The state motto of Arkansas is Regnat Populus which means “the people rule” and that surely explains the way they live, love, party, and drink. Fayetteville, Arkansas is a fun college town where the students run the show, but there is also a blue-collar working crowd there that mixes in for an eclectic good time. There aren’t any major professional teams in the state, so when people aren’t tailgating at U of A football games, they are drinking in one of the 200 bars in town.
Open since 1947, Roger’s Rec (Its formal name is Roger’s Recreation Hall.) has been providing cheap beer and bar games seven days a week for generations. Plenty of legendary dive bars are open all the time, and this establishment is open 10 am to 2 am Mon-Sat and noon to 2 am on Sundays.
The fact that this bar is not a historical landmark in this city is a little surprising. The Owner, Zack Wooden, promotes Roger’s Rec as a “no frills, all fun” operation without all of the bells and whistles, kind of like Southwest Airlines. Don’t ask if they have Wi-Fi (because they don’t) and their social media hasn’t been updated since 2012.
Until 1980, the place didn’t even have a woman’s bathroom, which has me wondering about a lot of things. The regular daytime customers disappear on Friday and Saturday nights when the joint really gets rocking. When the weather permits, Roger’s Rec has a patio for smokers and couples who want some private time. (If things get a little too amorous and someone yells “get a room!” there is a Travel Inn just four minutes away.)
Roger’s Rec is the “Home of the Weinertini”—the mixed drink of your choice with a large sausage as a complementary ingredient. A semi-conscious mixologist created this concoction years ago, and now it’s a fixture.
Roger’s Recs prices are among some of the lowest in the Dive Bar Universe, with $1.25 PBR and Honey Brown drafts; $1.50 Bud, Bud Light, Busch, and Shiner drafts; $2 Boulevard wheat drafts; and $3 Imports and Microbrews. On the harder side, those that prefer distilled spirits can get $3.50 well drinks (+$1 for Red Bull), as well as $5 Jose Cuervo, Skyy, Jack Daniels, Crown, and Jägermeister shots.
With three pool tables (two full-sized and one smaller snooker table), a foosball table, darts, and shuffleboard, there is a game going on all the time at Roger’s Rec. Play Jenga, beer pong, Klask, cribbage, and quarters. If you’re a casual gamer, have a good time but don’t gamble because I would bet that there are more than a few pool sharks at Roger’s Rec.
Before I visit any iconic dive bar, I check the place’s reviews online. The ones I found for Roger’s Rec were very entertaining and told a story. “I saw a naked guy getting tazed by the local cops”; “There was an old drunk there who was talking to a bar stool and it looked like they were deep in conversation”; “Some bartenders accept pennies, but they don’t work at Roger’s”; and “It’s a cool place and the bartenders are nice, unless you mess with them or get out of line.”
So, if you hang out long enough in this bar, you will likely see some of the locals doing crazy and reckless things, which is always a great part of any evening. A good dive bar is like an unending reality show featuring characters from movies like Barfly or Jackie Brown.
When you visit Roger’s Rec, stay alert, and keep your head on a swivel so you won’t miss what happens next!
Located in: Fayetteville, Arkansas
Be sure to try: a Weinertini!
