BBQ Destination Number 1: The Arkansas Delta

The following is part 2 in a series of barbecue pilgrimages I have made in the summer of 2009. Read the intro to this series here, or apply your favorite sauce and dig in.

Couch's Barbecue; My Grandma's Kitchen; Paragould, Arkansas

The first BBQ experience of note on my trip to northeast Arkansas (NEA) was at the birthplace of my parents--Paragould, Arkansas.

If your family is anything like mine, then a visit with the grandparents is an occasion for plenty of great food. Since we didn’t want “Maw Maw” and “Paw Paw” to go to any trouble, we made a stop by a local place and brought plenty of barbecue sandwiches and ribs for everyone for lunch (Or as my grandparents say, “dinner.” The meal that takes place in the evening is known as “supper.” ) Maw Maw insisted on making one of her famous chocolate pies, a rare treat usually only reserved for holidays. Next thing you know, cousins and uncles and aunts were there, and I was wishing we lived closer to home.

The barbecue we enjoyed that day was from Couch’s Barbecue, a regional chain in NEA with locations in both Jonesboro and Paragould. The very name of that place brings back fond memories of the catchy jingle from the commercial that played constantly on the television station out of Jonesboro. Hear it once and you were hooked: “Bar-be-cue, Couch’s bar-be-cue, nothing fancy just good foo---ood! Ya ha!”

I can’t recommend going into a Couch’s, because I don’t think I’ve ever sat down and ate in one. This particular establishment is best enjoyed take-out, preferable at your grandmother’s house with a chocolate pie afterwards. If your grandmother doesn’t make chocolate pies, I’m sorry, I don’t know what to do for you.

I was able to enjoy a sandwich and a few ribs from a couple of racks that were carried home in aluminum foil. I have to say, this was pretty decent barbecue. The ribs were a little tough, but they were flavorful. The sauce was served in a separate container. Major points awarded for the S.O.S. (sauce on the side) serving style; however, points were taken away for serving the slaw in a container by itself.

I will give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that the sandwiches might be served with slaw on them had we went inside, so I’ll let that slide. In fact, the pork was also served in a separate container so this was a build-your-own-sandwich situation. It was chopped pork rather than pulled pork, not my first preference but very tasty. The sauce, as near as I can tell, was a ketchup/vinegar sauce, slightly sweet with a little kick to it, surprisingly spicy actually, but not overwhelming.

Maybe the good company and my grandmother’s pie had more to do with it than the barbecue itself, but I have to say overall it was a great barbecue experience. But I’ve never had a bad experience (eating or otherwise) in my grandmother’s kitchen.

I have to rank this barbecue as: PGBBQ for “Pretty Good Barbecue”

Stay tuned, because the Great BBQ Vacation will continue to the next stop the Mecca Of Barbecue (if barbecue had Meccas) Blytheville, Arkansas.