Stubby’s Bar B Que Restaurant
65 years of ‘Amazing BBQ!’
As the lunchtime queue shuffles by the serving window at Stubby’s Bar B Que Restaurant, owner Chris Dunkel vibrates with an enthusiasm uncommon to proprietor-patron relations.
The fluency of his patter makes it difficult to discern if he’s plating ribs or a Pot-OBeans order for a regular or a first timer, but there’s no uncertainty about a commitment that’s been manifest since childhood.
Soon after his family purchased what founder Richard “Stubby” Stubblefield had already cultivated into a brand of local renown, Dunkel can recall “being this fat little kid, running around busing tables” in the original 1000 Park Ave. location. It moved to 3024 Central Ave. in the late 1970s.
The scene’s about the only thing that’s changed in the narrative Stubblefield first scripted after his fire pit began imparting the smoky flavor that’s kept a local and far-flung following beating a steady path to Stubby’s since 1952. It’s a script Dunkel’s stayed loyal to, rolling it out seven days a week, 362 days a year. The show only breaks for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
“You have that concept that was tried and true when my family took it over in the 70s, if you stay true to the inception, the items people associate you with from day one, you don’t start mixing and changing up,” said Dunkel, part of an ownership group that includes his mother, Susan Whittaker, and sister, Robin January.
“That’s when you start losing the customer base and the people who have been with you for generations.
“It’s a meld between Tennessee and Texas, because you have both the beef influence and the pork influence. And, of course, we do it better than both states, so they come here to enjoy it,” Dunkel says.
The oak-and-hickory-fueled fire pit cast in the role of kitchen workhorse continues to drive the story, which Dunkel’s embellished with the wood pile that’s adjacent to the entrance. Its pride of place owes less to ornamentation and more to what he sees as part and parcel of the trade.
“If you walk up to a barbecue restaurant and can’t find their source of wood, you need to be a little leery,” he said. “It shouldn’t be hidden, it should be right out front.”
The pit slow cooks ribs, pork, beef, ham and chicken for 12 to 14 hours and smokes
Stubby’s signature potato-and-bean sides along with the occasional Alaskan king crab leg.
Dunkel’s stewardship of the legacy entailed on him by Stubblefield has cemented Stubby’s as a Hot Springs establishment, fixing it in the pantheon he said it occupies alongside foil and friendly rival McClard’s Bar-B-Q.
“Two restaurants have stood the test of time,” Dunkel said. “As long as you’re putting your heart and soul into it and you’re here everyday and you believe what you’re doing. That’s the catalyst that keeps the engine going.”
The commitment extends to good works in the community, which Stubby’s has enhanced with its support for organizations ranging from Garland County Habitat for Humanity, veterans organizations and Safe Haven Shelter for Women and Children.
“There’s always groups out there in need of help,” Dunkel said.
Stubby’s will be celebrating their 65th year in business this year and is extremely grateful for the generations of families who have enjoyed their wonderful restaurant.
“It’s so exciting to meet the new family members of our customers and watch their families grow.”
They have earned four and half stars from “The Arkansas Times and been recognized as one of the best barbecue places by The Sentinel-Record’s Reader’s Choice Awards.
Through the years, they have also been recognized by many food critics, and boast write-ups in national publications such as Food and Wine Magazine, Restaurant Business, Restaurant Hospitality, Restaurants and Institutions, TripAdvisor.com, UrbanSpoon.com, and even books like, “Road Food Good Food,” and
“500 Things to Eat Before It’s Too Late.” They have also been on the Travel Channel’s “BBQ Crawl” television show and enjoyed the patronage of the Road Food Bus Tours, groups that travel around to different restaurants for five to seven days in different areas.
The sweet and sassy tomato and vinegar sauce goes great with the hickory pit-smoked beef, pork, ham, ribs and chicken. Specialties include pit smoked potatoes, pots of beans and old-school peach cobbler. A stuffed potato and supreme potato are also offered on the cafeteria-style line or at the drive-through window. Catering is also available, and is perfect for summer holidays, company events, weddings, family reunions or for any occasion. Stubby’s is open seven days a week, at 11 a.m., and located at
3024 Central Ave. Their sauce is available on their website, http://www.StubbysBBQ. com, or at the restaurant along with hats and T-shirts. To place an order, call 624-1552, toll free at 1-800-36SAUCE, or visit the website at http:// www.stubbysbbq.com.
They take part in the new “Chef Shuttle,” a new restaurant-delivery service in the area. You can have Stubby’s at your door in less than an hour!
Whether it’s your destination, your choice for a unique catering experience, or just a stop along the way, Stubby’s Bar-B-Que is always the right choice!