Top 10 Must-Try Restaurants in Arkansas

Arkansas, a small state in the southern part of the USA, refers to itself as “the natural state.” This serves as a reminder of the type of cuisine you will find in Arkansas and provides a lot of information about the state’s natural features, including rolling national parks and sizable forest areas.

Arkansas is renowned for its excellent Southern hospitality, beautiful camping getaways, and delectable cuisine! Although delicious barbecue is a popular local dish for most Arkansans, the state also has a wide selection of eateries that use fresh ingredients and provide warm, welcoming service.

These top 10 restaurants consistently deliver top-notch experiences in terms of environment and cuisine.

Best Restaurants To Eat Delicious Food in Arkansas

10. Brown’s Country Store and Restaurant

The 100-foot-long, all-you-can-eat buffet at Brown’s Country Store and Restaurant offers a wide selection of traditional American and Arkansas dishes.

Besides tasty fares like oven-baked chicken, fried shrimp, and tender roast beef, Brown’s has a gift shop and a classic candy store.

Brown’s is the ideal place to buy a few souvenirs for friends and family back home because it is housed in a traditional western-style warehouse.

9. Rivertowne BBQ

A barbecue restaurant with awards is called Rivertowne BBQ. The best barbecue dishes, including slow-smoked meats like chicken, pulled pork, and beef brisket, are all featured on the menu.

Depending on your preference, you can serve these as is, in sandwiches, as jacket potatoes, or even just plain.

The delicious smoked beef, chicken, and hog at Rivertowne BBQ are served in large servings and are daily smoked on the premises and seasoned with the restaurant’s own dry rub. Tuesday through Saturday, Rivertowne BBQ provides daily lunch and supper specials.

8. Ozark Country Restaurant

Ozark Country Restaurant, a well-liked backstreet establishment, is well-known for the excellent quality of its breakfasts. Enjoy sweet potato and cinnamon-flavored pancakes and mouthwatering burgers—think sizable meat patties on buns with a side of fries.

A hearty Southern-inspired diner fare is provided for breakfast and lunch in comfortable surroundings. This restaurant has a cozy vibe, and the food is excellent. You can enjoy a peaceful evening or a special lunch here.

7. ZaZa

ZaZa is a pizzeria that significantly impacts Arkansas’s ability to eat sustainably. The staff at ZaZa works hard to gather food in the most ecologically sound manner possible, having the most negligible impact on the environment and employing locally and organically produced components.

Naturally, when cooking, you receive what you put into it, which is perhaps why these pizzas are so excellent. These thin, crispy pizzas are as tasty as they are healthy since they are topped with various slices of cheese, meats, and fresh veggies.

6. Southern Gourmasian

Justin Patterson, the owner, and head chef, has been developing his food truck over the past few years. Southern Gourmasian is a mobile culinary experience unlike any other, not your run-of-the-mill burger van on the side of the road.

After Patterson made pork buns at home for his friends, everyone advised him to seek a career in catering, and the rest is history; Patterson got the idea to start the business.

Steamed buns stuffed with pork hoisin and lime and sandwiches made with beef brisket and sweet plum barbecue sauce are just a couple of the menu dishes featuring an intriguing combination of southern and Asian cuisine.

5. The Root Cafe

The Root Cafe honors the best in neighborhood cooking to foster a sense of family via local cuisine. The Root Cafe’s staff, who firmly believe in obtaining all of their food locally, even offers details on the farms it works with to supply its kitchen.

The food produced is of extremely high quality while also being relatively basic. Guests can select from burgers, bratwursts, salads, and sandwiches for lunch.

4. The Hive

The pricing at The Hive is commensurately opulent. The meal begins with starters of cured pork and duck cassolette, followed by main courses like pan-roasted swordfish with pearl barley or a hog chop with blistered cabbage and seasoned vegetables.

The evening concludes with desserts, particularly the decadent pecan pie with buttermilk ice cream. The Hive, a restaurant in Bentonville’s award-winning 21c Museum Hotel, highlights the state of Arkansas’ distinctive culinary culture.

The bar + lounge is ideal for a quick snack with friends, entertaining key clients, or quenching your thirst. Deborah Berke Partners created The Hive, a Bentonville restaurant where diners can socialize and get to know one another.

3. Tusk & Trotter

An American brasserie called Tusk & Trotter creates inventive and chic comfort food using seasonal ingredients. Deep-fried risotto balls and pig belly cheese sticks are two appetizers you must try.

The brasserie or pub menus are available for main courses, with the former offering a somewhat more expensive but remarkable assortment of food.

It is an American Pub and restaurant serving unique dishes. The interior is chic and comfortable, just like the food they serve, and it is a truly unique experience.

2. Table Mesa

A Mexican-inspired café called Table Mesa is furnished with open masonry walls, a polished bar, and contemporary furniture.

A further addition to the Latin motif is the striking orange paintwork, which evokes thoughts of the Mexican desert, sunsets, and sunrises (at least, the tequila kind). The menu is comprehensive and wide-ranging, with food from all around Latin and South America.

The Oaxaca Salmon features some of the best applications of Latin American spices and is served with chipotle shrimp and mashed potatoes. Other choices include traditional foods like fajitas, chimichangas, and burritos, which can be filled with various ingredients like fish, chicken, or Kobe beef.

1. South on Main

There is no better place to explore Southern cuisine and culture than South on Main. The go-to restaurant in Arkansas for fantastic entertainment is South on Main, which regularly features a variety of live music groups.

The menu offers creative reimaginings of traditional Southern cuisine. A filling dinner of seared pork chop with sweet potato and green beans and classic comfort food like duck breast with cheddar and jalapenos is served. They also provide a variety of unique drinks that incorporate traditional Southern spirits.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Arkansas’ most famous food?

Possum Pie. This multi-layered dish, which is known as the “most distinctive pie in Arkansas,” has a sandy-bottom crust made of flour, butter, pecans, cream cheese, chocolate custard, and whipped cream with pecan crumbs on top. The phrase “playin’ possum,” which refers to acting falsely, is where the pie’s name comes from.

What food did Arkansas invent?

Cheese dip and Fried pickles. Fried pickles are a Southern delicacy with a crunchy, sweet flavor profile that everyone should try at least once. 

Does Arkansas have state food?

The state’s official fruit and vegetable is the south Arkansas vine-ripe pink tomato. The Cynthiana grape is its official state grape, and the pecan, milk, and rice are its official nuts and grains. The state that produces the most rice crop in the US is Arkansas.

Is food tax-free in Arkansas?

Any food or ingredients taxed in the state of Arkansas will be taxed at a reduced state rate of 1.5%. Certain food products that are deemed ineligible for a reduced rate will be taxed at the standard state rate.

What is Arkansas’ biggest cash crop?

Rice. Nearly half of all the rice produced in the United States comes from Arkansas! The state consistently tops the nation in terms of rice production, and the sector has a significant economic impact, supporting over 20,000 employees.

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