Stubby’s Bar B Que
66 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.
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 is 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, breaking only 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 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, Cooper-Anthony Mercy Child Advocacy Center and Stop Animal Cruelty.
Stubby’s will be celebrating their 66th year in business this year and is extremely grateful for the generations of families who have enjoyed their wonderful restaurant.
They have earned four and a half stars from
The Arkansas Times and been recognized as one of the best barbecue places by The Sentinel-Record’s Readers Choice Awards. Through the years, they have also been recognized by many food critics, and boast writeups in national publications and even books. 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.
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. Stubby’s is looking forward to revamping its website in the coming months.
The business expanded this year with a second location inside Magic Springs Theme & Water Park, a partnership that Dunkel said has been a positive experience.
“We’re just loving the relationship with the Magic Springs family and just seeing all of the smiling faces, basically from the connecting states,” Dunkel said, adding that he has served families from as far away as California since the second location’s opening, which will be open seven days per week beginning Monday.