Went to Lackeys as part of a BBQ challenge Put on by the Arkansas times. Found the place locked up. No one around. The building is falling apart. Literally. Sign on the door and drive thru said New Hours. Closed Mon-Tues. open at 8 Wed-Sun. I was there in the middle of the day on Wed. Anyway. Don't waste your time traveling to Newport for Lackeys. They closed up shop and bailed on the challenge. read more

Well, people. Let me tell you a story. My family and I are on our way through Arkansas to Texas. On the way we wanted to experiment with ChatGPT to give us some good ideas for some amazing Arkansas Cuisine. ChatGPT recommended this place. Let me tell you, when ChatGPT says it can be wrong, it can be very wrong! You pull up to this red shack and notice the sign to tell you "This is the place" is 80% gone with missing lettering. The shack it self looks like it's ac window units are about to shatter and fall out of the window seals. Anyways, so you pull up, open your car doors, and the family is excited for some good ol' fashion family bbq. You walk into the door and... your feet are sticking to the floor. Well okay maybe someone spilled something, then you walk and realize, you were right! Someone did spill something, over the entire floor! Some of the floor is missing sections as well. Also, the atmosphere does not smell like bbq, grilling, frying, or anything else. It smells like urine. No other way to describe it. The ceiling above our head by our round table looked like it wanted to collapse on our heads. The bathroom... the bathroom should tell you all you need to know about this place. I know you're thinking, "why did we stay and order food". Well, we thought maybe, just maybe, it's a diamond in the rough. It's not a diamond, it's just in the rough. We ordered our food, grilled catfish, hush puppies, beef bbq plate, pulled pork sandwich, Tamala's, etc. Let me break these down for you piece by piece. Grilled Catfish - edible, small, expensive, and sad. Hushpuppies - Burnt and about as hard as marbles. Beef bbq plate - beef is decent, props. However, the coleslaw, flavorless, the beans, sad, and the Texas Toast, just toast, oh well. Pulled pork sandwich with Cajun fries - sandwich, absolutely flavorless, Cajun fries, fries with salt and pepper. Tamales - Good, but not worth the price. Presented poorly, and with the atmosphere, scary. Did I mention the food was served one-person at a time? Every single person had time to finish their plate before the next person got their plate. Also, the containers of Tartar sauce and ranch were grimy and spotted with black specks. I tried to squeeze out some ranch, but only a thin white liquid came out. What does this tell you about how this place cleans and stores their condiments? The people are kind, it's not the workers personality. It's the condition of the establishment that do a number on this place. Why do I want to eat food from a place that doesn't take care of itself? Does that mean it doesn't take care of their food? I will not always give places chances, and I don't know if you, reader, will either. However, if you do, do not give this place your chance. This place needs work, and a lot of it. However, ChatGPT did say this was authentic Arkansas cuisine, so maybe that is exactly what we got. read more

Lackey's Smoke House BBQ - Tamales? - Barbeque Near Me - Newport, Arkansas

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Such a wonderful find! Our family was driving in to see family in Jonesboro from Little Rock. We struggled to find a place to eat that wasn't fast food. Stumbled upon Lackey's and we haven't stopped talking about it since. The owner and chef were wonderful. Very kind, warm, engaging and helpful. We have a picky group of eaters so had a lot of questions. They were fabulous! Everything our family ordered, from tamales to fish to butterfly shrimp was excellent. If you haven't tried it, don't think twice. It's all around wonderful! read more

Food is very pricey and is ok at best. Service is hit or miss. Needs to be updated badly. Very outdated

The pulled pork, sauce and French fries were great. My husband had the covered tamale plate and was not impressed. We went to the lunch spot based on other reviews of the tamales. Oops should have stuck with the hamburgers . Definitely a hole in the wall. If you're looking for fine dining keep driving. read more

I currently live in Austin, Tx. Every visit home, I drive 40 miles round-trip for these tamales. Buy them by the dozen, you will not regret it. I've bought these and took on a trip to Michigan. A trip to the lake for New year's. Several trips for friends when I return to Austin. I'm sure they must flavor the massa as they are very flavorful with the right amount of spice. Good hot as they come or cold as leftovers. Good ol BBQ joint, have a seat and enjoy the history of the place. Locals know the place. Tourist or just passing through, look for the battered old non sign sign. read more

Lackey's Smoke House BBQ - Look for the non sign sign - Barbeque Near Me - Newport, Arkansas

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Visiting my mom, I live in Virginia, and went out early before everyone was up looking for breakfast. Found this place because of all the farm trucks in the parking lot. I ordered the ham and cheese omelette with hash browns. Place was clean, for a BBQ place, and the service was quick. The staff was very nice and the portions are large. I can recommend breakfast and will come back again. read more

Doesn't look like much, in fact probably the definition of a hole in the wall restaurant, but the food was pretty darn good. Pulled pork sandwich with slaw was very moist and flavorful. Tamales with chili and cheese were very tasty as well. Hushpuppies were disappointing. They were just bland with no flavor. Service was friendly if not fast. I'd return if I were near Newport again. read more

This spot may not look like much but the hospitality inside along with the great food is top of the line, we felt welcomed and they served hush puppies on the house. Great decor and when the jalapeños for my Appetizer were not available the waiter respectfully came out and asked if I would like to order something else their bathrooms were clean. There is absolutely nothing I would add to improve this experience. Great BBQ! read more

I love this place! I travel from Memphis just to have the tamales and the fried fish. The customer service is also wonderful. read more

This is based solely on that pulled pork sandwich. It feels like you rarely, if ever, actually get smoked pork anymore. It seems everyone is use a crockpot/oven so that the pork stays floating in its juices. This sandwich had SOOOO much bark in it you could never doubt it spent at least 6 hours in the smoker. The smoke was in EVERY bite! The bbq sauce was tangy, but sparingly used. I'm not saying this was the perfect sandwich, but it was about as close as you can get. It's only about 5minutes off from the highway so if you're heading up to St. Louis via HWY 67, this is a must stop. read more

Went there about a year ago for breakfast burritos. I called put the order in they said it would be 20 minutes. I got there they said it wasn't done yet. We waited about 10 more minutes and she tried to take my card when I asked her if it was done yet and she said no. I asked for my card and she threw it at me through the window. It was very unprofessional and then I went inside to talk to the manager and apparently she owned it. Then told me to get out when she was in the wrong. Never tried to make it right. Literally the worst service I had ever gotten. read more

Home cooking good eats here. Had catfish an some chopped pork bbq. Yummy. Small buffet but packed with all the things you like. many friendly people that work here. Will be back read more

We stopped in here for lunch while passing through Newport and were pleasantly surprised. Decor wise, the place is nothing special, but it's clean. The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. The were experience a lunch rush (good for them!) and were so apologetic about our wait for food and service. The tamales were good, but smaller than expected. However, with the free hush puppies and honey bundt cake, we left stuffed! The meat on the BBQ pork sandwich was tender and juicy and the fried okra had great flavor in the batter. We'll definitely stop by again when driving through. Keep up the good work! read more

This is not a fancy place; the sign out front is broken. But the food is great, and the servers are so friendly and helpful. The hush puppies were tasty, and my pulled pork sandwich was very good. My husband ordered the buffet and enjoyed all the southern classics: fried chicken, greens, fried okra, etc. We also liked the tamales for which this restaurant is well known; we ordered them as a appetizer. We were very glad we took a chance rather than settling for a chain restaurant. read more

I don't review restaurants ever. Saying that after going to Lackey's today I had to write a review. This little place is a total gem. You can definitely get the wrong impression from the outside, but please do yourself a favor and resist any first impressions and go on in at least once. I promise you it won't be your last visit. I had the daily special, which consisted of meatloaf, green beans and mac-n-cheese. All of this came with an on-the-house starter of hush puppies and a piece of cake. All of this for the total price of $6 and change. Everything was awesome. My only regret of the entire visit was that I didn't remember to try the tamales, which is what Lackey's is known for. Doesn't really matter, because I couldn't have eaten anything else and I am definitely coming back so that gives me something to look forward to next trip! read more

I'm writing the review as I finished eating and chitchating with Scott the owner I believe. I was driving through that town and decided to try it out.... A) Customer service: awesome!! Smiles all around. Refills promptly. Scott kept bringing out samples left and right for us to try. B) The food: The food is just spectacular! Everything is home-made. The tamales are just perfect, and even their ranch dressing was homemade with awesome kick to eat. C) The look & feel: on the outside, it looks ehhh we'll kinda old, but that's expected of tiny old town. The inside though, super homie, cozy, and super clean. Don't let the outside of the place scary you, I almost did my self and would have never tried their food. Highly recommend it!!! read more

They started us off with hush puppies and a ranch sauce with just a hint of spicy. We ordered delicious smoked ribs, handbreaded chicken strips, yummy jambalaya, crispy french fries, and excellent fried okra. We finished it all off with some amazing peanut butter pie. Service was amazing. The kitchen isn't super fast, but the food was well worth the wait. Our glasses were never empty, and they sent us home with some tamales to try. I can't wait to come back through this town so we can come back here again! read more

We were on our way to Texas from St Louis and we wanted to stay away from corporate chains, we were not disappointed the food was terrific, portions generous, good value and the service was extraordinary. We were given a free appetitizer and dessert to top it all off. read more

The employees were really nice and tended to us with southern hospitality. That's about all I can say. Still trying to figure out how it has a 4.5 star trading. read more

Stopped in to eat lunch, because of Yelp. Dissapointed in bbq. Dry and over done. Fries limp. Slaw and beans very good. Paid too much for very mediocre food. SORRY!!!! read more

One of the best restaurants we have visited in quite some time. We come from a resort area and I grew up where barbeque is a highly developed art. We moved a few years ago to an area which suffers from a deficit of great barbeque. When were on business here and saw this place and took a chance . I was amazed . The barbeque sauce is good but the taste of the barbeque doesn't need any help. I dont know what it is that they do better than dozens of others I have tried but it works . Their tamales were exceptional. I use to live in a city that is world famous for tamales. This place has them beat. They put out their buffet while we where there and it all looked great. The service was above average. The friendliness was genuine . We live about 45 minutes away and we plan to be back just to dine. It is worth a drive their and back. read more

If you are looking for small town charm and delicious plates. Don't miss this place! We had the lunch plate specials of BBQ and also Fish. Each came with 3 sides..we tried them all and they were excellent. The tomato relish, white beans, hush puppies and slaw were fantastic. Today Each customer after 10am got free hush puppies and pie! Yum. Service was also stellar :) thank you!! read more

I ordered the meatloaf with slaw, corn, and white beans. It came with hush puppies, cornbread, and cake. All of the food was tasty and made mostly from scratch. Service was good. read more

We stopped at Lackeys will traveling through Arkansas on our way to Missouri. We had a terrific plate lunch. The owner and entire staff were super friendly. The food was delicious. The owner offered us some tamales. They were the best we have ever had. This place is great! Very affordable on any budget. read more

Lackey's Smoke House BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Newport, Arkansas

My sisters and I stopped in on our way home to St. Louis from Hot Springs, we were not disappointed. Started the meal with free hush puppies and cake, waitress suggested the ranch dressing on the hush puppies which we never would've thought of, it was great! Fish special was amazing, sisters loved the ribs and pulled pork. Definitely worth stopping in for! read more

We were passing through on our way to the Buffalo River and looking for barbecue - Lackey's did not disappoint. We had a lunch plate w pulled pork and a rib plate - both were very good. The hush puppies wee also fabulous (we were hungry, but even still - they were amazing). Had a variety of sides, which ranged from good (green beans) to very good (slaw especially). I tried a tamale - got a bonus one, too - and really enjoyed them both. Complimentary cake was a hit w my husband. Too much of a good thing! We'll be back next time through. read more

The service was outstanding! We were greeted with big smiles and that great southern hospitality. The waiter brought out a slice of cake and a few hush puppies along with their home made ranch sauce. It was delicious. I ordered a combo platter with chopped beef and ribs with gator bites as an appetizer. We also added the Cajun tamales to see what the rave was about. Everything was excellent! The ribs had really good flavor and were tender as was the chopped beef. The BBQ was some of the best in the nation. The beans and coleslaw were great too. The tamales were out of this world good, just amazing! When I go back to Newport, I will be visiting Lackey's again, no doubt about it! read more

We stopped here based on Yelp reviews. Was so bad, would never come back. Potato salad was served room temperature to warm. It should be cold to prevent food poisoning. Greasy hush puppies. Go anywhere else. read more

Good food and excellent service!! Homemade ranch dressing was delicious alongside the hush puppies. Smoked pork, ribs, and chicken were all very tasty dishes. (Each family member had something different). Lots of food and the sweetest servers! read more

Found this place using the Yelp app and was not disappointed!! We had catfish, bbq, grilled chicken, and fried shrimp. Every dish was delicious and served with hot hush puppies and a slice of cake. Definitely would not have found this gem on my own. Can't wait to revisit. Service was fantastic! read more

I seriously thought I was going to eat some BBQ...nope! Our server recommended the fish. FISH!!! @ a Smoke House!‍...& i loved it! She also recommended the Cajun Tamales but they are not for me although my family did enjoy them. Our friends got the BBQ Combo Plate. They really liked the food, very moist. The service was great. They were quick to take care of us. Very friendly... read more

Definitely worth the stop! Traveling from Central Illinois to Texas and found Lackey's on google maps. So very happy we did! Delicious food and wonderful southern hospitality! We will be going back, highly recommend! Best food in a long time! read more

Great food for an awesome price. Service can be a little slow but the staff is very sweet.

My family and I love the Smoke House. We try to visit family about once a year and every time we come we eat at Smoke House! The food is delicious and you get a large portion for your money. The service is always wonderful and the ladies are so sweet! The tamales are delicious and the banana cake is heavenly! We highly recommend a stop at this little gem! read more

Stopped in with a boy scout troop. They accommodated us, had pre planned the Mela and was blown away by the quality and quantity of food. Nothing was left out down to the homemade ranch dressing for the hush puppies. Hot tamales and of course the cinnamon cake desert. Great food and a quaint atmosphere. read more

The so called "Lackeys Tamales" are in no way held to the standard of the original Lackeys Tamales. The food isn't bad, but I don't recommend ordering the tamales and if you dine in, make sure you check your cutlery and drinking glasses. I've had an occasion where they hadn't been washed. read more