Consideration, Exemplified at Bearded Chops Market in Gravette.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday. That’s the only day of the week you can enjoy Coby Stauffer’s barbecue, and whatever he’s smoking, you’ll find out when you get there.

Coby and Millie operate out of an old shop just north of Gravette’s tiny downtown. Coby wants to make sure Gravette’s other barbecue joint does well, so he made the decision early on, to only offer smoked meats on Sundays, when Smith and Bett’s is closed. The rest of the time, Millie operates a gorgeous shop of all sorts of things. The two of them are a breath of fresh air for the northwest Arkansas community.

But if I were to pinpoint a particular style of barbecue the restaurant covers, that’d be tough. You see, Coby didn’t train in a commercial kitchen. He didn’t apprentice under a pitmaster. He - and I am not kidding here - learned his craft watching Food Network.

* Record scratch *

Let me explain. 

Coby and Millie are from Texas. He came up to build houses in this booming area back in 2013. She stayed home and raised their kids. Coby had some downtime when he wasn’t working, and he watched TV. Along the way, he got into barbecue through watching Food Network programming and experimenting. His approach started with education, then practice.

Once the kids were older, Millie moved up to the area. They have a kid at the University of Arkansas, and another still in Texas with a grandchild. The couple decided to open up a shop where Millie could do some retail work - a shop where Coby could set up a kitchen. And thus, Bearded Chops Market was born.

The unusual situation is one of the reasons you’ll find mesquite in the four wood smoke - one of only three places in Arkansas using the Texas-popular wood in their smokers (the other two being Chef Manley’s operation at Legends at Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff and Mike’s in Foreman). Coby’s come up with a distinctive flavor, not just for traditional barbecue but for chicken leg quarters, hangar steak, and whatever else he decides to conjure.

Millie brings her own touch to the business. For a while, she slipped small cookies into orders, just because. When she stopped, customers noticed - and asked where their cookies went! She also packs the shop with unique gifts, from handmade soaps and earrings to sugar scrubs and dry shampoos. 

The couple has tried out some newer ideas, like offering take-and-bake dinners and occasionally stepping out with crazier ideas, including anyway-you-like-’em stuffed baked potatoes, SPAM fries, and street tacos. 

Thing is, the Stauffers offer one thing in abundance over all else, including their own products. That’s consideration. They’re truly considerate people who are doing their best to be good community members - from offering their services at all sorts of area gatherings to the aforementioned unusuality of being open on Sundays so as not to keep people from enjoying the other barbecue offerings in town. It’s a beautiful thing to see in this day and age. I hope it spreads.

You'll find Bearded Chops Market at 308 1st Avenue NE in Gravette. Call ahead to (682) 557-8362 or check out the Facebook page before you go.