Tamales win McClard new fan

McClard's Bar-B-Q, known as both a Hot Springs and Arkansas culinary institution, has always been a mystery to me.

Established in 1928, the restaurant's history is impressive. So are its legions of fans.The place has always been packed the less than half a dozen times I've visited during my two decades as an Arkansan, and its loyal followers include former President Bill Clinton and actor F. Murray Abraham, who won an Academy Award for his role in Amadeus.

The atmosphere of the authentic vintage diner is charming, down to its classic neon sign outside greeting arriving diners.

It's the (dare I say it?) food that's always stumped me. My memories of the meals I've experienced there have been good. Not earth-shattering or out of this world. Just good. I've also had good barbecue elsewhere in Arkansas and Tennessee.

My dining companions on a recent trip there for lunch on a Saturday had similar opinions. Between the five of us, we ordered a pork rib plate with slaw and beans with a tamale as a side order, two cheeseburgers, a sliced beef plate with slaw and beans, and a pulled pork sandwich.

The average-size burgers ($4.30, $4.80 with cheese) -- topped with onion, pickles, mustard, and mayo -- were unremarkable and came with skin-on fries.

The tamale ($3.20) included chili powder and possibly cayenne that provided a delayed zing of heat.

The pork ribs ($13.50) were smoked, served with sauce and accompanied by a finely chopped slaw and beans that were also sprinkled with chili powder. Other side dishes on the menu include baked potato ($3.20), loaded fries ($7.45), and chicken nuggets ($3.20) -- for the younger diners in a party, we're guessing.

McClard's sauces and seasoning are also for sale and a carryout menu offers barbecue ribs, pork, and beef as well as baked ham ($13.40 per pound); tamales, singly or by the dozen ($36.30); and beans, slaw, and sauce by the half-pint, pint, quart, or gallon (ranging from $3.20 for half-pint of beans or slaw to $35 for a gallon).

The chopped pork sandwich ($5.80), which can also be ordered as sliced, was served with mayo, chopped cabbage and sauce. The sliced beef plate ($5.80), which can also be ordered as chopped and is also served with mayo, chopped cabbage and sauce, was tasty.

It was all good. We just weren't excited by any of our dishes.

That changed a few weeks later when, visiting the city again, I returned for another meal there. This time around on a weekday for lunch, I selected a half order of Joe's Tamale Spread ($10.70 half with one tamale; $13.50 whole with two tamales) -- a tamale covered with Fritos, beans, chopped beef, cheese and onions. There was a real wow factor emerging from this combination. The mixture of flavors -- finely shredded cheese on top of the zesty tamale accented by crunchy Fritos, soft beans, flavorful smoked beef and tangy onions -- was a crave-worthy combination. OK, I get it now. Count me in as an official fan of McClard's.

Inspired by striking gold on my plate, I upped the ante and ordered peach cobbler ($2.60, $4.20 for ice cream included with it) for dessert and my taste buds were again richly rewarded. The tangy peaches, surrounded by a thick flavorful syrup and tucked inside the pie crust's just-right thickness and consistency, added an exclamation point to a truly memorable meal. Other desserts include chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry shakes ($2.35) and malts ($2.45.)

Weekend on 06/11/2015