Copyright Arkansas Times
There’s something about Attic Bar that feels like the kind of speakeasy-type joint you’d stumble upon after midnight in New Orleans. Perhaps it’s the unassuming entrance in an old downtown building made of brick west of Broadway, a few blocks from Doe’s Eat Place. Perhaps it’s the long flight of stairs leading up to its unexpected location above Back Home BBQ, which debuted in April. Perhaps it’s the feeling you get when you reach the top of the stairs and you’re suddenly transported into your quirky grandma’s den — full of eclectic antique furniture, Art Deco-style light fixtures, funky wallpaper adorning the ceiling and a decidedly ’70s feel that makes one want to sit and have a cocktail or four. To put it simply, Attic Bar is a total vibe. Having one of the best barbecue joints in the state downstairs and possibly the most aesthetic barroom in Little Rock above it almost feels unfair to the competition — whoever that might be. According to Adam Murray, co-owner of Back Home BBQ and Attic Bar, the dual concept was always the plan. “Originally, [co-owner] Chase [Rittelmeyer] and I thought it would be great if we had a space where there was a cool cocktail program that was separate from the barbecue. Look, the barbecue is great,” Murray told me during a recent interview near one of the Attic Bar windows overlooking West Markham Street, “but look at this beautiful second-story space we’ve got now.” And beautiful it is. Prior to opening, Murray and Rittelmeyer worked with local interior designer Shelby Cotton, who also designed the interior spaces of Raduno Brick Oven & Barroom and downtown’s Big Bad Breakfast. The first question she asked, according to Murray, was, “What are you going to name the place?” “Attic Bar,” Murray told me, “and she just ran with it. The idea was to bring the vibe of someone’s house who has collected stuff over the years. Maybe the attic of a generational house where you’ve got a grandma area over here, Victorian area over there, the cool uncle’s place over on the side … little cigarette couches and ’70s-style furniture. Just fun and quirky and eclectic. You can always just look around and see something new every day, every time you’re here.” But vibes are only half of the equation for a good drinking establishment. Attic Bar’s cocktail program is totally dialed in, especially for a joint that’s new on the block. For this we have bartender Jared Browner — the ever smiling and gracious spirit guide who captains the bar with ease — to thank. He’s the type of barkeep that, upon my ordering a Negroni, asked if I would like it mixed with a special chai-infused sweet vermouth he’s been tinkering with lately. And, of course, the answer should always be enthusiastically, “Yes!” Jared flexes his mixology skills by creating cocktails of the month that are more creative and fresh than stuffy and pretentious. During my last visit to Attic Bar he told me that he’s working on a tiki menu for October, complete with classics like Zombies and Pain Killers, and teased special pufferfish glasses that resemble the type of whimsical creation that would come from a ceramics art class. I’m told there are even plans for a speakeasy menu soon. Not a cocktail drinker? All good. Attic Bar also offers an array of local craft beers, domestic longnecks and wine. This isn’t the type of spot where you’re “supposed” to drink Old Fashioneds or have a Ph.D. in chemistry to appreciate a nice beverage. “We want it to be a networking area for people who are living and working downtown,” Murray said. There’s a couple of TVs behind the bar if you need to check the score of the game, but Attic Bar is the kind of place you could visit if you want to get away from sports everywhere you turn. “This is all about appreciating the movement of the room and the way you have to go to the bar to order — it encourages people to bump into each other and strike up conversations and just be social,” Murray said. Though Attic Bar is physically separated from Back Home BBQ downstairs, guests are encouraged to grab some food and bring it upstairs to enjoy. That said, devotees of outstanding barbecue and interesting menu creations will rejoice in the small food menu offered upstairs, which features dishes that aren’t offered on the standard Back Home menu: a thoughtfully curated charcuterie board with house-made sausage and crackers, a fried bologna sandwich featuring house-made beef bologna that nearly knocked me out of my chair, smash burgers that rival any in this town, cold-smoked catfish dip, and — my personal favorite — the chopped brisket crunchwrap, an elevated take on the fast-food favorite. These creations are the work of pitmaster Curtis Guerrero, the barbecue wizard who runs the food program downstairs. “The menu will be updated with new items as time goes by,” Murray reported. “And that’s the fun part about it, too. We do barbecue day in, day out, but up here it gives us a chance to experiment and just have some fun.” In downtown Little Rock, where so many buildings sit empty for far too long, Attic Bar offers a clever, well-curated choreography of all the moving parts that make a truly great bar. It’s the kind of place that feels like it always should have been there.
