Fayetteville and Pine Bluff Arkansas and Hattiesburg, MS

I am flying into Fayetteville, Arkansas on Tuesday where I will spend a good portion of the day looking for sites for our company.  I will drive from Fayetteville to Little Rock where I will spend the night and the next morning I will drive down to Pine Bluff for a portion of the day.
 
I will drive from Pine Bluff striaght south where I will pass through mostly black communities until I hit interstate 20 until I hit Jackson, MS and I will drive south from there to Hattiesburg.
 
I would appreciate folks familar with this route to advise on some stops.  I will have agents with me at Fayetteville and Pine Bluff but I will solo until Hattiesbugh.
 
Thanks in Advance.
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Hattiesburg has to be Leatha's.

Paul-
What Extreme Glow said.  Leatha's BBQ is terrific!  Can be a little hard to find but definitely worth it.

Is driving through Black communities a plus or a minus?

CCJPO

Is driving through Black communities a plus or a minus?

It may be a plus. He may find some good Soul Food and/or BBQ along the way.

That is what I was hoping.

Fayetteville-Hugo's downtown Fayetteville, Great burgers and fries, Catfish Hole for Catfish, Momma Dean's soul food kitchen is awesome soul food!, AQ chicken out of Springdale AR has a sister restaurant in Fayetteville, Doe's Eat place has a franchise location on Dixon street, High end steaks and good hot tamales. James at the Mill, Not a road food place but really good.
 
Little Rock-Another Doe's Eat place franchise in downtown Little Rock. Bill Clinton would eat cheese burgers here when he was governor. Doe's catered Hot Tamales to his presidential inauguration.
Cotham’s Merchatile is suppose to have great burgers and fried green tomatoes and fried pickles, Have not been there yet. It is on my list.
 
No recommendation for Pine Bluff. Every time I am in Pine Bluff I head straight to the original Doe’s Eat place in Greenville Mississippi. 104 miles, I have routed many a trip through Greenville. When you get to the Mississippi River delta you are on the tamale trail. Also lots of good Barbeque in Mississippi.
I have ridden much of south Arkansas. Mainly found gas station with fried food and grocery stores with soul food ingredients.
Hope someone has a south Arkansas roadfood gem to share with us.
Johnny McClanahan
Tulsa, Oklahoma

CCJPO


Is driving through Black communities a plus or a minus?

 
Definitely a plus for me.  Most of the communities that you drive through in rural eastern Mississippi is flat delta land and mostly corporate farms consisting of many thousand acres.  The owners do not reside there.  The folks that work the farms are most likely very poor and good food is their only relief.  I have driven this route many years ago and I guess the best restaurants are very small and off the road.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Don't miss Rhoda's in Lake Village.  There's an Italian place on # 82 in Leland, MS called Lilo's.  Go E a bit and hit # 61 to Jackson.  Go to Walker's Drive In for casual fine dining in Jackson.  There's a good catfish joint just S of Jackson on # 49 called Jerry's.  You can't miss the round white building on the E side.  I would go to the Shed in Hattiesburg for BBQ.
http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Reviews/1373/rhodas-famous-tamales
http://theshedbbq.com/hattiesburg/

Here's some joint's to stop and rest on your way to HB.
 
 
When you get on HIghway 49 S on your way to Hattiesburg, MS there's a great catfish and steak joint on the E side of HIghway 49 at Florence. It's in a big round white building. You can't miss it. There's good BBQ in Collins, MS. There's a produce stand about 10 miles N of Hattiesburg, MS and just S of Seminary, MS on the E side of the Highway 49 with good burgers if you want to stop and see a MS produce joint.
 
 
 
Jerry's Catfish House @ 3326 Highway 49 S, Florence, MS 601 - 845 - 8860.
 
http://www.jerryscatfishhouse.com/
 
Mercantile BBQ @ 108 Main St., Collins, MS 601 - 765 - 3336.
 
Shady Acres Fruit Stand @ 624 U.S. 49 Seminary, MS 601 - 722 - 4150.
 
http://www.shadyacresfruitstand.com/
 
 
 
Leatha's in Hattiesburg, MS has good BBQ. Get off I 59 when you are bypassing Hattiesburg at Exit 65 which will be on Hardy Street or Highway 98. Go a couple of miles and Leatha's is on your left or S side of the road behind a RV sales lot. Look for the smoke. Don't miss it.
 
 
 
Leatha's BBQ Inn @ 6374 Hwy. 98, Hattiesburg, MS. 601 - 271 - 6003.
 
 
 
Brett Favre has a compound a few miles W of Leatha's off Highway 98. Have a safe trip.
 
 
 

Altus is just east of Fort Smith and home to Wiederkehr Weinkellar Restaurant.  If it fits your dining times, it is a very good stop. 

I always enjoy the Wiederkehr tour and restaurant as well.