Come Have A Taste And See Why Arkansas' Lassis Inn Just Won The James Beard Award
By Carol Ann Carson|Published March 02, 2020
×
Carol Ann Carson
Author
Arkansas native, Carol Ann Carson, has written for OnlyInYourState for three years now. She resides in Western Arkansas' Mountain Frontier but calls NWA home as well. The graduate of University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, Carol Ann earned her B.A. in English and will soon be pursing her M.A. in Library Science. She loves exploring the trails around the Buffalo National River and has yet to find a waterfall that wasn't her favorite.
As local travel experts, we know what travelers are looking for when it comes to finding the perfect accommodations for their next trip. To compile our lists, we scour the internet to find properties with excellent ratings and reviews, desirable amenities, nearby attractions, and that something special that makes a destination worthy of traveling for.
One of the oldest restaurants in Arkansas, Lassis Inn, earned yet another bragging right! Only six restaurants in the nation recently received the James Beard Foundation’s “America’s Classics” award, including our beloved Lassis Inn. Let’s step inside this timeless eatery and have a taste of their award-winning catfish.
The Lassis Inn has been a pivotal eatery in Arkansas for decades.
According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas the restaurant opened back in 1905 and was first advertised in the Arkansas Gazette in 1931. What originally began as a humble in-house operation by Joe and Molassis Watson soon became a well established eatery in Little Rock. In the 1950s civil rights leaders even met here in the years leading up the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School in 1957.
This isn't the first time Lassis Inn has had bragging rights.
The restaurant received a Senate Citation for being one of the five oldest black-owned businesses in Little Rock in 2017. And, also in 2017, Lassis Inn was one of the first restaurants to be inducted into the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame.
"If it's not broke, don't fix it" is a strong sediment here, which is part of the timeless charm. The only newer additions are the "no dancing" signs that came from people bringing down the house a little too hard. You may not be able to boogie down the aisle but you won't be able to contain your excited pre-meal wiggles after ordering an award-winning plate of catfish.
Advertisement
The one page menu comes down to two delicious choices: catfish or buffalo.
There's no frills needed when you've perfected a plate of catfish! The farm-raised fish can be ordered as a steak or fillet and can be paired with side orders of the standard fixin's. Tomato relish, cole slaw, fries, hush puppies, hot pepper, pickle and onion salad, and fried okra are mouthwatering options to go along with your plate of fish.
The big bone buffalo is perfect for fish lovers that want to break away from the traditional catfish.
The buffalo fish is another sucker fish native to North America. If the two options are too much, not to worry! You can order two pieces of both for a savory meal.
Lassis Inn does not have a website but feel free to call them at (501) 372-8714. They're open Tuesdays - Thursdays 11 AM - 6 PM and Fridays - Saturdays 11 AM - 9:30 PM.
We would love to hear about your favorite memory of this 90+ year old restaurant! Reminisce with us in the comments below.
If you love at tasting timeless eateries, then make plans to visit these oldest restaurants in Arkansas.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
