Date:  February 28, 2025  |   Story: Tiffany Adams  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |  

As the birthplace of commercial catfish farms, Arkansas knows a thing or two about the regionally famous filets. Long before these entrepreneurships were born, catfish were pulled from streams and rivers from the hills to the Delta as a reliable dinner for a crowd. The fish fry tradition continues today as a source of community and camaraderie that carries beyond the meal on the plate.

Whether as filets or bite-sized nuggets (such as those served at The Faded Rose in Little Rock, shown here), fried catfish is a delicacy that offers the perfect blend of salt, crunch, and juicy fish. Add fresh-squeezed lemon, a slice of onion, and a side of tartar sauce or hot sauce along with a few fries, and you’ve got a meal that will please the masses. And, of course, it packs a flavor blackened or broiled as well, but that’s a story all its own.