Date:  October 1, 2025  |   Story: Tiffany Adams  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |  

Cheese dip: It doesn’t require refined culinary skill or an exclusive, seemingly unattainable list of ingredients, but it’s become a point of pride for Arkansans. The allure of the orange (not white, not light yellow) liquid has captured the taste buds of the masses, leaving one to wonder where it originated. Legend—along with the 2009 documentary In Queso Fever: A Movie about Cheese Dip—points to Blackie Donnelly and his locally famous establishment, Mexico Chiquito, as the birthplace in the 1930s.

While their recipe remains a secret, the mixture has been thought to include a roux mixed with Velveeta or American cheese and spices like paprika and cumin. Although considered a regional staple, cheese dip has yet to cross the country, leaving many outside of the Tex-Mex circle and the South to have never experienced the delight of a crunchy tortilla chip covered in this thin, flavorful sauce. Yet, scour the menu at a local burger joint, sandwich shop, or even a pizza parlor here and you just might find cheese dip as a top-rated accompaniment to any meal.

Hungry for more insight into the state’s food scene? Check out the latest issue of our sister publication, PLATED: The Arkansas Dining Guide at platedmag.com.