The Lowdown on the Best Places Where to Eat in Little Rock

Who would have thought that cheese dip would be the reason I’d finally get to spend some time in Arkansas? Definitely not me. You see, I had no idea that Little Rock was the birth place of cheese dip. Nor did I know they had a whole festival to celebrate it.

In fact, if you had asked me where to eat in Little Rock, I wouldn’t have had a clue. So when the the Little Rock Convention & Visitor’s Bureau invited me to check out the World Cheese Dip Championship as part of a “Savor Arkansas” food tour, I said yes! I learned a long time ago – never turn down cheese.

Where to Eat in Little Rock

On my visit, I found out that it’s not just cheese dip that makes Little Rock a solid culinary destination. There’s also fine dining, southern dishes, farm to table, soul food, German cuisine and a Locally Labeled beer, wine and spirits trail.

They even give you a passport that you get stamped when visiting participating establishments. And the distillery on the trail is, by the way, the first legal distillery in Arkansas since prohibition.

You name it, Little Rock has it. Many times the story behind the food was almost as good as the food itself…..almost. I spent several days in the littlest big city I’ve ever been to, with some new best friends, eating my way through the city and learning about Little Rock. I loved it so much, I made a list to share with you.

One Eleven

Located inside Little Rock’s Capital Hotel, One Eleven is fine dining with an international flare and the first stop on the where to eat in Little Rock list.

We appetized (is that a word?) our way through burrata, zucchini flowers stuffed with shrimp in a lobster sauce and pate served with the South’s favorite vegetable, okra. For the main course, I had roast chicken served over gnocchi that was the softest pillow of deliciousness.

And dessert? Well, I already said you’d want one of everything. Lush chocolates, rich ice creams and my perfectly dusted lava cake that I got so excited about, I forgot to take a photo before I finished it. The perfect sweet ending to a meal that we didn’t want to end.

Southerner Says: the menu changes seasonally at One Eleven so the items mentioned here might not always be available. For more casual dining, check out the Capital Bar & Grill for another amazing option for food and cocktails at the Capital Hotel.

The Root

Step into The Root and even if you aren’t from the south, you’ll instantly know what it feels like to step into a great grandmother’s southern kitchen. Fresh flowers, pillows and mismatched cloth napkins on the bright tables, create a homey, let’s get to know one another atmosphere.

In fact, everything in The Root, the food, the decor and the service is part of owner Jack Sundell’s “building community through local food” concept.

Jack, a man of vision, was way ahead of his time in 2011 when he opened The Root. Farm to table wasn’t as common then as it is now. Jack set out to work with small businesses and farms to make his concept a reality. Now, eight years later, they source their food from over 55 different farms and producers in Arkansas.

All that attention to detail makes for tasty, homemade food with a Southern twist. My Roots Benny was classic Eggs Benedict but with fresh greens and ham from a local source that makes you never want to eat any other kind of ham again.

And any place that serves fresh squeezed orange juice mimosas in Ball jars is definitely going on a where to eat in Little Rock list. Stop by The Root for breakfast, lunch, dinner or my favorite, all day Sunday breakfast. Oh, did I mention they were on Diners, Drive ins & Dives?

The Pantry

If you are in Little Rock and a hankering for German food kicks in, The Pantry is where to eat in Little Rock. Owner Tomas Bohm has two locations that serve up German and Czech dishes in a cozy European atmosphere.

The Wiener Schnitzel I ordered was prepared traditionally with perfectly crisp iron skillet potatoes. The appetizer of Brussel Sprouts with Roasted Garlic Aioli was also a delicious hit for the entire table. But the dish that surprised me the most was the Baked Bacon Wrapped Dates. Sweet and savory, it was the perfect appetizer.

A very serendipitous thing happened right before I went to Arkansas. Someone asked me if I had ever tried Chocolate Salami. Wait what? Chocolate salami?

If you’ve never tried it before, I realize all kinds of visions and thoughts might be running through your head. What does it look like? Is it made with meat? Believe me, I had the same thoughts. So when I looked at The Pantry’s dessert menu and saw that they had Chocolate Salami, I knew I had to try it.

Chocolate Salami is a dessert originating in Italy or Portugal – no one is quite sure – but it’s popular throughout Europe. Made with cocoa, broken biscuits or cookies, butter, eggs and a bit of port wine or rum and not a bit of meat in sight!

At The Pantry, it’s served with vanilla ice cream. It is glorious and one of most delicious and unique things I ate in, of all places, Little Rock.

The Pantry is are open for lunch and dinner. Check their website for the hours since each location has different hours.

Lassis Inn

Did you know that Arkansas has a Food Hall of Fame? I sure didn’t. At least not until I visited the Lassis Inn. Named after the original owner, Molassis Watson, the restaurant was inducted with the first round of inductees in 2017.

The tiny, unassuming, blue house that sits in a residential neighborhood has a long history in Little Rock. The restaurant started out serving lunches of cold cuts to workers in 1905. Later on they added catfish and ultimately, fish ribs or buffalo ribs.

Being from the South where fried fish and catfish are pretty popular, I still didn’t know anything about fish ribs. I honestly spent most of the day thinking we were going to eat wings or ribs for lunch. However, I soon learned that fish ribs or buffalo ribs, are from the Buffalo fish, a freshwater fish with white flaky meat similar to a catfish.

Fried perfectly in a crispy corn meal batter, the ribs have a thin sliver of bone that can easily be pulled out. The Lassis Inn serves theirs with your choice of other typical Southern sides, fried okra, slaw and hush puppies. If you’d rather stick to catfish, they have that too and choose from either filets or steaks.

And because no true Southern meal is complete without dessert, there’s fresh homemade pound cake and and plenty of sweet tea to be had.

Red Door

Not only did I have the pleasure of eating my favorite Sunday Brunch of Eggs Benedict and mimosas at Red Door, a Little Rock institution, but I had the privilege to do so with the award winning owner/chef Mark Abernathy himself and a side of cheese dip. I don’t think brunch can get much more special.

One of the smartest and funniest people I’ve ever met, Chef Abernathy’s story telling could keep you entertained for hours. A successful restaurateur, he has no formal culinary training but can without a doubt tell you where to eat in Little Rock and tell you a good story about it.

Born and raised in Arkansas, with a banking and finance degree, Chef Abernathy was at the right place at the right time when he was hired to work with the company that owned TGIFridays in the 70’s. He spent time in Texas learning about the restaurant business and later, moved to San Antonio, where fell in love with the area and the food.

After some years and a lot of restaurant openings later, Abernathy returned home to Arkansas and created one of Little Rock’s most successful and most famous Mexican restaurants.

Juanita’s is closed now but while I was in town, I heard several Little Rockers refer to it fondly. Apparently the food, the unique addition of live music and some of the bands that played there are gone but never to be forgotten.

A few of Juanita’s recipes live on as well. The Red Door cheese dip recipe is a carry over. It consists of four types of cheese, including, surprise, asiago.

Focusing on fresh and locally sourced food, Red Door serves modern southern cuisine. I’m talking cat head biscuits and gravy y’all, in a homey, comfortable atmosphere featuring a patio, a fun bar area and brunch every day – yes! – except Monday. Dinner is served every day except Sunday.

Lost Forty Brewing

Another one of my favorite Little Rock restaurants is Lost Forty Brewing. The story goes that Lost Forty got its name from a “lost” parcel of forty acres that somehow eluded surveyors and timber men for years.

Since they were unable to find the land, some lucky landowner kept that impressive 40 acres of pristine Arkansas forest just as it was. No one really knows if the legend is true but you have to admit it’s a great name for a brewery.

Since it is a brewery, you might not think Lost Forty is one of the places where to eat in Little Rock but make no mistake about it – the food is as good as the beer.

Serving pub fare with a few surprises and even brunch, Lost Forty is the ideal spot for a sit down meal or just a beer and a snack. The smoked jalapeno pimento cheese is one of the best I’ve ever had. sandwiches, burgers and pizza are also on the menu.

World Cheese Dip Championship

Now we’ve come full circle to the reason I went to Arkansas to begin with, cheese dip. You may be wondering how that worked out. The World Cheese Dip Championship was held outside, near the lively Little Rock Riverfront.

Twenty nine booths served up who knows how many gallons of cheese dip. Over 80k tortilla chips were cut, fried and bagged for the occasion. Those chips fed double the amount of people than the previous year.

Since the Championship is also open to amateurs, I’m not going to lie, there were a few misses. Some tried to get too fancy. Some seemed to think that really hot peppers were the way to go. All in all, there were more hits than misses and I had a great time consuming way too much cheese.

Interestingly one of the winners was the Capital Bar + Grill, located in the the Capital Hotel and across from the One Eleven restaurant. I sampled their version and it was really, really good. Just the right ratio of cheese to liquid and heat. I’m not quite sure it was Red Door good but I think I’ll need another visit just to make sure.

The World Cheese Dip Championship is normally held every October in downtown Little Rock. Check their website for more details and dates.

Where to Eat in Little Rock Roundup

So, there’s my list from my very first visit to Little Rock. One of the other places that hosted us but closed shortly afterward that I’d like to mention is Cajun’s. I’m sure I’m not the only one sad to see it go. I’ll cherish my hurricane glass fondly. For even more Little Rock info read my 23 things to do in Little Rock article.

My trip might have been hosted by the Little Rock CVB but all opinions on food and cheese dip are definitely my own. Little Rock hasn’t seen the last of me. I’m always plotting my return.

What restaurant should I try next? What’s your favorite restaurant in Little Rock? Please let me know in the comments so I can add it to my list.