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.