Food Hall of Fame adds 3 new eateries

Cattleman’s Steak House in Texarkana, Ed Walker’s DriveIn & Restaurant in Fort Smith and Murry’s Restaurant in Hazen are entering the Department of Arkansas Heritage’s Food Hall of Fame in the class of 2020.

The announcement came Monday evening at the Central Arkansas Library System’s Ron Robinson Theatre in Little Rock’s River Market. The honor recognizes “longstanding restaurants that have become legendary attractions in Arkansas,” according to a news release.

The department also announced the winners of four other awards:

■ Proprietor of the Year — Scott McGehee of Little Rockbased Yellow Rocket Concepts, which operates Local Lime, Big Orange, ZaZa Fine Salad & Wood-Oven Pizza Co., Heights Taco & Tamale, and Lost Forty Brewery and Tap Room

■ Food-Themed Event Little — Rock’s International Greek Food Festival

■ “Gone But Not Forgotten” (honoring a “once-and-always influential Arkansas restaurant that has … ceased operations”) Shaddon’s BBQ in — Marvell

■ And the People’s Choice Award (based solely on the

number of popular nominations) — Hot Springs’ Ohio Club.

A panel of food professionals, food writers and foodies selected the 10 Hall of Fame finalists — the other seven are AQ Chicken House and Neal’s Cafe in Springdale; Bruno’s Little Italy and Star of India in Little Rock; Feltner’s Whatta-Burger in Russellville; Kream Kastle in Blytheville; and the Ohio Club in Hot Springs — from 1,450 submissions from all 75 Arkansas counties.

The Heritage Department launched the Food Hall of Fame program in 2016 to “recognize Arkansas’s legendary restaurants, proprietors and food-themed events across the state,” according to the Heritage department. Visit ArkFoodHOF.com.