McClards BBQ, Hot Springs Arkansas

[Smokin Don]

McClards BBQ in Hot Springs Arkansas. I saw a show on BBQ Crawl, Travel Channel about this place. It impressed me enough I looked for their sauce on the net and found it at Amazon; an 18 ounce bottle for $14 and free shipping. That is about 3 times what I pay for sauce but I had to try a bottle. The reviews on the sauce say it is sweet, vinegary and has a bite. If it is too sweet I might not like it.

The place has been in business since 1928 and run by fourth generation family. It originally was a motel, gas station and restaurant. The restaurants BBQ offering was BBQ goat! One day a traveler could not pay his motel bill of $10 and offered a BBQ sauce recipe instead. The owner accepted and they played with the sauce recipe and got it where they liked it. The restaurant business picked up enough they closed the gas station and motel.

I have never eaten here and doubt if I will ever get to Hot Springs to try it. Maybe one of you have been here and will give us a report. This was Bill Clinton’s favorite BBQ. I went through some reviews on this place and most was good to the best but there were some that said the worst.

Link to McClouds http://www.mcclards.com/

Smokin Don

[RAD]

let us know what you think about the sauce.

[Hub]

When I lived in Little Rock, I ate at McClards several times.  Hot Springs is a great getaway -- an old spa town full of antique shops, glorious old hotels, interesting architecture and Oaklawn Park, the thoroughbred track that always sends a pony to the Derby.  Fun place and well worth a day of roaming around if you ever get there.

McClard's sauce I don't really recall.  It didn't stand out that much to me.  The ribs were good in a restaurant sort of way -- overdone and fall off the bone but tasty.  They also do pulled pork and beef as I recall. French Fries were good and the slaw was coarse-cut and crisp instead of the pre-chewed stuff they make here in North Carolina.  All told, a good place.  Always packed during racing season.

Hub

[TentHunteR]

The reviews on the sauce say it is sweet, vinegary and has a bite. If it is too sweet I might not like it.

let us know what you think about the sauce.

I'd be interested too.  The description kind of reminds me of a Western North Carolina sauce.

[Las Vegan Cajun]

The reviews on the sauce say it is sweet, vinegary and has a bite. If it is too sweet I might not like it.

let us know what you think about the sauce.

I'd be interested too.  The description kind of reminds me of a Western North Carolina sauce.

I'd like a review of the sauce too, if it's good enough I may have to order a bottle.