It's one thing for a roadfood gem to be an unassuming hole-in-the-wall kind of joint. It's quite another for such a place to be in a seriously remote location, miles from nowhere with nothing but farmland and power lines in sight with only a couple of strips of asphalt to break up the monotony. Hence, the name Roadside BBQ.
What's the old adage? "Looks can be deceiving"? So it is with this bright red building in near Proctor, Arkansas, several miles past West Memphis. Simply, this is not where one would expect to find some of the best barbecue that a foodie could hope for.
One step through the door and the scene is unlike any other, perfectly unique and fitting for the experience to come. When I think of the food experience, the decor and the atmosphere tends to be low on my list. Why others weigh these factors so heavily is a mystery. It's about the food! Unless the environment is a health hazard, the atmosphere unbearable, I think I'll be good to go. I'm here to eat, not throw down an air mattress and take up residence. That said, Roadside is unforgettable. The walls are adorned with encouraged graffiti, names and dates and messages written by visitors from around the country and beyond, while a display beside the counter features license plates from across the United States, mementos left by thankful visitors with full stomachs. The tables are basic, the chairs even more so. The menu is taped to the counter at which a smiling lady takes your order and relays it through the window behind her. There is no such thing as air conditioning, reminding you that almost everything is hot at Roadside. Even the cans of soda must deal with the heat because the refrigerator in which they are kept... is not refrigerated. Instead, you are handed a Styrofoam cup filled with ice, further pushing the experience toward the feel of an indoor cookout on a summer Arkansas day where the heat index pushes 110 degrees.
The food itself is not just good, or even very good. The food at Roadside will become a standard to which other barbecue is compared. Other reviewers, as well as the lady at the counter, recommend the smoked pork sandwich, and the selection is spot on. In fact, all of the available meats are perfectly cooked and full of flavor, but it is the in-house sauces that bring everything together. The mild sauce is one of the best barbecue sauces I have ever tasted, with an ideal balance of sweet, heat, and tangy goodness that brings out the flavor in the meat rather than overpowering it with too much of any of the three qualities. This fact remains true with either the pork sandwich, or the chopped beef brisket sandwich that is absolutely on par with the pork. My friend that accompanied me on the trip summed it up perfectly. He has stated for years that he doesn't care for barbecue, to which I replied, like a foodie, that he'd just never had barbecue done right. Two bites into the beef brisket and one sentence was spoken. "I don't like barbecue but that is amazing!" Point proven.
When ordering a smoked turkey leg, covered in mild sauce, for five dollars, I have an expectation of serving size. Receiving one that is so large that it could be used as a club to strike someone with was not the expectation. Without a doubt, every diner will get their money's worth with the turkey leg. The meat falls off the bone, the plastic fork used only to be polite and not out of necessity, and the sauce is a perfect match to the smoked dark meat.
The biggest surprise on the menu is how good the burger is at Roadside. I love burgers. I have high standards for burgers. Roadside BBQ is a barbecue joint, not a burger joint. The Roadside burger is a home run. Freshly formed, seasoned, and grilled, on the same soft bun that comes with nearly everything on the menu, the burger was a truly pleasant surprise. That fact settles the discussion: I can't imagine anything on the menu that is not outstanding.
The area is remote, quiet, and yet beautiful in its own way, an appropriate setting for such a place. Staying in Memphis, or West Memphis, getting to Roadside may require a drive of several miles out of your way. But try not to see it as a drive as much as a journey, a destination that is well worth the effort for anyone who loves barbecue, pleasant conversation, and a memorable experience.
I signed the wall, I added a license plate, and I left my second visit of two to Roadside knowing that while I live ten hours away, unlikely that I will be in the area again, should I find myself through the Mid-South area again, my mouth will water if the opportunity arises to pull into this gravel parking lot one more time. read more