ARKANSAS, USA — After receiving more than 1,800 submissions from all 75 of the counties in Arkansas, the finalists for the 2023 class of the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame have been announced.
In October, Arkansans were able to nominate their favorites for the following five categories: Proprietor of the Year, Food-Themed Event, People's Choice, and Gone But Not Forgotten.
The finalists for each category are:
Arkansas Food Hall of Fame
- Betty’s Old Fashion of El Dorado (Union County)
- Big Banjo Pizza of Pine Bluff (Jefferson County)
- Black Angus of Little Rock (Pulaski County)
- Bulldog Restaurant of Bald Knob (White County)
- Daisy Queen of Marshall (Searcy County)
- DeVito’s Restaurant of Harrison (Boone County)
- Hugo’s of Fayetteville (Washington County)
- Kream Kastle of Blytheville (Mississippi County)
- Meacham's Family Restaurant of Ash Flat (Sharp County)
- Ozark Cafe of Jasper (Newton County)
- Skyline Cafe of Mena (Polk County)
- The Ohio Club of Hot Springs (Garland County)
Proprietor of the Year
- Chuck Taylor, Taylor’s Steakhouse of Dumas (Desha County)
- Chester and Laura Huntsman, Beech Street Bistro of Crossett (Ashley County)
- David Stobaugh, Stoby’s Restaurant of Conway (Faulkner County)
- James Woods, Woods Place of Camden (Ouachita County)
- Jamie McAfee, Pine Bluff Country Club of Pine Bluff (Jefferson County)
- Jim Keet, JTJ Restaurants of Little Rock (Pulaski County)
Food-Themed Events
- Slovak Oyster Supper (Prairie County)
- Magnolia Blossom Festival and World Championship Steak Cook-Off (Columbia County)
- Mayhaw Festival (Union County)
Gone But Not Forgotten
- 4-Dice Restaurant (Dallas County)
- Bohemia Restaurant (Garland County)
- Chip’s Barbeque (Pulaski County)
The winners will be selected by the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame Committee and they will then be announced at a hybrid ceremony held at Central Arkansas Library System’s Ron Robinson Theater on March 6, 2023.
Anyone can attend the reception and induction ceremony virtually or in person. Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased here.