole grew up in Hot Springs Village. She loves to spend her time outdoors — running, hiking or on the water.
“I love to take visitors up to Lake Lago Lookout in Hot Springs Village. It’s got about 50-mile views of the entire county, the Ouachita Mountains; it’s nearly 360-degree views up there. It’s pretty amazing.
"While you’re here: "My favorite place to eat in the Village is Italian House Grill located on Arkansas 7 North; it has a fantastic chicken piccata. On the weekends, you’ll find me doing some outdoor recreational activity. I love running the trails and mountain biking.
"There’s a nice little gift store here called Dogwood Tree, if you’re looking for something a little bit out of the ordinary.
"Our hidden gem is Grove Park. It has a lot of pop-up events, but also scheduled music twice a month. It’s outdoors—real casual, real inviting—and it’s free."
