You don’t have to go as far as Memphis for good barbeque. There are plenty of fine establishments in Arkansas that do a good job with smoked meats and great sauces, that make a drive that far out seem unnecessary.
When we entered, we found that the outside décor matched the inside. The walls are lined with wood shingles,
For a proper barbeque restaurant, this was positively swank. And large -- there’s seating for about 50 inside.
One of the girls behind the counter told us to sit wherever we like. Another woman came out and asked us what we wanted to drink, and gave us the menus. The menus themselves are Spartan and to the point -- beef barbeque or pork barbeque sandwiches, combos with those sandwiches; beef, pork, chicken finger, or catfish dinners; and the special
In fact, the only sides offered are BBQ beans, slaw, and French fries, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. They’re all available in pickup packs to take home.

That sauce, by the way, is mighty tasty -- strong on the hickory and with a touch of mustard, but just enough for the
My companion rather enjoyed the cole slaw, but said the beans were somewhere near average.
I ordered the jumbo beef sandwich combo ($6.89). The waitress had brought out forks for both of us, and for this I was glad -- it was a mighty big pile of beef! I had to indulge in a bit of the meat before I could pick up the massive bun. The beef without the sauce is moist and smoky, a little under spiced for my taste by itself,

The fries were crinkle cut. I have a soft spot for crinkle cut fries. Our waitress brought out Heinz ketchup with our meals, and kept checking back with us.
Dinner for the two of us, including drinks, was less than $15. Hickory House also serves up chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry milkshakes -- but we were just way too stuffed to attempt one.
Best of all -- for travelers, there’s a drive-thru, and it was busy the entire

You'll find Hickory House BBQ at 918 N. Washington in Forrest City -- that's Highway 1, for us out-of-towners. You can even call ahead to (870) 633-7751 if you want to order your meat to-go. It's been there 20 years or more, but for me, it was a real food find.
Cole slaw on the bun. That is one thing that I never had in a BBQ sammich :) Guess it is an Arkansas thing. Though, I have had some pulled pork that benefited from the wetness of the slaw. Deep down, though, I am still a beef BBQ guy, down to my Texas roots.
ReplyDelete