LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Eat It Up is all about taking you beyond the plate and sharing the stories of locally own restaurants and eateries.
Over the last month there has been so much news in the local food scene.
Here’s what’s happening:
Count Porkula – The long awaited brick-and-mortar is now open in North Little Rock on Maumelle Boulevard.
Eat It Up first introduced you to this famous BBQ food truck in 2019. Since then it’s popularity has continued to increase, so much so that they are also working on a third location off of Cantrell Road where the former Ozark Smoke House was located.
That location is expected to open in the fall of 2022.
Homer’s West – The Little Rock staple that’s been serving up southern cuisine since 1986 is temporarily closed, but for a good reason!
Homer’s West is remodeling the former Franke’s Cafeteria location on Rodney Parham where it plans to reopen as Homer’s Kitchen Table sometime this summer.
Don’t fret, they assure long time customers that they’ll still be serving up all the menu item’s we’ve come to know and love with new exciting additions to the menu.
Braum’s Ice Cream and Dairy Store – Rumors of a Braum’s location coming to Conway have went viral over recent weeks.
While the fast-food chain does acknowledge they are buying property in Arkansas, there are no construction plans for a location in Conway, Hot Springs, or Arkadelphia in 2022 or 2023. This certainly does leave the door open for locations sometime thereafter.
Minute Man Burgers – Not all the foodie news is exciting. This month we learned Minute Man Burgers has closed in Jacksonville.
The charbroiled burger joint had been rooted in Arkansas history until it closed it’s downtown Little Rock location in the 1990s. But in 2019 new life was breathed into the iconic chain with the opening of a Jacksonville storefront and multiple food trucks.
Now with the closing of it’s Central Arkansas operation, one Minute Man still stands in El Dorado.
I Heart Mac & Cheese – The chain restaurant has posted on it’s Facebook that the brand new location in Benton will open it’s doors on June 22. This will be their first location in Arkansas.
Allsopp & Chapple – Remember when Eat It Up introduced you to this fine dining establishment in downtown Little Rock? They recently announced on Facebook a new chef, and it’s someone we’ve introduced you to recently.
Executive Chef James Hale is making the transition from Grumpy Rabbit in Lonoke to Allsopp & Chapple. Hale has a long resume with someone of Little Rock’s finest restaurants.