The Legendary Arkansas BBQ Joint That's So Popular It Doesn't Need A Menu

Barbecue is not just a food; it's an experience, and if you are going to make the ultimate barbecue road trip in search of the holy grail of slow-cooked meats, then there is one spot in Arkansas that needs to be on your BINGO card. There are legends, and there are legendary. Jones Bar-B-Q Diner in Marianna, Arkansas is legendary. This diner is a word-of-mouth eatery, and there's no reason to Google the menu because it doesn't exist. 

This iconic diner opens at 7 a.m. and closes its doors when there is nothing left to serve. The only food item served is a pork barbecue sandwich made with a secret vinegar-based red sauce and piled on Wonder Bread. You can also get a little slaw added if you want. It definitely makes it an easy choice for the indecisive. The pork is smoked slowly for over 20 hours with woods like hickory, pecan, and oak. This sandwich is so good that the owner, James Jones, won a prestigious James Beard award in 2012. But what you might find even more impressive is how long this joint has been around. It will leave barbecue lovers wondering how they've never heard of it.

Jones Bar-B-Q Diner is one of the oldest Black-owned restaurants in the U.S., planting its flag in the ground in 1910 and passing from generation to generation.  Back then, it went by the name of "Hole in the Wall" and was located in downtown Marianna. In 1964, James Jones and his wife Betty moved the diner to its current location. And because it is a place of tradition, James and Betty Jones use the same recipe to barbecue its pork shoulder that Jones' grandfather used when he ran the first diner. 

But Jones Bar-B-Q Diner almost was lost in 2021 when a grease fire broke out and burned 70% of the eatery to the ground. That's when the community rallied and helped raise funds so the Joneses could rebuild. Today, it is up and running and serving those BBQ pulled pork sandwiches until the meat is gone. If you stop by, you can take your sandwiches to go or you can eat them in the small room filled with Arkansas memorabilia. But don't ask for the recipe for that secret sauce, because Jones is not giving it up. And if you can't get to Jones Bar-B-Q Diner, you can try and replicate it with Daily Meal's pulled pork shoulder with Alabama-style BBQ sauce recipe, but even we know it won't be same.