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 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, farm to table, soul food, German cuisine and a Locally Labeled beer, wine and spirits trail with a passport you can get stamped! Bonus – the distillery on the trail is the first legal distillery in Arkansas after 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. It’s perfect for a romantic couples dinner, any type of special occasion or elevated dining.

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? You’ll want one of everything. Lush chocolates, rich ice creams and a perfectly dusted lava cake that I got so excited about, I forgot to take a photo before I finished it. The ideal 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 a more laid back dining experience, check out the Capital Bar & Grill, also in the Capital Hotel for a different take on Little Rock food and cocktails. Pro tip: don’t skip their famous pecans.

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 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. No wonder because owner Jack Sundell’s vision for The Root was a “building community through local food” concept.

Jack, was way ahead of his time when he opened in 2011. The farm to table concept wasn’t as widely know back then as it is now. Working with small businesses and farms, Jack created a brand and his concept quickly became a reality. Now, years later, they source their food from over fifty-five different farms and food-producers in Arkansas.

All that fresh food and attention to detail makes for tasty, homemade dishes with a southern twist. My Roots Benny was classic Eggs Benedict served with fresh greens and locally-sourced ham that makes you never want to eat any other kind of ham again. And the pancake was one of the best I’ve had.

Imo, any place that serves fresh squeezed orange juice mimosas in Ball jars is definitely going on my 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 appeared on Food Network’s 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, with a bit of southern twist, in a cozy European atmosphere.

My classic Wiener Schnitzel 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 – the perfect appetizer.

A very serendipitous thing happened right before I went on this trip to Arkansas. Someone asked me if I had ever tried chocolate salami. Wait what? Chocolate salami? If you’ve never heard of 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 chocolate salami on the menu, I knew I had to try it.

Turns out, chocolate salami is a dessert originating in Italy, or maybe Portugal – no one is quite sure – but it’s popular throughout Europe. Made with cocoa, broken biscuits, or cookies, butter, eggs, a bit of port wine or rum and not a bit of meat in sight! It’s baked in a roll and sliced. The Pantry serves theirs with layers of vanilla ice cream. It is glorious and one of most delicious things I ate in, of all places, Little Rock.

The Pantry is open for lunch and dinner but check their website for the specific information since each location has different dining 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 is so famous it was inducted in 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, starting out serving refreshing lunches of cold cuts to workers in 1905. Later on, as their popularity grew, they added catfish and ultimately, fish ribs or buffalo ribs, to the menu

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

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

Red Door is temporarily closed until 2026 for remodeling.

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 also had the privilege to do so with the award winning owner/chef Mark Abernathy himself, plus 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.

A few years and a lot of restaurant openings later, Abernathy returned home to Arkansas with that love of Tex Mex and created one of Little Rock’s most successful and most famous Mexican restaurants, Juanita’s. Even though it’ closed now I heard several Little Rockers refer to it fondly while I was in town. 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. Red Door’s cheese dip is a carry over. It’s made from four types of cheese – one of them being a total surprise. I’m not going to spill the beans. You’ll just have to try it for yourself and see if you can figure it out.

Focusing on fresh and locally sourced food, besides cheese dip, Red Door serves modern southern cuisine that and brunch seven days a week – with cat head biscuits and gravy y’all. All of this is done in a homey, comfortable atmosphere that includes a patio and a fun bar area. And if brunch isn’t your thing join them for dinner every day except Sunday.

Lost Forty Brewing

We went looking and we found it but another one of my favorite Little Rock restaurants, Lost Forty Brewing, takes it name from some land that was lost. The story goes that “Lost Forty” comes from a “lost” parcel of forty acres that somehow eluded surveyors and timber men for years.

Since they were unable to find the land, one very lucky landowner was able to keep that impressive forty 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 and a great story. I told you Little Rock had interesting stories.

Since it’s a brewery, you might not expect Lost Forty to be one of the best places where to eat in Little Rock but it’s one of those special kind of breweries – the kind where the food is as good as the beer.

Serving pub fare with a few surprises and even brunch – unique for a brewery – Lost Forty is the ideal spot for a sit down meal or just a brew and a snack. The smoked jalapeno pimento cheese is one of the best I’ve ever had. The menu also feature tasty sandwiches, burgers and pizza. They also recently added their take of a taco stand slash brewery at Camp Taco.

World Cheese Dip Championship

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

Twenty nine booths serving up who knows how many gallons of cheese dip with over 80k tortilla chips, cut, fried and bagged for the occasion by volunteers. 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. 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 was normally held in the fall of the year in downtown Little Rock but switched to the month of June in 2025. All the proceeds from the event goes to Harmony Health Clinic so check their Facebook for more details about future events.

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.

My trip first 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 and make a point to stop every time I road trip across I-40 to see my daughter in Nevada. Not to mention, I love stopping because there are so many things to do in Little Rock.

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

See you on the road!