Arkansas barbecue chain Blue Ember Smokehouse opened its new West Little Rock location Wednesday morning at 1020 Rahling Road. On Tuesday night the restaurant hosted a $15 per ticket soft opening dinner with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas and North Louisiana.
The newly constructed 5,147 square-foot building, located about a half a mile from the Promenade at Chenal, is the company’s fourth location. Blue Ember originally opened in 2021 in Fort Smith. A Jonesboro branch followed in December 2022, and a Texarkana location opened at the beginning of this year. According to the restaurant’s website, it specializes in handcrafted barbecue smoked in wood-burning pits.
Blue Ember’s menu features several smoked meats that can be purchased by the pound: brisket; ribs; sausage; turkey breast; pulled pork; jalapeno pineapple sausage; chicken quarters; pork burnt ends. Sandwiches include brisket, chicken, pulled pork, turkey and the Special Ops Sandwich, which features a single rib, a stack of brisket, pork, sausage and barbecue beans. They also offer baked potatoes and sides including French fries, coleslaw, corn on the cob, mac and cheese, fried okra, green beans and potato salad.
Check out the full menu here. The hours are 10:45 a.m.-8 p.m. Sun.-Thu. and 10:45 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri.-Sat.