# Arkansas Delta Food Finds Worth Traveling For *By James Hills — Updated June 2024* One of my favorite parts of traveling to a new area is trying new foods and traditions around dining. What I found while visiting the state, sponsored by Arkansas Tourism, frankly was confusing and exciting at the same time. While I expected BBQ and soul food, what I found alongside those staples was completely unexpected such as cheese dip, fried tamales, and chocolate gravy! Like the music that came from the Arkansas Delta region, it's food too is a mixture of influences from different areas of the country as well as the blending of historically white and black traditions combined with innovation that comes from necessity to create delicious dishes that don't cost a lot of money. ## Chocolate Gravy and Biscuits Let's just start right here. The concept of putting chocolate on your biscuits might sound repulsive and when the idea was suggested to me initially, I thought my host was just kidding. Apparently though it is a tradition tracing it's origins back to the people in Arkansas's Ozark Mountains region as a treat for Sunday morning breakfast. It is essentially a thick chocolate sauce that is poured over biscuits and sometimes people add crumbled bacon or other items as well. ### Building Your BBQ Arsenal: 18 Grilling Must Haves for Guys Who Take the Cookout Seriously Outdoor cooking gear for guys building a real BBQ arsenal: 18 picks across gas, charcoal, kamado, Santa Maria, gravity, and griddle grills plus tools, carts, and a cookbook. ManTripping [Read More](https://ads.flowmediamarketing.com/go/KPlCVD4o9vwCmkJnYW6_RQ.1864) ### Weber Spirit EP-435 Review: Premium 4-Burner Gas Grill Weber Spirit EP-435 4-burner gas grill review: professional Sear Zone, digital thermometer, side burner versatility. Premium build quality and performance analysis for serious outdoor cooks. 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While a couple places offered it as "fried tamale" bites, another served it smothered in brown gravy. At no point did any of them have the standard corn husk that is so familiar in the rest of the country. ## Man Gear Pick of the Month September's Pick Amazon (affiliate) ### Kenyon City Grill Portable Stainless Steel Electric Grill Why we picked it: a grill you can actually carry to the campsite, the tailgate or the cabin without borrowing a truck. Stainless, no propane tank to wrestle, and hot enough to cook for four guys rather than reheat for one. 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They were also typically smaller and in the case of "tamale bites" were chopped up resembling tortino pizza rolls. While there is significant variation from one place to the next I'm told that Delta-style tamales are also made with corn meal and simmered in spicy water rather than steamed in a corn husk.  ## Cheese Dip Cheese Dip is famous in Arkansas to the point where the Arkansas Tourism page actually has organized a "Cheese Dip Trail". In our experience though, these cheese dips that we tried - while good - weren't really different than anything you'd find in any Mexican restaurant around the country simply labeled as "queso". That being said though, I love queso! So congrats Arkansas, here's one more reason to visit this great state. ## Fried Bologna Sandwiches OK, so this is something pretty common throughout the south as a cheap food that makes a super tasty lunch. We found a truck serving this along with other BBQ items on the side of the road one day because we did a double take after driving by the first time.  Yes, you read that correctly - One Stop Candy Shop and Grill. Being one that loves exploring, I was forced to stop and order lunch here. What I found inside was fantastic. In a land known for BBQ and famous "must visit" shops dotting the landscape, this was hands down the best ribs and a perfect fried bologna sandwich with a nice thick piece of meat. ## BBQ Ribs At different parts of the state you are going to find different styles of BBQ since Arkansas sits between different traditions. In the Eastern part of the state, the Delta region typically has a style of ribs referred to as "black ribs". No, that's not a racial influence, but rather it has a mix of dry rub and sauce that has been reduced to a glaze and caramelized, giving it a dark color.  That being said, every place does things a little different and our rib tips at another BBQ joint had a similar "glaze" but were also soaked in a thin BBQ sauce. That's sort of the fun of BBQ - every does things a little bit differently. ## BBQ Pork Sandwiches The one thing that was consistent with BBQ across the state was their love for pulled pork sandwiches. These were all fairly similar with minor variations. However Kreme Kastle in Blytheville does deserve a shout out for a very simple but excellent version. Theirs featured coleslaw and hot sauce instead of BBQ sauce so it had a nice clean flavor with the perfect accent of heat. ## Fried Catfish If there's one thing besides biscuits that every southern cook knows how to do well - it's fry stuff. Arkansas is no different, but we experienced one of the best friend catfish dinners I've ever had here at Katfish Kastle also in Blytheville and by the same owner.  The fish was perfectly cooked, with a light breading that was crispy but not greasy at all.  ## Ozark Turtle Sundae Once again, there was a surprise here ... while it wouldn't be shocking to have ice cream shops throughout the state, I wasn't expecting custard to be popular. However there it was ... during our visit to Jonesboro we came across Andy's Frozen Custard and had to stop. While it turned out that this is actually a national chain with locations 10 states I'm still going to include it here because it was darn good and made for a fun stop. It reminded me of the old timey custard shops you'd find in Milwaukee like Leon's but with a modern twist. Top Picks Flow Voyages ### Book your next cruise with Heather at Flow Voyages Flow Voyages is a travel advisor specializing in cruises and resorts. 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