Delta Q (Forrest City, AR)

I had already stopped for some Memphis barbecue on the drive to Little Rock a few days prior, but for my return trip to Nashville I decided to try out one or two random highway joints instead. I timed my drive so that I hit Forrest City, Arkansas right at 11:00am when Delta Q opened. That would give me enough downtime before a possible mid-afternoon barbecue snack later on.

When I pulled up and saw a drive-thru window on the side of Delta Q's building, I wasn't quite sure if that was a good sign or a bad one. Their dining room is small but comfortable, and it has a rather modern feel to it. They had some good music pumping out of the sound system which made things more lively. By no means is this a hole-in-the-wall barbecue joint. I bet Delta Q is a fairly popular dining option in Forrest City.

Shortly after arriving, the incredibly friendly cashier brought me some complimentary pork rinds for no reason in particular. What a sweetheart.

The pork rinds were crisp, but thankfully they weren't rock hard like so many of the homemade pork rinds I've eaten elsewhere. These had a nice seasoning blend on them, which was a combination of sweet and spicy. It was a very enjoyable start to my meal.

Delta Q doesn't have any multi-meat combos on the menu, so I did my best to create one of my own. I started with an appetizer of Delta Q Loaded Fries, followed by a half-rack dry-rubbed Rib Plate. My plate came with two sides, for which I picked Potato Salad and Mac and Cheese.

The Loaded Fries have a somewhat vague name. You might be inclined to think that they're basic loaded potato wedges, but no. Instead, these spuds are smothered in gravy and topped with cheese curds and chopped pork shoulder. It's sort of like a barbecue poutine. Whatever they are, the Loaded Fries looked amazing. The pork was really juicy with a decent amount of smoke. I also found some good bark mixed in. The spices sprinkled on top added a nice level of heat and another degree of flavor. I also loved the gooey cheese curds, which helped to temper the spiciness well. In short, they were delicious.

I could see some black pepper scattered throughout the Mac and Cheese, but I couldn't really taste it. Even without the pepper, the mac was creamy and really tasty. It was also great comfort food to combat the cold, rainy weather outside. The mayo-based Potato Salad looked more like a German-style potato salad, which is the best kind really. There were a lot of pickles and other veggies that added a good crunch. It was slightly sweet, with a nice bite from the onions.

This was certainly a big serving of ribs for a half-rack. They had a beautifully dark crust, complete with a tasty char from the grill finishing process. I noticed some hints of sweetness on the crust as well. The meat beneath was tender and very juicy. It was only slightly smoky, despite the bright red smoky color on the meat. Thankfully the meat wasn't quite falling off the bone, but it did come off fairly easily. These ribs were much better than the over-seasoned dry-rub sort that I find in Memphis.

My experience level with Arkansas barbecue is somewhat limited, but Delta Q had some of the best I've eaten so far.

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Delta Q
1112 N Washington
Forrest City, AR 72335
(870) 633-1234