Ray’s Eats

05/29/2026

In 1987, a visionary entrepreneur named Dondie Guess took a chance and built a catfish restaurant resembling a riverboat on the picturesque banks of the White River in Des Arc, AR, which became an instant sensation. After achieving unparalleled success, Dondie Guess decided to pursue new horizons and sold the beloved eatery to Mike Skarda, a seasoned restaurateur who expanded the menu to include steak, seafood, prime rib, crawfish, and more, further solidifying its reputation. Years later, the Scott family acquired the restaurant, determined to revitalize this cherished community landmark. Just as their efforts were paying off, disaster struck in the form of a kitchen fire that caused significant damage to the riverboat. Undeterred, the team persevered, embarking on an extensive remodeling project that spanned over 8 months.

TONIGHT, at 5pm, this iconic catfish and steakhouse will rise again, more magnificent than ever. This thrilling revival is sure to bring immense joy to Des Arc and the entire state of Arkansas.
Get ready to experience the magic! Check em out!!!

05/29/2026

We take burgers serious! 😜

Happy National Hamburger Day!!!

All of these burgers can easily be found in mom & pop joints around NE Arkansas.

05/29/2026

Today is National Hamburger Day & National Beef Burger Day, so when we saw the addition of a couple of burgers to the menu at one of our favorite local joints, we knew where we wanted to honor the day. Before you is the new whipped bacon sriracha pimento cheese burger from Margaret’s Jonesboro, LLC
Creamy, bold, with a hint of heat. A thick hand made patty, two strips of awesome bacon, a thick layer of pimento cheese, tomatoes, pickles, lettuce, and the perfect bun to hold it all together.
Cheat code…eat it over those delicious steak fries so any pimento cheese & juices that drips off land on those fries and you won’t need any dipping sauce. 😜
Great new addition to the menu and a perfect way to celebrate National Burger Day! But you don’t have to worry, it will still be around to enjoy after today. 🙏
Stop by and see the fine folks & treat em well! Their scratch made menu is a delicacy around NE Arkansas.

05/23/2026

Who knew, growing up as a child in an old country cafe in Jonesboro left a dream in the heart if a 6 year old, but a layoff from a long time job made the dream come alive.

Charles(owner of Howler’s Smash Co.)always wanted a spot of his own & after he was laid off from a long time career, he decided it was time. He purchased a food truck, found a great spot, and opened shop just 3 short weeks ago.

In just a short time they are already gaining a great following, and as they should! Excellent choices on the menu, great ex*****on, and very friendly service!

Told em to give me the best thing they got, so they fixed up The Diablo w/bacon & some Loaded Smashed Potatoes and packed in the old brown bag for me. Was quick and easy and w/the rain the crowd was slow enough I got to have a great conversation w/the crew. Everything was good, & those potatoes are top notch! Will be back there in the morning to try out their breakfast. 😜

They are currently open 7am until 2pm, but their hours will change a bit come June 1st. They will open a little later but stay open until 8pm.

This place is def an excellent new burger addition to the area and I think folks are gonna love em!

Stop by and see them at the light between Farville Curve & Brookland in the storage building sales parking lot on the corner of Hwy 49 & CR 702.

Treat em well! We need em to stick around! 😉

05/20/2026

🎉 GIVEAWAY WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT 🎉

The winner of the $25 Gift Card to Big E's Meat & Seafood is…

🏆 Stephanie Wofford 🏆

Thanks to everyone who entered!
Be sure to stop by and grab some incredible meats for Memorial Day! 🥩 🔥

05/19/2026

🎉 GIVEAWAY WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT 🎉

The winner of the $25 Gift Card to Slader's Alaskan Dumpling Co. is…

🏆 Chandler Gill Weber 🏆

Thanks to everyone who entered!
Be sure to stop by and grab some incredible dumplings soon! 🥟🔥

05/18/2026

At one point in time every community had their own little dairy bar where one could go to find a solid no frills burger and crinkle cut fries w/a bottle of their fav pop or a thick milkshake. Those type of places were a dime a dozen, and left behind such good family & childhood memories.
Over the past couple of decades they have become a rare gem. The isolated and rare locations have become the focus of Food Network road trips and ever popular stops on family trips or a night out. Long lines and packed parking lots have become the norm when you see these places now.
Today I sat out to find one of these gems that I hadn’t visited before. The road led us to where I honestly thought I was a bit lost. But out of the blue, out popped The Little Blue Market.
What once was a small grocery market turned car lot, was purchased, remodeled, and oped up as a local market/deli/burger joint. Opened in 2025, this quaint little market has quickly gained notoriety for their burgers & fried bologna sandwiches. Burgers like you once found at a dairy bar in every small town, can still be found just a few miles out of Pocahontas on Hwy 115. I might have missed it were it not for the full parking lot and outdoor picnic tables full of people chowing down on the popular menu items. Walked in to a line of folks, and a sweet work crew going ninety to nothing trying to keep up w/the eager customers. Being a little observant, I grabbed a slip of paper that they sit out for you to fill out your order before you get to the counter. Actually a grand idea that seemed to help speed up the process. It’s very plain and simple to fill it out, because they keep everything super simple.
I ordered my usual DBCB and made it a combo which is a bag of chips and a drink from the fridge.
Everything was absolutely perfect! I went back in after devouring my burger to give my compliments to the staff and to leave a big tip, when to my surprise they were pulling out batches of some of their homemade cookies from the oven. Naturally I got a bag of those to go and they were great as well.
When you visit, take the time during your short wait to scour the shelves of homemade breads, canned goods, local veggies, fresh milk, and so much more.
It was a cloudy, rainy, & gloomy day, but this place was a beam of sunshine on today’s roadtrip!
Stop by, enjoy the fruits of their labor, and treat them well! If you enjoy it as much as I did make sure to leave them a good tip as well. They deserve one!

05/06/2026

You know we LOVE seeing new local joints open their doors in our small corner of the world, especially when they are serving up large slabs of meat!!!
What a treat it is to stop in and visit the newest butcher shot in the area located in the Valley View strip next door to the donut shop.
This place is a meat lovers dream! Top quality beef in so many cuts, great pork options, their very famous chicken bombs, sausages, seafood, crawfish, and SOOO much more!
Owner and meat connoisseur, Trevor Evans, is a recent Alum of AState who decided to not just make Jonesboro his new home, but also where he wanted to begin his entrepreneurial journey. He cut his teeth in the meat industry through one of the best & most famous meat markets in the state located in Searcy, AR by the name of J&M’s Meat & Seafood. One of the things we loved the most about this place is how Trevor knows what good quality means in the meat industry and refuses to provide anything less than the best for his customers. The selection is outstanding! It was almost overwhelming for a meatatarian such as myself.
He’s doing fresh grind, slicing up steaks, packing sausage, weaving wrapped chicken, stuffing meats, and even vacuum sealing, all in house the way it should be done! Freshness is key, and he’s got it down to a science.
To top it all off he’s just a great dude!
You want or need something special for your next gathering…skip the big chain meat departments where you get low quality frozen junk & stop in to a local gem! And if you are on the Carnivore diet…you will go wild in this place!
Stop in and see them! Tell em Ray’s Eats sent ya for a chance to win a $25 gift card to help you snag that something special for the family!
We love this place and know you will too!
Big E's Meat & Seafood 5510 Southwest Dr Suite 9. Get ya some!
***Follow us, like, comment, share, for your chance to win!

05/05/2026

Made my way into Central Arkansas this past wkend and took in some new joints and some old legendary spots. All were great, but there was one thing that I just can’t get out of my mind and that was some Apple Butter biscuits from a brand new joint called Roost & Tap Kitchen.
They were so fluffy and the perfect texture, but all I can say to describe it is they were candy coated. 🤷🏽 They come brushed w/apple butter glaze. It was sweet yet so savory. Then it came w/a sauce cup of house apple butter just in case you needed something to add to them. All I can say is just try them. Most brilliant biscuit idea ever.
Rest of the food was good as well, but its hard to beat that biscuit appetizer!
I had The Chop which is a blackened bone-in pork chop topped with house red pepper jelly and served with slow-simmered gumbo greens that were brilliant! Greens had a little chopped sausage & chicken in then in a nice gumbo roux. Also came w/some mashed potatoes that taste like grandma was in the kitchen. Can’t go wrong w/this choice.
Also ordered up the Bird & Batter. Crispy hand-battered chicken tenders on a golden Belgian waffle made to order. Tasted like a fresh funnel cake from the State Fair. Served up with warm buttery maple syrup. You can sub hot honey for a sweet heat if you want to be extra.
And just to be extra, I had to order some of their scratch made Mac & Cheese just to see if it lived up to the hype. Must say, it may possibly be close or equal to the top I’ve ever eaten! Not exaggerating!
No room for dessert, but honestly I saved one of the biscuits for dessert. 😜
This place is famous for their roasted or fried chicken, but we didn’t order either and were pretty impressed.
On a random note, I noticed they don’t have salt & pepper on the table which was a very bold choice, but after I tried everything I can sure see why it was not needed. The chef’s do a tremendous job and trust their process enough to confidently send it from the kitchen just the way it is. Tip of the hat to them!
Check em out! Be kind to your wait staff & as always….TIP WELL! The service is great and they will deserve a good tip, so if you can’t afford to tip, just stay home. 😉

05/03/2026

Preach!!!
Always tip well! You make them work from the minute you sit down until you leave, so why wouldn’t you pay them for their work?
Treat them well and they will fight to serve you the next time you come in. 🤷🏽

Been serving for years, and nights like this are exactly why people are over it.

Table of two. Two 10oz prime ribs.
Food came out to $45.00.
Automatic 18% service charge: $8.10.
Tax: $3.78.
Total: $56.88.

They paid the full $56.88… and left the tip line blank.

And just to be clear—that 18% service charge is NOT my tip. It literally says gratuity not included. I’m still working for tips.

They told me everything was great. Smiling, chatting, thanking me. Drinks stayed full, plates cleared quick, full attention the whole time.

Then nothing.

That $8.10? People assume it goes to the server—it doesn’t. Meanwhile, I just worked that table for essentially $0.

This is why people are leaving the industry. You can do everything right and still walk away empty because customers think the service charge covers it.

It doesn’t.

Tips aren’t extra—they’re the paycheck. And it’s exhausting having to explain that every shift.

05/03/2026

This is why we created this page right here! So many local joints around that folks just forget about of never heard of. We are just here to keep them fresh on your mind, so you know who your neighbors are.
This was a text from someone who had messaged us looking for a place to grab some lunch. Crazy enough they loved it so much they went back for supper!
Frank's Hot Chicken