Arkansas Barbecue Trail

02/12/2025

What’s missing

02/09/2025

Barbecue on Sunday? Head to Gravette, where Bearded Chops Market offers smoked meats only on Sundays, starting at 1 p.m. Tender, tasty ribs are one of the usual suspects on the ever-changing menu here, but one that's become a standard for Coby and Millie to offer.

02/07/2025

Nominations for this year's Arkansas Food Hall of Fame open today! Between now and March 7th, head to https://www.arkansasheritage.com/afhof-home and nominate your favorite restaurant, proprietor, food event, and gone but not forgotten eatery for recognition.

Craig Brothers BBQ Cafe (also known as Craig's BBQ) was inducted into the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame in 2019. The legendary edifice opened by Wes and Lawrence Craig in 1947 has long been a midway stop for barbecue lovers traveling between Little Rock and Memphis. Its vintage whitewashed edifice on US Highway 70 in De Valls Bluff can, at times, be found by following the aroma of its smoke, which can travel as far as Interstate 40. The singular tlavor, enhanced by the mild or hot sauce that dresses pork and beef sandwiches, is unique amongst Arkansas barbecue restaurants, and has its own collection of fans that return from near and far for a bite.

02/06/2025

Ah. There's nothing quite like a hot barbecue sandwich on an overcast day. Picking up lunch to go at Suttle's Road Hog BBQ in Beebe is always a sure bet. Getting to your destination and opening up a juicy jumbo beef sandwich with slaw - ah, yeah. Remembering you also got a slice of Mamaw pie? Perfection.

02/05/2025

Nothing goes to waste at Ridgewood Brothers BBQ in Russellville, where much of what's trimmed from those world class briskets before they're smoked go into creating these juicy, beautifully seasoned beef sausages. The fat is rendered down to become tallow, which is also sold as Liquid Gold for home cooking.

02/04/2025

Hunter and I stopped in at Brothers Meethouse again, and tried a couple different meats together. The brisket and turkey are great - but this was the first time I'd had the smoked chicken, and I was absolutely delighted. Chicken breast, being much smaller than a brisket or a turkey breast, doesn't get as much time in the smoke but what time it spends there here is enough to give it a marvelous flavor with a crusty exterior, and still remain tender within.

02/03/2025

02/03/2025

You really only need one of these - and honestly, it can be a meal for two. The beef ribs at Stubby's Hik'ry Pit Bar-B-Q - when they have them - are these massive, elephantine slices that are tender, flavorful, and in my case irresistible (go look at the banner on my page and you'll see how I really feel about them). Needs no sauce, barely even needs teeth to enjoy. Won't fit in a to-go box but you can ask for foil to wrap what you cannot conquer in one sitting. That means yes, you can have some peach cobbler, too.

02/02/2025

Ben and Sarah Hurst at the Saucy Pig in Sherwood know what they're doing. Ben has this crazy, gravity fed smoker that keeps the heat going 14 hours or more on those butts and briskets, and both meats come out so juicy and well-flavored. The cheese dip - okay, you have to get the cheese dip, it's more Mexico Chiquito than the current Mexico Chiquito! - is great on fries and you can get them as Franchos with meat. But if you want to just give it a first time start, try the three meat plate with the pulled chicken and pork and the sliced brisket. They'll let you sample before you buy, too.