Good ol' downtown Springfield, Missouri - the cultural lifeblood of this big city // small town…read moremecca so many of us call home. Situated conveniently between Missouri State University and Drury University (plus the other handful of colleges sprinkled throughout the city's north side), downtown Springfield has, in recent years, experienced an amazing resurgence in local business, from casual restaurants to hip bars to art galleries to small-scale boutique stores, plus services of all kinds. No matter who you are - a yuppie, a mustachioed bartender, a poor, bored college kid, an entire family - there's definitely something fun for you to do, even on a Sunday, maybe. Go ice skating or for a walk in the Jordan Valley area. Go hunting for that special treasure, old or new, at a boutique downtown. Grab a tasty bite to eat for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or just 'cause. Head to First Friday Art Walk. Take some artsy photos. Jay walk for the fun of it. Get your license renewed. Get your license revoked. But seriously, it's a great place to be and it's a huge part of what makes Springfield, Springfield. Get down there!

This was my first Yelp event in Springfield, and my plus one and I had a great time!…read more The arts-and-crafts project was a great idea. Everyone (including myself) really got into decorating their Yelp party hats as birds, and the strawberry basil sangria's were a beautiful addition so none of us took ourselves too seriously :) The gift cards were a generous donation and very tempting reward as well. The appetizer was incredibly tasty, the atmosphere was beautiful, and the talk from Sara was a great insight into all the things Aviary has done and is looking to do in the near future. Our server was great, making certain everyone got a chance to order and kept our waters full. Due to a previous engagement, my guest and I needed to bow out a little early, so we didn't even get to see the crepe making demonstration, but I wish we could have! This was a fun event, a great idea, and a wonderful time. Fawn did an amazing job putting it all together and I look forward to some more Yelp outings in Springfield in the near future!

OYE--Official Yelp Event A hip French Crêperie…read more Service that never faltered. Greeted with sparkling sangria. Munched on umami bruschetta. Created fowl chapeaus. Some won coin for theirs. Tossed off a few crêpes on the griddle. Posed for the paparazzi. Collected a few new friends. Grateful for our Community Ambassador, FAWN!

Wanted to be excited about this place based on the good reviews however left disappointed…read more Arrived 8pm on Saturday night and was lucky to get a table as it was packed. Service was attentive, we started with a bottle of wine & bruschetta, the wine was good, the bruschetta was soggy and falling apart when picked up. As we were waiting for our entrees we noticed the delays from the kitchen, server bringing pasta to a couple on their anniversary for him and saying the pizza was just on its way out of the oven, it never arrived, the gentleman finished his pasta and still no pizza, she cancelled the order and they left. The table behind us also had no meals, the server said the chef forgot to make them, they finished their drinks and left. The table next to us, 1 of 3 meals served and finished and then 2 lasagnes arrived, both of which were still cold in the middle. They were all annoyed and just took them to go. Finally our meals arrived, I believe we were waiting on the bolognese as it seemed hot and fresh, mine however was not the hottest and has a film on it as it had been sitting a while. I believe the bolognese was not worth almost $40 but the other one was well priced and delicious. Ended with a tiramisu which was dry which was disappointing. So a disordered evening with angry diners did not make for a fun night out.

This place is always fantastic. Ownership changed at the first of the year. But I give it to the…read morenew owners - they are staying true to what Bruno created here in Springfield. The meatballs: These are an excellent meatball and an excellent sauce. These aren't some rolled meat with salt and pepper. These meatballs have an excellent herb accented flavor and taste wonderful. Alfredo Carbonara: Again, a fantastic dish. Very rich flavor with a good dose of prosciutto accent. Tomato Bisque: This isn't some Sysco product they're putting out - this stuff is a real deal, made from scratch bisque. A very balanced flavor with a good depth of texture....not some watery kind of soup. Cannolis: desert will (not) disappoint. The cannoli cream is a nice flavor...with a slight orange zest touch. I've always loved this place. The food may not always come out super fast. But so what, so long as the food comes out right....and I'll sure say....the food comes out great!

This was our first Yelp event and we had a blast! Makes me wish we had jumped on these earlier. We…read moremet a lot of very friendly people, had some great drinks and apps from Parlor 88, and chatted away the evening. Got some cool Yelp swag too. I can't emphasize enough how friendly and fun everybody was; it was nice to get out and meet some new people, and we got to finally try out Parlor 88 which we'd been eyeing. We are already excited for next month's event and hope to see everyone there again.

Did I really not check in here during our Yelp event?! Holy moly. I'm ashamed…read more As much as I want to review Parlor 88 and their food (and inconsistencies in their drinks...ahem), I won't. I will retrain myself to the event only, which gets five stars. These events keep getting better and better! Big thanks to Fawn and Joelle for hosting our rowdy bunch. The time was great because we could use one long string of tables...it was perfect for chatting and making new friends. This meet up was a little different in the fact that there weren't really any new Yelpers...we were all pretty well versed in how this beast works. The topics of conversation were centered toward sharing opinions and experiences instead of "you can search restaurants near you and read their reviews". I truly enjoy these outings. I look forward to meeting new people and seeing old friends...I am proud to be Elite and be a part of Yelp!

Located in front of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, this sculpture looks like a sail on a…read moreship as it races across the water. It's very fluid in motion despite being completely solid. By artist Jacob Burmood, this cold cast aluminum sculpture is titled Billowing. From the caption, "This sculpture uses the fluidity of fabric to graph gravity and tension, revealing unseen forces at work around us." You can perhaps park in the Foundation parking lot briefly to view the sculpture. [Review 644 of 2024 - 336 in Missouri - 21675 overall]

Fantastic food and service. Beautiful renovation. Very convenient parking compared to before reno…read more But still very charming and unique!!​

Great food. Everything I have ever had here is amazing. They have rotating specials…read more Service is good generally. There has been a time or two it wasn't excellent. The recently renovated location is cozy and offers a great place to have a meal. Great place to eat!

The staff is very friendly and the pizza is the best NY style pizza I've ever had outside of NY…read more Highly recommend this place

I normally don't bother to leave a review, however I just experienced the best dining experience I…read morehave ever had in downtown Springfield! The service is just as genuine as the authentic New York pizza they are famous for, I have never felt so welcome in a dining establishment. I don't play the games but they have a good selection, including golf. I am of course going back soon and highly recommend that you do too!