At the end of every month, Kevin Shalin of The Mighty Rib shares with us his top 10 dishes in and around central Arkansas. This month we have something a little different in store—Kevin’s top 20 dishes enjoyed in 2025. Want to eat like The Rib? Put these bites on your must-try list for the new year. And here they are, in no particular order, Rib’s Picks for 2025:
Sliced Brisket, Pork Ribs, Green Beans & Creamed Corn at Ridgewood Brothers BBQ, Russellville
Carnitas at Taqueria El Palenque, Little Rock
Drums of Heaven at Bawarchi’s, Little Rock
Fried Catfish at Real Fish, England
Smoked Chicken with Onion Rings & Beans at Three Sams BBQ, Little Rock
Farmer’s Market Splendor at Trio’s, Little Rock
Tom Kha Soup at Xen Thai and Ramen, Conway
Crawfish Etouffee at The Faded Rose, Little Rock
Hamachi Crudo at Mt. Fuji Japanese Restaurant, Little Rock
Mixed Grill at Brave New Restaurant, Little Rock
Quesabirria Tacos at Tacos El Gordo, North Little Rock
Suya Chicken, Cornbread, Jollof Rice, Greens & Black-Eyed Peas at Afrobites, Little Rock & Conway
Filet at ROBER, Benton
Fried Chicken at Cache, Little Rock
Meatball Parm at The Pizza Pub, North Little Rock
Wings with Truth Sauce at Certified Pies, Little Rock
Birria Bowl at The Fold: Botanas & Bar, Little Rock
Bone-In Ribeye at Taylor’s Steakhouse, Dumas
Beef Seekh Lasagna Rolls at Rookh Italian + Indian Restaurant, Bryant
Iberico Pork Chop at Table 28, Little Rock
