The State’s Best Dish: Arkansas’s Fried Pickles

Arkansas may not seem like a state known for culinary wonders, but when it comes to fried pickles, it’s their claim to fame. While there are a few claims to the title, Atkins, Arkansas is the pickle capital of the world. With the pickle capital located in the Natural State, it seems only fitting that they are also known for their fried pickles.

Bernell “Fatman” Austin and The Duchess Drive-In put fried pickles on the map in the early 1960s. Before they were a bar staple across the South, Austin served the delicacy for 15 cents an order back in 1963 as a gimmick to draw in more customers as they traveled to and from Little Rock. When Austin first began selling the dish, he served hamburger style pickles. Unsatisfied with the creation, he toyed with the recipe until he reached perfection with a battered long pickle, sliced length wise and fried to a deep golden brown.

Fried pickles have grown in popularity across the South since their Arkansas roadside inception. Austin served his dill pickles long and thin, but many serve hamburger pickles deep- fried with a side of ranch.

By the later part of the 1960s, Interstate 40 was nearing completion, and the US 64 location was no longer situated on a well-traveled path. Austin moved the restaurant right off the interstate in 1968 and changed the name to the Loner. While the establishment underwent numerous changes, the fried pickles continued to live on. Each May, the town of Atkins hosts Picklefest where the Austin family serves 2,500 orders of Fatman’s Original Fried Pickles.

Crispy and slightly tart, fried pickles make the perfect appetizer for a Southern feast. Stop in this week for a basket of crunchy fried deliciousness served with our house made ranch dressing as we take a culinary journey throughout the US.