Monday Munchies: Bentonville's Brothers Meetplace

The setup: Bentonville's Brothers Meethouse is newish to NWA, tucked into the town's retro-chic area between The Momentary and Walmart's new Home Office campus.

• The vibe of course is restaurant/sports bar — that's pretty much the vibe anywhere these days.
• Unlike some barbecue joints, Brothers is full-service.

The food: The menu is robust and includes turkey and bison hot links. I opted for a double meat plate ($21) with baby-back ribs and "moist" (aka fatty) brisket, a side of okra and beans.

• Meat fell from the bone of the ribs, had a nice smoke ring and a hearty dry rub crust. The brisket was, well, moist.
• Brothers offers three sauces: original, which is sweet; hot, which should be considered the original; and mustard-base.

The complaint: Maybe it was the after-lunch lull, maybe it was the 20° day, but the food wasn't as hot as I'd've liked it.

The verdict: It was good barbecue, better than your average newbie. There are other items on the menu I plan to try on warmer days, and I hope that over time, as the Brothers pit continues to season, the food will only improve.

Check it out: 405 SE 5th Street in Bentonville; serving Tuesday-Thursday, 10:30am-9pm; Friday-Saturday, 10:30am-11pm.