There are barbecue joints, and then there are institutions. Ronnie’s Smokehouse, tucked along the New Boston Road corridor on the Arkansas side of Texarkana, falls squarely into the second category. The moment you pull into the gravel lot and catch that first curl of hickory smoke drifting through the air, you already know this visit is going to be good.
Texarkana sits at a crossroads of Southern barbecue traditions — Texas brisket culture meets Arkansas slow-smoke heritage — and Ronnie’s is one of the most honest expressions of that overlap you will find anywhere in the Four States region. The pit has been burning here for years, fed by real wood and tended by people who take the craft seriously. This is not a franchise operation with a smoker out back for show. Everything that comes off the pit here was put there with intention.
Walk inside and the setting is exactly what you want: worn wooden tables, mismatched chairs, walls lined with local memorabilia and the occasional mounted trophy, and a counter where the staff greets you like they recognize you even if it is your first time through the door. The menu is refreshingly straightforward. You will find brisket sliced thick and rendered to a deep mahogany bark that gives way to tender, juicy meat underneath. The ribs — both pork spare ribs and baby backs depending on the day — carry a dry rub that has clearly been dialed in over many years of iteration. Order the pulled pork if you want something that practically melts before it reaches your fork.
The sides deserve equal attention. The pinto beans are smoky and rich, cooked low and slow alongside the meats rather than heated from a can. The coleslaw is creamy without being sweet, a perfect cooling counterpoint to the heat of the house jalapeño sausage links, which have a satisfying snap and a slow burn that lingers pleasantly. Cornbread arrives in a cast-iron skillet portion and disappears fast, so order extra without hesitation.
What makes a visit here feel special beyond the food is the genuine community atmosphere. On a Friday afternoon, you will likely find a table of contractors still in their work clothes, a few retirees catching up over sweet tea, and a family or two who drove in from as far as Shreveport or Tyler specifically for lunch. Texarkana has that effect — it draws people from a wide radius — and the best local spots tend to reflect that melting-pot energy.
Pricing is reasonable for the quality and the portions are generous. Plan to share a combo plate if you want to sample broadly, or commit to a full half-rack if you arrived hungry. Either way, leave room for the banana pudding, which is made in-house and served in a mason jar that you will want to scrape clean.
If you are road-tripping through the region, or if you are a local who somehow has not made it out to New Boston Road for a proper smoke session, now is the time to correct that. Ronnie’s Smokehouse is the kind of place that reminds you why regional American cooking still matters — and why Texarkana, with its dual-state soul and deep Southern roots, is one of the most underrated food cities in the entire South.
Go hungry, go with friends, and go on a weekday if you want a quieter table. The smoke starts early and the best cuts go fast, so arriving around lunchtime gives you the full spread to choose from. This is Texarkana barbecue at its most authentic, and it is absolutely worth the drive from wherever you are starting.
