Living in Little Rock for two years has finally allowed me to build up a strong list of restaurants to bring my out-of-town guests. These places must obviously have excellent food, but also offer great service and an atmosphere that truly reflects the essence of Little Rock. So, I figured…why not create a list of my Top 10 Restaurants to Take Out-of-Towners? Here goes…and these are in ranking order:
10. Big Orange Midtown
One of the restaurants from Little Rock’s greatest success stories had to make this list, so I opted for BO Midtown. The atmosphere is hip, the cocktails are in the top 3 in the city, and the food is usually on-point.
Tip: Sit at the beautiful bar and gab with the knowledgeable bartenders while crushing a cocktail and a turkey burger with sweet potato fries.
9. One Eleven
One Eleven, the new version of the old Ashley’s, is located inside the Capital Hotel and definitely belongs on this list. For one, it’s fine dining at its finest, and a “special occasion” type restaurant needs to be included.
Tip: Go for lunch and order the $16 express lunch … a great value and you get to try out several small dishes.
8. Lassis Inn
It ain’t fancy and may not be in the nicest area of town, but I personally could care less. The old school setting and insanely small booths will leave your guests with lasting memories. And so will the fried catfish and buffalo ribs.
Tip: Order an ice-cold 40 oz. beer, but remember, no dancing.
7. The Southern Gourmasian Food Truck
The brick-and-mortar is in the works, but for now, The Southern Gourmasian is a food truck, and a damn great one. The best, in fact, Little Rock has to offer. Take an out-of-towner and watch their face light up after a bite of the spicy chicken and dumplings.
Tip: Go for breakfast at the Hillcrest Farmers Market and order the Moco Loko.
6. Doe’s Eat Place
Does it have the character of the original in Greenville, MS? Maybe, maybe not. But hell, this is where Clinton did his thing back in the day, and the food, especially the 3-lb Porterhouse, is simply fantastic.
Tip: Save room for some fried shrimp and soaked salad…and yes, even the Delta-style tamales.
5. Hillcrest Artisan Meats
This new-school butcher shop with old-school values sits in the heart of Hillcrest and consistently churns out one of the best sandwiches in Little Rock. Seating is limited, but that’s part of what gives H.A.M its charm.
Tip: Pass on the bag of chips and get the lentil salad as your side.
4. The Root Café
The kitchen is small, and thus, the service can at times be slow, but The Root Café IS Little Rock. It’s one of the few places in town serving a quality breakfast, and that alone earns it a spot on this list.
Tip: Vegetarians rejoice…the tofu scrambler is legit. Carnivores should definitely order the sausage gravy and biscuits.
3. Vino’s Brewpub
Sure, Vino’s is a little musty, but that just spells c-h-a-r-a-c-t-e-r. The pizza is some of the best in town and so is the beer. Take a guest, sit inside by the beer tanks, watch a game and tell me that’s not all Little Rock.
Tip: Don’t sleep on the chef’s salad … it’s good.
2. Capital Bar and Grill
CBG is right across the way from One Eleven inside the Capital Hotel, but is a bit more casual and has a menu more reflective of what Little Rock does best, highlighted by their famous pimento sandwich.
Tip: Get the smoked catfish burger and thank me later.
1. South on Main
No place puts the entire package together like South on Main–great food, casually cool atmosphere, top-notch cocktails and consistently good service. If you have only one spot to take guests, this is your place.
Tip: Check out their website for scheduled musical performances. It doesn’t get any better than listening to some jazz while downing an Old Fashioned and some fried duck wings at South on Main.
Quick hitters:
Grab a beer: Stone’s Throw Brewing
Pop in for a pastry/coffee: Mylo Coffee Co.
Cool dessert: Loblolly Ice Cream (inside The Green Corner Store)
21 Comments
So glad cajuns wharf isn’t up here the food is ok at best and the service sucks to be honest
I am in almost total agreement with this list, except I’d have to cut something to add Natchez. Last three or so meals there have knocked it down, and I had some iffy experiences early. I think they are hitting stride.
Can’t believe there’s not a barbecue joint on here somewhere. If not Whole Hog, then Sims?
First question is where is the picture of the shrimp and grits from? And I can’t believe The Pantry isn’t listed. Love the atmosphere and the food is always so fresh.
Angie…truth be told, I’ve gotten a ton of flack for not including The Pantry on this list. I went back and forth on its inclusion, but opted to leave it off. The Pantry is one of my top 5 restaurants in all of LR, but this particular list is a little different than Top 10 Best LR Restaurants. All that said, I probably made a mistake.
Haha! I understand! I have to ask again about the shrimp and grits photo because I love them if made right. The Village Steakhouse in Star City has the best I have had so far.
Gosh, my apologies…the shrimp and grits are from The Southern Gourmasian. The best I’ve had in LR, however, are from Maddie’s Place.
The Pantry definitely needs a spot on this list. My two visits to South on Main have been very underwhelming.
I am with Sean, but we’re probably in the minority. Save for the roasted oyster appetizer, South on Main was a big fat “eh” for me.
What is up with South on Main??? This is the most overhyped and underperfoming restaurant ever. I been there a few times thinking it will get better… never does. Full of lazy disgruntled ex capital hotel peeps. The bar may be one of the top 10 in LR, (very sad for us) but I can think of at least 5 other places I would rather order a perfect martini including the Pantry.
Chris, we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one, but I do feel your comment about lazy, disgruntled ex capital hotel peeps is way off base.
Thanks for responding. I probably was off base with that comment and maybe it’s a place that I just do not get. But the service has always been lacking, I see servers and bartenders using there phones and reading books which I wouldnt mind if I wasnt being ignored. The food is just OK. Restaurants I would rather take an outer towner… Capital Bar, Pantry, Doe’s Eat Place, Cache, Local Lime, the root, Gus’s Chicken, Possibly even SO, Sonny Williams, and Cajuns (if they served dinner on the deck)
I haven’t seen anything like that in several of my visits, but if I had, I too would be unhappy. I do know SoM is quite responsive to patron’s complaints.
I started reading the comments just to ask “Why isn’t The Pantry on this list?” But it has been asked and answered. I get that you were trying to say “Top 10 Restaurants to Take Out-of-Towners for a Taste of Good Southern Cuisine”, but when anyone from out-of-town asks me where to eat, The Pantry is the first place I mention.
All fair points on The Pantry. It’s a wonderful restaurant and in retrospective, probably deserves a spot on this list.
Thank you for this list. I live in Northern Virginia and visit the Little Rock area often. One of My goals during visits is to have a new dining experience that offers good food and quality service.
Rowe, it is my pleasure! If you ever have a question or need a rec, please do not hesitate to message me over on the FB page. Always glad to help out. And thank you for reading!
I’m going to have to agree with Chris. I’ve been to South on Main many occasions and the food isn’t consistent. The first few days a new item is on the menu its brilliant, after that, its like whomever is cooking in the back doesn’t care anymore.
The service is also very inconsistent. I don’t know about disgruntled ex Capitol Hotel workers, but at least an acknowledgement of me as a human being sooner rather than later when I’m seated would be nice.
I’m surprised to see the lack of love for South on Main from the commenters! I’ve had one disappointing meal there out of many, and it was during their very first week. I go back often and take guests and have yet to be let down. I’m sorry y’all had a different experience.
But, hey, it’s clear that if someone doesn’t like it or any other place on this list, we’ve got TONS of options. For a city of its size, Little Rock has way more great restaurants than most people would expect. In fact, that’s one of the best parts about having friends visit from afar!
Eric, I am too, but certainly respect everyone’s opinion…and appreciate the people who take the time to leave a comment.
I couldn’t survive the experience if the catfish and fries were any better than those at Burge’s in the Heights.
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