I met a friend last week for an early lunch at Rebel Kettle Brewing Co. The plan was to have a few beers and try out a couple items on the menu.

We started with an order of pork rinds, which came out with a plentiful amount of skins still popping from their hot oil bath. The thin, crispy skins were only made better with a drizzle of hot sauce and my accompanying Rob Gnarly beer, a crisp, tart saison that I believe is one of the brewery’s signature beers. Pork rinds, because of their low carb-ness, are super popular right now. Rebel Kettle’s won’t disappoint.

Pork Rinds and Rob Gnarly

An order of visually-unappealing Crawfish Balls hit the table next, and, what they lacked in looks, they certainly made up for in taste. The dark, deep fried balls had an ample amount of crawfish, were perfectly seasoned, and paired well with the side of remoulade.

Crawfish Balls

I’d order both of our appetizers again in a heartbeat.

For our entrees, my buddy got the Smokey Burger and I ordered the Turkey Rueben. It only took a few bites of the burger to have me totally sold. Other than needing a decent blast of salt and pepper, the patty was cooked right–just a tad under medium with a little pink running through the very center. The edges were crisp and the interior was moist and juicy. Simply put, with its soft bun, traditional fixings, and insanely delicious BEAST bacon, Rebel Kettle’s burger is right up there with some of the best I’ve had in Little Rock.

Unfortunately, my Turkey Reuben–with its grilled turkey, beer-braised kraut, Swiss, spicy mustard, and remoulade–was a miss. But that’s not to say there isn’t a world of potential with this sandwich. The sliced turkey was fantastic but was overwhelmed by a heavy amount of mustard. The bread, in need of a much longer grilling/toasting, was soft and soaked up way too much liquid. Change those two things and you’re looking at a dynamite sandwich. For an additional cost of $1.49, I upgraded from chips to hand-cut fries, which ended up being a wise move. I goggled up the thin fries with way too much ease.

Turkey Rueben

Of course, I washed everything down with another Rob Gnarly.

All in all, it was a lunch not without imperfections but one with far more hits than misses. The setting had a nice, calm vibe and our service was outstanding throughout the entire meal. Props to our server, Taylor, who was not only friendly but also informative and attentive.

Rebel Kettle Brewing Co.
822 E 6th St
501-374-2791
Hours: Monday-Thursday 11am-10pm; Friday & Saturday 11am-11pm; Sunday 10am-9pm