12 Arkansas Chicken Fried Steak Plates That Outsize The Skillet
Arkansas knows how to do comfort food in a big way, and its chicken-fried steak is no exception.
These plates pile on tender, golden-breaded steaks with sides that match their hearty reputation, creating meals that are as generous as they are flavorful.
Each bite delivers crispy, savory goodness that feels like a celebration of Southern cooking.
For anyone seeking oversized comfort and bold flavor, Arkansas serves it in every skillet-ready plate.
1. Old South Restaurant — Russellville
The legends are true about Old South’s plate-eclipsing chicken fried steak.
Locals swear you’ll need a bigger table when this masterpiece arrives, golden-brown and crackling with homemade breading that shatters perfectly with each bite.
The gravy comes in a boat because no ordinary ladle could contain enough for this behemoth. Family-owned since 1947, their secret recipe hasn’t changed in decades – and for good reason.
2. Calico County — Fort Smith
Cowboys weep tears of joy when Calico County’s chicken fried steak arrives at their table.
Hand-tenderized and double-dipped in a secret seasoned flour mixture, this magnificent creation spans nearly 12 inches across – practically a dinner plate wearing another dinner plate as a hat!
Their pepper cream gravy contains specks of bacon for extra flavor. Sunday afternoons see lines out the door as folks queue up for this Fort Smith institution’s legendary offering.
3. BJ’s Market Café — North Little Rock
Hungry truckers pull off I-40 specifically for BJ’s colossal chicken fried steak.
What started as a roadside produce stand now serves a steak so enormous it requires its own area code. The seasoned cooks pound each cut fresh to order.
Their signature move? A double-breading technique that creates an impossibly crispy exterior while keeping the inside tender as butter.
The scratch-made gravy contains a hint of garlic that’ll make your taste buds dance.
4. Benson’s Grill — Fort Smith
Midnight cravings find their match at Benson’s 24-hour grill, where the chicken fried steak requires its own zip code.
Three generations of cooks have perfected this monstrosity that arrives with corners hanging precariously off all four sides of the plate.
The breading has a distinctive peppery kick that locals recognize blindfolded.
Truckers challenge each other to clean their plates, but few succeed without a to-go box. Their country gravy flows like a creamy waterfall.
5. Wagon Wheel Restaurant — Greenbrier
Ranchers tip their hats in respect when Wagon Wheel’s chicken fried steak rolls out on a platter that barely contains its magnificence.
This rural gem has been serving these monsters since 1976 from a building that looks straight out of an old western.
The beef gets marinated overnight in buttermilk before meeting its crispy destiny. Their gravy contains a secret ingredient that’s sparked debate for decades – some swear it’s nutmeg, others insist it’s magic.
6. Williams Tavern Restaurant — Washington
History buffs flock to this 1832 tavern for chicken fried steak that would make pioneers proud.
Relocated to Historic Washington State Park, the restaurant serves a hand-cut behemoth that could feed a frontier family.
The crispy coating has a distinctive cornmeal addition that gives it extra crunch.
Servers deliver these giants with a knowing smile as first-timers’ eyes widen in disbelief. The pepper gravy comes from a recipe allegedly older than Arkansas statehood.
7. Myrtie Mae’s — Eureka Springs
Tucked inside the historic Basin Park Hotel, Myrtie Mae’s serves chicken fried steak that could double as a welcome mat.
Legend has it that Myrtie herself started feeding hungry travelers from her kitchen window in the 1930s. Today’s version requires two hands just to carry the plate to your table.
The meat gets pounded paper-thin before frying, creating a massive surface area of crispy goodness. Their white gravy contains black pepper visible from across the dining room.
8. Oark General Store — Oark
America’s oldest continuously operating store (since 1890) hides a chicken fried steak secret worth the winding drive through Ozark backroads.
Motorcyclists and hikers gather here for a plate-buster that requires structural engineering to balance on your fork.
The century-old cast iron skillets impart distinctive flavor to each steak. Local beef from nearby farms meets a flour mixture containing seven different spices.
Their gravy recipe survived two world wars and the Great Depression without changing a single ingredient.
9. Ozark Cafe — Jasper
Mountain folk whisper about Ozark Cafe’s chicken fried steak with reverence normally reserved for religious experiences.
Serving hungry travelers since 1909, this Buffalo River landmark dishes up a steak so massive it requires its own topographic map.
Each piece gets hand-cut from beef delivered by local ranchers. The breading contains cornflake crumbs for extra crunch that echoes through the historic dining room.
Their gravy comes with enough black pepper to make your grandma sneeze with approval.
10. PJ’s Rainbow Cafe — Mountain View
Bluegrass musicians fuel up at PJ’s before performances on the town square, tackling chicken fried steaks that could double as guitar cases.
This folk music capital hotspot serves a breaded beauty that makes newcomers laugh in disbelief when it arrives. The owner personally pounds each steak with a mallet that’s been in the family for generations.
Their gravy contains tiny bits of sausage that add flavor explosions with each bite. Even the hungriest fiddle players rarely finish in one sitting.
11. Woods Place — Camden
Southern grandmas nod approvingly at Woods Place’s chicken fried steak, a south Arkansas legend since 1947.
The plate-eclipsing masterpiece arrives with a warning from servers who’ve seen countless wide-eyed reactions over decades of service.
Their unique double-battering process creates layers of crispiness that maintain integrity even under a lava flow of pepper gravy.
The seasoned grill masters use the same flattening technique passed down through three generations. Local lumberjacks consider finishing one a badge of honor.
12. Lucy’s Diner — Rogers
Walmart executives and truck drivers sit side by side at Lucy’s counters, united in their appreciation for chicken fried steak that requires its own postal address.
This Northwest Arkansas institution serves a hand-breaded colossus that makes first-timers gasp audibly. The beef soaks overnight in a buttermilk bath before meeting its crispy destiny.
Their gravy contains a hint of cayenne that sneaks up on you halfway through the meal. Regulars know to wear stretchy pants and cancel their next meal when tackling this beast.