Table Talk: September 20–26

11 Days Left to Vote!

The Best of 417 Readers’ Choice Awards contest is your chance to tell us about your favorite places to eat and drink in 417-land—and we really want to hear what you have to say! Be sure to cast your vote soon. The contest ends on September 30, and the results will be published in the February 2023 issue of 417 Magazine.

Beer Me

With Oktoberfest season underway and fall brews hitting the taps, there is an incredible amount of beer-centric news this week!

First up: At Mother’s Brewing Co., the multi-week Oktoberfest in the Ozarks continues on September 24 with tons of German-adjacent fun. There’s a beer choir sing-a-long, schuhplattler dance lessons, a yodeling contest, bocce ball, plenty of beer—and even a bounce house for the little ones. Admission is free to this family-friendly event, and there will be food trucks on hand for some good eats too.

Great Escape Beerworks is hosting Oktoberfest Getdown on September 24 as well. They’ll be serving six German beers on tap, and Slingin’ Sausage food truck will be… well… slinging some gourmet sausage. Feed your competitive side too with a stein-holding contest at 1 p.m. and a costume contest at 2 p.m., then stick around for the live music that starts at 6 p.m.

It’s a few weeks out, but mark your calendar for the Oktoberfest Celebration on October 8 in Ozark’s town square. This first-ever event features live music, tastings from 11 local breweries, vendor booths, a kids' play area and a corn hole tournament. If you’re a runner, be sure to also register for the Oktoberfest 5K and Beer Run.

That’s not the only beery race happening, though. On September 24 you can take part in Springfield Brewing Co.’s 25 Years of Beers Beer Mile. To complete the race, you’ll guzzle one can of beer before each of the four laps around the Springfield Brewing Co. building. Register in advance for $15 entry, or register day-of for $20.

Joining the beer-centric fun this month is Best of Luck Beer Hall, who’s honoring Hunger Action Month in September by donating $1 to Ozarks Food Harvest for every 4 By 4 Brewing Company beer sold. Helping fight hunger in the Ozarks is a great way to do something good while we’re sipping a local brew, right? There are some stellar eats on the menu at Best of Luck Beer Hall too, so be sure to make a whole meal of it!

And last but not least, Hollister-based Seven Arrows Taproom has opened a second location at the Branson Landing in a completely remodeled space that features a beautiful mural by Art by Andrea. The space has 32 local taps for craft beer and also serves local wine, appetizers, wine slushies, local bourbon and more!

Whew! That’s a lot of beer news, right? We had planned to share a round-up of local fall brews this week too, but we’ll hold off on that to let you catch your breath. Stay tuned for more beery goodness next week!

Treats at Turners Station

Have you been to Turners Station Mercantile? This sweet little blast-from-the-past shop and deli has been open for 133 years and sells meat from local farms, raw local honey, nostalgic candy and tons more. On Tuesdays, you can stop by for a bunch more good stuff at their weekly Food Truck Night. Vendors change up regularly, and at tonight’s event, you can order tasty fare from food trucks like Lalo’s Tacos, DNA’s BBQ, Bub’s Distillery (they serve wood-fired pizza!) and Gala Occasions Desserts while also shopping for plants and cute fall decor from The Unique Flower Farmer.

Next week’s September 27 Food Truck Night coincides with another event: the Autumn Fair. On that day, a handful of food vendors will also be joined by tons of other shopping opportunities from locals selling food products and locally made crafts, art, clothing, home goods and more. Check the event page for the full list.

Food Truck Nights happen every Tuesday through November 22. After that, they take a winter break until starting back up in March.

ICYMI: Itty Bitty News Bites

• SocieTea’s second location is open now, and we are so excited! The new Farmers Park store is open daily 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. serving all our favorite SocieTea favorites, like boba tea that you can order not-so-sweet (we love that), fresh toppings, boba ice cream, delicious cakes and other fun treats.

• Starting today, Culture Counter is now serving breakfast all day. That means you can get your favorite fresh waffles, flavor-packed burritos and all that morning goodness any time of the day. New fall hours have started too: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

• One of the most beloved seasonal treats is now available at Andy’s Frozen Custard: the pumpkin pie concrete! Oh boy… is it cheat day yet?

• It’s time for Culturefest! This vibrant event aims to celebrate cultural and ethnic diversity in 417-land. In addition to showcasing local musicians, dancers and craftspeople, the event also features tons of tasty food vendors. So come hungry! Culturefest takes place September 24 from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. at C-Street City Market.

• And finally, Silver Dollar City’s new Taste of the City dining area opens tomorrow, and it’s packed with fall flavors to complement the theme park’s annual Harvest Festival (which also starts tomorrow!). There’s pumpkin bisque, bratwurst on a pretzel bun, smoked sausage mac and cheese, and an “Autumn Apple Palmer” which is their take on an Arnold Palmer—only it features apple juice and apple syrup instead of lemonade.