Hot Springs, Arkansas

After blazing a line South through the snow and ice storm last Tuesday, we ended up in Hot Springs, Arkansas for the night. On little more than a fortuitous recommendation from a perfect stranger (sometimes, the best kind), we ended up staying at The Arlington Hotel and eating—not once, but twice in less than 24 hours—at McClard’s Bar-B-Q Restaurant.

McClard’s Bar-B-Q


We pulled into the parking lot and bee-lined to the backdoor of the joint to take a peek at what kind of cooker they were using. We were greeted by a Wall of Smoke (thank you, Phil Specter)—a multi-layered sensory symphony of burning pecan and hickory mingling with the sweet fumes of rendering pork fat.

Pork on the pit


McClard’s, like so many other great, old barbecue places, comes with a touch of quaint folklore: Back in the 20s, Alex and Gladys McClard ran a motel called the Westside Tourist Court, down the street from the current location of the restaurant. When a guest couldn’t scrape together the $10 he owed the McClard’s in rent, he offered a recipe for “the world’s greatest barbecue sauce.” As the tale goes, the couple accepted the barter and loved the sauce so much, in 1928, the Westside Tourist Court turned into Westside Bar-B-Q. It’s a great story, and the sauce is certainly a fine one—nice heat, with a touch of sweetness—but their barbecue is the kind best eaten without accoutrement.

McClard’s pitmaster, John Thomas (he married into the barbecue dynasty)

McClard’s Ribs


McClard’s Ribs, in close-up


Pork Bar-B-Q sandwich, chopped


I don’t think McClard’s style of tamale is the traditional Mississippi Delta Tamales, but the ones we sampled were spicy, meaty and delicious. The tamale doesn’t have the telltale cornhusk ridges, and were quite soft, without the distinct cornmeal-y texture. We asked “why tamales?”, and were told that the McClard’s wanted to find a way to use up the leftover bits and pieces of barbecue debris. Frugality and ingenuity. Very tasty.
Tamale, served with saltine crackers


Tamale Plate, a specialty of McClard’s: One or two tamales, heaped with beans, raw white onions, cheese and Fritos.


Some sordid history on Hot Springs: The bathhouses in town were apparently a big draw for Chicago gangsters looking to escape the brutal winters. We were told that the town of Hot Springs was considered neutral territory. Al Capone commandeered the 4th Floor of the hotel during his stays, and there’s an Al Capone Suite in the hotel now. The storytellers mentioned that Hot Springs never had a problem with organized crime or related violence in the city, despite being a gathering place. But one guy also told us that a mere week before the St. Valentine’s Day massacre, Mr. Capone and Company had gathered for a meeting in Hot Springs. Our theory: someone got snapped on the ass with a wet towel one too many times in one of the bathhouses, and sought his revenge when they returned to Chicago.

The Arlington Hotel is gorgeous, and home to the only direct natural hot spring-fed whirlpool in the country.



The bathhouse is a classic, subway tiled, open-room affair, with gregarious and friendly attendants to usher you through your ablutions.


And the water in Hot Springs is everything they say it is—sweet, mineral-y and delicious. Excellent for drinking…or bathing in. There are several water filling stations around town—some hot, some cold—where tourists and locals alike convene to fill water bottles.




McClard’s Barbecue
505 Albert Pike Road
Hot Springs, AR
501-623-9665

Thanks for posting that, it looks like a wonderful trip.

I'm just curious, when you (and the others on here) take these pics, do you tell the people that you will be posting them on LTH? I hope so...It would be a shame if they never saw their restaurants written up so lovingly.

Liz in Norwood Park wrote:I'm just curious, when you (and the others on here) take these pics, do you tell the people that you will be posting them on LTH? I hope so...It would be a shame if they never saw their restaurants written up so lovingly.

I personally don't mention LTH when talking to restaurant proprietors before ordering and payingbecause it can create some awkwardness (and in some cases, suspicion or resentment if they think they're being reviewed). It also could put us in a position of having to turn down food we didn't order, and I'm a big believer in LTH's No Free Shit policy. I'm a Southerner, and I was raised to graciously accept all forms of hospitality (but particularly food, when offered), so I find it helpful to keep any mentions of LTH on the d-l until the meal is over.

However, once we've chatted up waiters, cooks, chefs or owners, asked some questions, ordered, eaten and paid the bill, I'll mention LTH. I also usually e-mail a link to them.

I was happy to see this post. I am originally from Little Rock, Arkansas and growing up we would take the short trip to Hot Springs. Everyone in Little Rock knows to go to McClards when you go to Hot Springs. I believe it has probably even been touted by Clinton (Bill that is, because he grew up there) It's part of the destination. It's fun and tasty.

I just recently went last summer with my husband.Bathhouse row with all the bathhouses is pretty interesting. The old restored bathhouse tour is always haunted my memory as a child. The electrotherapy! eek!

Thanks for such a fun post!

We were in Hot Springs earlier this week for a couple of days as we were driving between Shreveport and Little Rock. I have to say that the visit was a minor disappointment as I guess that I was expecting the vibrant spa based community that several family members visited in the 1950s as opposed to a worn-out, semi-restored version of 2008.

of the eight major bathhouses on Bathhouse Row, only one is currently function, the Bickstaff Baths. One other bathhouse is the National Park Service visitor center and the balance of the bathhouses are currently closed and are unavailable for touring. My wife really enjoyed the full service at the Bickstaff and it seemed to me that services among the various facilities are similar

Of the large hotels, only three are currently offering bath services. The Arlington is the best IMO.

The city itself no longer attracts the crowds that it did in past generations and therefore, the lodging facilities are pretty worn and unrefurbished.

McClard's BBQ is reputed to be the best BBQ in town. However, several of the locals directed us to the "REAL" Texan BBQ in town - Rolands.

We ordered the three meat special and had the brisket, pork, and the ribs.
The meat was generally well done, and smoked over hardwoods. The only problem that evening was that the brisket was a bit dry. Wednesday night is church night in Hot Springs and we were late getting there. I am not a big fan of ribs bit they were excellent.

The sides are very good and tasty and there are a great variety. The banana pudding was excellent.

They offer two sauces. The mild sauce is very slightly sweet and is flavored with ancho peppers. The hot BBQ sauce, which has a great kick, is flavored with Jalapenos. Both were excellent.

The Hungry Fisherman, located in nearby Malvern, AR, serves a good variety of seafood specials. They offer excellent fried and baked catfish as well as a number of southern specialties. I am not sure that they serve anything that can't be found elsewhere (other than frog legs) in the area, but what they do, they do very well.

Burl's Country Smokehouse was recommended to us for their sandwiches. They also have a big smokehouse where they cook meat throughout the day.

However, we went there for the sandwiches (after three BBQ meals in the week, we were tired of it). They use locally baked Amish breads as well as meats and cheeses produced by Troyers in Millersburg, OH (major Amish producer). Great sandwiches and good sides.

Roland's BBQ Company
200 Higdon Ferry Rd
Hot Springs, AR 71913
(501) 625-3079

Hungry Fisherman Restaurant
3603 Oliver Lancaster Boulevard
Malvern, AR 72104
(501) 332-4182

Burl's Country Smokehouse
10176 Albert Pike Road
Royal, AR 71968
Phone: (501) 991-3875
(closer to Crystal Springs).