(LITTLE ROCK, Ark.) — The excitement is building as Arkansas Heritage announces the finalists for the highly anticipated 2024 Arkansas Food Hall of Fame.
In a new and exciting development this year, the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame committee invites the public to cast their votes for their favorite establishments in the People’s Choice category.
Voting for the People's Choice category is now open to the public and can be accessed through this link.
Launched in 2016 by the Division of Arkansas Heritage, the program celebrates Arkansas' unique culinary heritage by recognizing its best restaurants, proprietors and food-themed events.
“This year’s finalists embody the flavors, traditions and stories that define Arkansas,” said Marty Ryall, director of the Division of Arkansas Heritage. “As we celebrate these restaurants, we honor not only the dishes they create but the communities they feed and the legacies they preserve.”
Award finalists were announced at an event on May 13, 2024 hosted by the Division of Arkansas Heritage. Ryall was accompanied by Shea Lewis, secretary for the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, and members of the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame Committee.
“Food is such a defining feature of Arkansas, having the potential to tell stories with just one bite,” Lewis said. “Our finalists are perfect examples of this, and we’re honored to recognize their impact on the state’s dynamic food culture.”
Arkansans nominated their favorite restaurants earlier this year in these five categories:
● Gone But Not Forgotten
● Food-Themed Event
● Proprietor of the Year
● Arkansas Food Hall of Fame
● People’s Choice
Finalists include:
Gone But Not Forgotten
● Anderson’s (White County)
● Juanita’s (Pulaski County)
● Polar Freeze (Lawrence County)
Food-Themed Event
● Arkansas Pie Festival (Sharp County)
● Mayhaw Festival (Union County)
● Mt. Nebo Chicken Fry (Yell County)
● Slovak Oyster Supper (Prairie County)
● Soup Sunday (Pulaski County)
Proprietor of the Year
● Crissy’s Pub Style (Saline County)
● Doe’s Eat Place (Pulaski County)
● Loca Luna and Red Door (Pulaski County)
● Tusk & Trotter American Brasserie (Washington County)
● Woods Place (Ouachita County)
Arkansas Food Hall of Fame
● Big Banjo Pizza Parlor (Jefferson County)
● Brave New Restaurant (Pulaski County)
● Charlotte’s Eats and Sweets (Lonoke County)
● Dairyette (Montgomery County)
● Daisy Queen (Searcy County)
● Herman’s Ribhouse (Washington County)
● Hugo’s (Washington County)
● K Hall & Sons (Pulaski County)
● Old South Restaurant (Pope County)
● Ray’s (Drew County)
● Taliano’s Italian Restaurant (Sebastian County)
● The Dixie Pig (Mississippi County)
● The Faded Rose (Pulaski County)
People’s Choice
● Beech Street Bistro (Ashley County)
● Bennett’s Seafood (Garland County)
● BubbaLu’s (Garland County)
● The Purple Banana (Benton County)
● Top Dog Catering (Lonoke County)
Honorees will be inducted into the Arkansas Hall of Fame during a special event in September 2024. Event details will be announced later this year. More information about the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame can be found at ArkFoodHOF.com.
Arkansas Food Hall of Fame
The Arkansas Food Hall of Fame celebrates the state’s unique food traditions and serves to educate Arkansans about our diverse food culture and heritage. The program recognizes Arkansas’s legendary restaurants, proprietors, and food-themed events across the state.
Arkansas Heritage
Arkansas Heritage was created in 1975 and is a division of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. There are eight agencies with unique heritage focuses under the umbrella of this division: Arkansas Arts Council, Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, the Delta Cultural Center in Helena, the Old State House Museum, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, the Historic Arkansas Museum and the Arkansas State Archives.
Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism
The Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism protects and promotes our state’s natural, cultural and historic assets, contributing to a thriving economy and high quality of life. It is made up of three divisions: Arkansas State Parks, Arkansas Heritage and Arkansas Tourism. Shea Lewis serves as secretary for the department.