The 2024 Arkansas State Fair Food Guide.

The ultimate guide to everything edible at the Arkansas State Fair by the expert.

Check back throughout the fair for more entries added daily.

Good food, so neat, right now, let's eat! So many new dishes are coming to this year's Arkansas State Fair. It could be called the year of chicken.

Chicken is definitely involved in this year's Tasty Tom Awards - where members of the media and staff and volunteers from the Arkansas State Fair voted on their favorites from fair vendors to determine who had the tastiest and the who had the most creative fair foods of the year. Tastiest went to Sticks N' Things, the purveyors of so many types of chicken on a stick. In particular, folks were raving over the Lemon Thang, a skewer of chicken with slices of potato, onion, and pickle in-between, seasoned with lemon pepper and doused with a not-too-sweet lemon syrup and little sweet crunchy lemon bit. So fabulous.

The winner for most original was Egg Roll Love's fabulous Soul Food Rolls, filled with grilled chicken, collard greens, and creamy mac and cheese. I loved these when I first encountered them last year and I am really glad others are getting to know these fantastic folks and their marvelous egg roll creations.

Egg rolls are just a THING at this year's fair, not just with Egg Roll Love but with the boudin egg rolls at Gator's Cajun Foods and traditional Asian versions at Chen's Chinese Kitchen. It's great to see all the new dishes.

And without further ado....

The Barbecue Diary, June 8, 2024.

I think I have finally found my physical limits.

Fifth day on the road, 2:30 in the morning, sitting in the lobby of Hampton Inn in Marion quietly staring at a green banana on the table while sipping a Vitamin Water and trying to get my feet to stop cramping, I think I found it.

Five days in the Delta, 80+ degrees, and at that point 24 restaurants already photographed for the trip. And here I was, unable to sleep because everything hurt.

Comforting Bites at Eunice's Country Cookin' in Fort Smith.

The era of the country lunchroom may be dwindling away, but in Fort Smith, it's being revitalized for the next decade at Eunice's. This long-standing eatery, originally opened in 1976, is still putting out goulash, beef over rice, homemade meatloaf and a beautiful selection of pies every weekday at lunch.

A Couple of Quick Dishes at Russellville's Wildflower Cafe.

This adorable breakfast and lunchroom along Arkansas Avenue is neat as a pin, and it may have some of the most reasonably priced breakfast options in town. Wildflower Cafe is open weekdays and specializes in sandwiches, soups, sandwiches and quiche.

My 18 Favorite Arkansas Soups.

Tasked with providing a list of the soups I adore the absolute most by THV's The Vine, I'm thrilled to share some of my favorite heartwarming cups and bowls from around The Natural State.

Gigantic Samosas and Oversized Mixed Grill at R and R Curry in Fort Smith.

The little spot that popped up in the back end of a gas station over a decade ago just outside of downtown Fort Smith has really blossomed over time. Let's see how R and R Curry Express in Fort Smith continues to serve.

Recipe: Bourbon Chocolate Chunk Pecan Pie.

A recipe from The Great Arkansas Pie Book by Kat Robinson, now available nationwide

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The 2023 Arkansas State Fair Food Guide.

The ultimate guide to everything there is to eat at the Arkansas State Fair by the expert on the subject . Kat Robinson lays out what's new and what's good all over the fairgrounds. Check back throughout the fair for more entries added daily.

Take a Stroll Down to the Memory Lane Cafe in Belleville.

Classic country diner food and a case full of magnificent desserts - what more can you ask for? You'll find it all at this longstanding restaurant that's 88 years old and thriving in downtown Belleville.

Good Eats Abound at Ceci's Chicken and Waffles and Friends Food Truck Festival.

More than 20 Arkansas food trucks will be on hand for a Sunday afternoon event where you can try some of the best mobile food in the region - in Little Rock's Little Harlem. 

Punjabi Dhaba Serves Fantastic Indian Food to Locals and Travelers Alike.

Operating out of what, years ago, was a Waffle House, Punjabi Dhaba has brought excellent Indian food to Morrilton with flair, pakora, and a bottomless cup of chai.

What a Half Century Can Bring.

Are you up for a little navel gazing? Well, I have some for you, right here.

Because today is my 50th birthday.

Van Buren's Butcher Boys Offer Far More Than Meat.

Superb sandwiches, select smoked meats, and take-and-make dinners are also offered at this market full of delights in the heart of Van Buren.

Enjoy Sports in Style at Russellville's Old Bank.

A downtown favorite, The Old Bank Sports Grill in Russellville offers a lush setting for enjoying cocktails, dinner or the game.

Ice Cream Delights and Serious Sandwiches at Delavare Deli.

Hand scooped ice cream in a variety of wonderful flavors and a consistently good sandwich menu make Delaware Deli a must-stop when you're hanging around Lake Dardanelle.

Homestyle Cooking? Let's Eat in Alma.

Pie any day of the week? Homemade bread? Dining at Let's Eat in Alma is just like sitting in a favorite aunt's kitchen, enjoying good homestyle food.

Railroad Afficianados Love Stoby's of Russellville.

Russellville's longstanding cheese dip champ is also a railroad aficionado's dining destination. Stoby's, housed in a depot-style building with an actual Rock Island Rail car attached and its running model train overhead, is as steady and wonderful as it was in the 1980s and 90s. 

Coy's Steakhouse, Satellite Cafe Set To Return In New Hot Springs Development.

Two classic Arkansas restaurants are coming back, much to the joy of food lovers throughout The Natural State. Find out how Coy's Steakhouse and the Satellite Cafe are being revived in new digs.

Green Papaya Offers Great Vietnamese Fare - And Ducks, Too.

Fort Smith's vast culinary landscape is dotted with all sorts of great, reasonably priced eateries. There are many Asian houses featuring Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Chinese cuisine. Green Papaya stands out for its steadfast service, its deep menu and its fine collection of duck-related memorabilia.

That's a Big Burger There at the Morrilton Drive Inn Restaurant!

It's hard for any restaurant to please everyone, but your chances are greater when you offer a little bit of everything. Morrilton Drive Inn Restaurant offers a LOT of everything, almost an overwhelming amount of options for family dining in or take-out, and it does things in a classic family restaurant style.

And if you like big burgers, you're in luck.

Quick Bites: B Street Bistro in Russellville.

Baked handpies, great coffee, and charcuterie - excellent things to share at this sweet little shop along Russellville's revitalized B Street make this a great destination to visit with friends.

The Tallest Meringue on a Pie at Any Arkansas Restaurant is at Sweet Treats in Lamar.

Where can you find the state's tallest meringue on a pie? It's in Lamar, and it's not the only reason to grab lunch at Sweet Treats.

Marie and Greg Heiser's once diminutive lunchroom along US Highway 64 in Lamar grew to new digs not long ago, a cavernous space filled with tables, booths and more than 450 teapots. And yet most lunchtimes the parking lot overflows to the surrounding lots with hungry customers seeking a dependable plate lunch and the tallest meringue pie in all of Arkansas.

South Park Restaurant in Clarksville: A Classic Country Diner.

This unassuming spot on the south side of Interstate 40 offers its lunch specials pre-cast with a selection of side items and dessert to boot.

Quick Bites: Asian Cafe in Fort Smith.

Fort Smith's diverse ethnic food culture gives lots of epicurean gifts to eaters, at really reasonable prices. Asian Cafe on Rogers offers a lovely span of Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese dishes in its tiny space, delivered in large portions and beautiful dishes.

The 2022 Arkansas State Fair Food Guide.

Everything you need to know about dining at the Arkansas State Fair, but were hesitant to ask, can be found in my annual guide to all the fair fare - fantastic, favorites and the just plain freaky. Bookmark this page to find the best midway meals and extraordinary eats during the ten days of Arkansas's largest food event.

More items have been added since the last time you visited!

Taking the Waters: A Morning at the Buckstaff Bathhouse in Hot Springs.

An experience guests a hundred years ago could enjoy is still available to you today, in the original building (and tubs!) where folks have been enjoying a soak in the pure thermal waters of Hot Springs National Park since 1912. The Buckstaff Bathhouse's offerings will leave you relaxed and ready for more adventure in the Spa City.

With Crazy Fresh Oysters, Shrimp, Crab and Crawfish, Bozo's Ain't Clowning Around.

What started out as a little bait-and-grocery on Pascagoula's south side has grown into an establishment that draws crowds, food lovers and journalists - a dependable spot for fantastic locally-caught and harvested seafood, po'boy sandwiches and such. We drop in at Bozo's Grocery and Seafood for a Sunday morning bite.

The Last Remaining Breaker Wheel Meals, A Fast Food Joint Where You Ordered by CB Radio

Once a hundred restaurants strong, there's just one remaining Breaker Wheel Meals in Arkansas - a lone holdout thriving near downtown Monticello.

Home of the Love Burger: Troy's Drive In in DeWitt.

There's nothing like a flame-broiled burger - and when the flames get this high, you know you're getting something special. Let's visit DeWitt's classic dairy bar.

The 2021 Arkansas State Fair Food Guide.

After the 2020 hiatus, the Arkansas State Fair is back with panache in 2021, with so much amazing and delightful fair eats to enjoy. Here's the definitive list of what's back, what's new and what's awesome - from the singular expert on our state fair food bounty.

Arkansas Dairy Bars: Neat Eats and Cool Treats, ready for pre-order now.

Coming October 5th, you'll be able to order your own copy of Arkansas Dairy Bars: Neat Eats and Cool Treats, the culinary travel guide to all 94 of The Natural State's currently operating homegrown dairy bar establishments. Here's how to order your copy.

The Day The Beatles Came to Town - Jack Allison's Polar Freeze.

Jack Allison passed in 2019. I'm sharing this bit of history in advance of my new book, Arkansas Dairy Bars: Neat Eats and Cool Treats, which will be released September 28th, 2021. Please check out the accompanying documentary of the same name on Arkansas PBS.

Jack Allison has it made.  Every day he wants to, he goes in to work at a restaurant he founded in 1958.  He gets to sit down with his friends, who come by for coffee or a morning milkshake, and he gets to chew the fat with them.  He smokes hams and makes burgers and when he wants to take off for a day or a week, he can do that.

A New Film: Arkansas Dairy Bars

Ice cream, and something more - a delightful, nostalgic array of restaurants all over Arkansas keep a tradition going, safely, during a pandemic age. A business model that already allows social separation while feeding into the need for comfort food, continues to thrive here. Come join me as I explore our state, seeking out the stories of our local dairy bars and sharing them with you. You'll certainly get hungry watching what's to come.

Strawberries in Arkansas - Ponderings and 11 Recipes for Strawberry Pie.

The first fulfilled promise of an Arkansas spring is the bright, tart bite of strawberries. Even when frost complicates our willy-nilly vernal awakening season, the promise of the sweet, sumptuous berries brings even the most deeply hibernated food lover out from under coats and blankets to rejoice in the beginnings of a beautiful, bountiful Natural State harvest.

Five Picnics and Parks in DeSoto County, Mississippi.

Looking for a great place to enjoy a good meal outdoors at the top of Mississippi? Here are five parks to consider - along with great eats you can easily and safely pick up and enjoy.

A Bite of Arkansas: A Cookbook of Natural State Delights - A New Book.

When the pandemic response took me off the road and off the job of covering Arkansas's highways, byways and pieways in March, I was lost. Every assignment, speaking engagement and appearance evaporated in the course of a week. In my worry, I turned to cooking. The memories evoked in a white tile kitchen in Little Rock brought me back around to another facet of my life I could share - dishes I grew up on and discovered throughout my life, right here in The Natural State.

Here's the foreword for my new book, A Bite of Arkansas: A Cookbook of Natural State Delights, plus ordering information.

43 Tables: An Internet Community Cooks During Quarantine.

What happens when a pandemic forces food lovers to stay home for a while? Cooking commences. And when it happens to my internet community, books happen. Come take a look inside this unusual cookbook created with recipes from 43 contributors.

Delectable, Authentic Dishes at La Media Luna in Johnson.

A marvelous stand-out in a land bursting with Mexican restaurants, La Media Luna adapts to this uncertain era while serving up incredible, excellent and fresh fare in northwest Arkansas.

Cypress Social Provides a Tasty Escape From Urban Life.

The former Cock of the Walk location has become a destination dining experience with an out-of-town feel, in the middle of Greater Little Rock's clamor. With its focus on re-imagined Southern Delta classics, it provides a nice bite, too.

What We've Lost: Glenwood Tea Room in Shreveport.

The pandemic claims another restaurant worth visiting. Glenwood Tea Room, an antique shopping experience with a marvelous eatery within, officially closed in May. Here are my remembrances of a January 2020 visit.