HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE, Ark. — Some of the best stories we have the privilege of telling on Eat It Up are from those restaurants found "off the beaten path”, as they say — and that’s exactly where we found ourselves this week!
Anchor Rolly Hoyt joined in for a trip to Clampit’s Country Kitchen & Meat Market in Hot Springs Village. It’s a meat market meets restaurant, but there’s so much more to it than what meets the eye.
With a huge smile on his face, owner Joey Clampit proclaimed his unique eatery as a destination spot.
“It’s a place where you can come to eat, to fellowship, or have custom cuts of meat made. We’re a combination of everything,” Joey described.
Clampit’s is a community hub for “the Village” as locals fondly call Hot Springs Village. Certainly, it’s a place to grab a great bite to eat, but there’s a lot more here.
The menu is predominantly BBQ, though daily lunch specials are often and range from enchiladas to meatloaf and chicken spaghetti. Each weekend over 1,000 pounds of meat is smoked on-site!
Each lunch special is made fresh daily using homestyle recipes, and the sides are amazing.
We highly recommend trying Granny Clampit’s Cake. Think of it as a cross between coffee cake and pineapple upside-down cake. It’s truly a culinary work of art and people all across the country order it— Granny Clampit knew what she was doing!
You’ll also find several shelves fully stocked with homemade jams and jellies as well as various types and flavors of jerkies.
Clampit’s is a family-run affair led by Joey Clampit. He credited his long history in the restaurant business for his success.
According to Joey, one day he just drove by a vacant building located off of Highway 7 and decided to transform it into the powerhouse that it is today.
Visit their Facebook to check out their menu and hours.