McClard’s Bar-B-Q

They do have excellent BBQ but I have had ribs this good at other joints, so that is why I didn’t give five stars. I will definitely go back again, as it is good eating. The beans are excellent and the coleslaw is excellent. The place is always very crowded, but the waiters/​waitresses do well at handling the crowd. Once we were able to sit down at a booth we were promptly tended to and had our food in short order. We went on a Saturday afternoon mid-​June when there was a motorcycle event in town which probably added to the crowding.

So I read about this place on Unilocal and knew I was going to try thier ribs and thier version of a tamale which is constructed with cornmeal vs. masa. The ribs I ate with no sauce and they were the best ribs I have ever had. Man, flavoraful and the texture was amazing. I was VERY pleased with my rib plate. My wife had sliced brisket, beans ans potatoe salad and she gave them high marka for all three. The sweet tea was also very good. The tamale was different from what I am used in Dallas and San Antonio but was good in its own way. I did like the saltine crakers with the tamale. Very nice place to have bbq in Hot Springs. I will visit again when in town

Disappointing after hearing for years how great this place was we finally made it and sad to say it wasn’t good. Very good service but the food lacked flavor. If you like spicy bbq sauce this is for you but hot doesnt equal flavor sorry. the place its self is very cool old school café look. Bill Clinton would have this place cater to the white house. then again this guy doesnt have good taste in anything

Worth the drive! Delicious chopped pork sandwiches and sauce! It was VERY busy though so we waited for seating a few minutes. We will be back next time we come to Hot Springs.

I lived in Hot Springs off and on since 1993 and ate at McClards for the first time two weeks ago. I was not impressed. My dad had a BBQ place for many years. I know BBQ. The pork was bland and the sauce way too sour. I was very disappointed. The tamale was absolutely gross. The one saving grace was the cole slaw. Sorry but there is much better BBQ in Hot Springs.

Hot Springs local favorite! I loved the BBQ beans and slaw, and my husband liked the hand-​cut fries. We weren’t impressed with the brisket, which was cooked more like a roast rather than smoked, or the ribs, which were a little overdone.

Thank goodness we snuck in just before closing. Awesome. Still thinking about those beans! A classic joint, not to be missed by a bbq enthusiast. Service was exceptional.

The tamale spread has been a favorite for me since I can remember. I remember when it was a struggle to get a table, but that was part of the fun experience of McClard’s.

Went there for the first time on my birthday and ordered the tamale spread; it was SO GOOD! I just wish I hasn’t felt so cramped inside the restaurant.

Worth the five minute drive from Bath House Row.
I live in Alabama, but have family in Arkansas. I remember McClard’s from meals with my Grandfather as a child (40+ years ago) and nothing has changed about the place. It’s small and cozy, and what a good BBQ joint is all about.
The BBQ is excellent, and the red sauce is even better.
The «Tamale» is truly unique and extra good. Fritos covered with shredded beef, refried beans & chopped onions, red BBQ sauce, and smothered with shredded cheese.
A must do for lunch when in Hot Springs.

When you think of a old bbq place this is pictured in the dictionary. We had the ribs, fries, slaw and potato salad. Meat was perfectly cooked. Sauce was some of the best (we bought a bottle) and the sides were excellent. Their «tamale mess» was big enough to feed two.
Service was great, they were busy. I looked at the ceiling and range hood and it was clean. It is an old small place with a lunch counter but why make something sterile and overpriced when you can dance with what you got there with.
Definitely recommend this place as a destination if you are in the area. We love the area and this will be a go to place from now on!

Great BBQ! Great service!
Try the tamale spread you will love it!
Been eating there my whole life.

I found this restaurant listed in the book «1000 Places to See in the United States Before You Die» for Arkansas and thought that we had to try it. We went for lunch on a Tuesday and it was packed. The wait staff and kitchen knows how to handle a crowd and we got out meal in a very reasonable amount of time for the number of people they were serving.
I got the ribs because I had read so much about them. They were great. Lots of meat on each rib, smoked to a very tender fall off the bone, and a nice smoky and spicy flavor profile. The rib order was more than enough to fill me up and make me happy.
My wife had the smoked beef sandwich which was huge and full of chopped beef. I tasted the beef and it was also very good.
I had also read about the beans, so I got beans and coleslaw with my ribs. I was not a huge fan of the beans. The flavor profile for the beans was more like eating chili, and not having BBQ beans. When I think of beans with BBQ this was not what comes to mind, so I would not order them again. The coleslaw on the other hand was very good, and it was all gone when I was done with my meal.
I am really glad that we visited this icon of the Hot Springs area.

Absolutely love the tamale spread. Have been eating here for 30+ years, and will continue for years to come
A must try if in Spa City

While good it was nothing to write home about. I think this place gets a lot more hype due to President Clinton being a part of its history.
I ordered the chopped beef with the potato salad and tamale as my side items. The potato salad was very good, tasted like homemade potato salad. The tamale was not very good, it did not have a lot a flavor.
The chopped beef was interesting and I would recommend it if you never tried chopped beef, it does not taste like pulled pork. The barbecue sauce that was on top was pretty good as well.
I ordered my food to go because when I walked into the restaurant it was packed to the brim. The to go girl was very helpful to recommend different food items.

This place is reasonably prestigious within the Hot Springs area. And dare I speak any ill of a family owned restaurant where infamous gangstas like Al Capone dined in at. So, I won’t. For the sake of safe asylum.
Overall, great atmosphere, busier than Richard Scarry’s ‘busytown’. Now I promise I was not hallucinating, but to tell ya the truth, the huddle of people interacted peacefully together like the main characters in busytown. Close your eyes for second, remember the pro-​social interactions between the diverse friendship amongst Huckle Cat, lowly worm, Mr. Fumble and every other citizen for that matter in busytown? Pretty spot on at McClard’s. Though, again, no LSD, just people, instead of sketched cartoon animals.
Regarding the food, it was tasty. It’s a diner first; a BBQ restaurant second. Not a problem. The BBQ loaded nachos we ordered pleased our appetites. It had chopped pork and beef. Sweating meat!
The sauce is hands down Oscar worthy. I’d like to a minute to thank McClard’s first of all, as well as my taste buds for making this possible. It’s great! Bought two bottles, and didn’t forget to buy some dry rub, either.
Sincerely, McClard’s, mayor of Hot Springs BBQ!

Overrated, overpriced and arrogant, but I need my tamale spread fix. Seriously, I’d eat their tamale spread off of a garbage can lid in the kitchen (which would be easier than getting a table).
You can expect this place to be crowded with a mixture of locals and tourists. I don’t care for the ambiance, so I just call ahead for a to go order. It’s always ready on time.
A rather large annoyance: If I’m paying $ 50+ to eat somewhere, I expect that my check will be brought to me and the server will take care of the card transaction or getting change. It’s tacky to make people wait in line to pay for their food in an establishment like this.

If you have ever craved a one of a kind meal that you will dream about then McClards BBQ is a must. The Tamale Spread (order the half spread unless you are ready for a challenge) is layered to perfection!

Hands down, the best food I had in Hot Springs. If you’re visiting, this is the one place you HAVE to go. I’m not from Kansas City or South Carolina or Texas or any of the places where people are born with BBQ in their blood, but I was in town from New Orleans and I think that gives me some credibility when it comes to tasty food. The sauce at McClard’s is tangy, thick, and almost spicy.
They have a dry rub and a sauce at the table. On Saturdays, when we were lucky enough to stop by, they serve «Hog Wings,» pork shank cooked slow and covered in sauce. It’s leaner than the ribs, which makes it my new favorite way to eat BBQ.
Service was friendly and fast!
I also want to note– this place is non-​smoking but still full of smoke from delicious BBQ. If that isn’t a sure sign you’re in an honest to God place, I don’t know what does.

If you’re visiting Hot Springs, get out your GPS and map McClard’s BBQ. It’s down a road we never traveled during our visit, but it was worth going to, not only because of its historic significance, but because of GREAT food (and LOTS of it).
I opted for the chopped pork with fries and baked beans. I probably used a third of the McClard’s BBQ sauce from the bottle on the table. It was delicious and spicy. I even bought a bottle to bring home. (TIP: buy it here! It’s SO cheap at the restaurant and so expensive everywhere else.) My meal came with a mound of chopped pork with a ton of fries on top of it, plus a huge spoonful of baked beans on the side. It’s definitely a Hungry Man’s restaurant.
Everything had a lot of flavor. The pork was flavorful, the fries were good, and the baked beans were uniquely delicious; not your typical baked bean.
I’m glad we went during the week when it wasn’t *as* busy. We didn’t have to wait for a table, but several people after us did! The service was fast and friendly, too.