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Tooley’s BBQ & More in Farmington!
Success is credited to that Cajun barbecue seasoning that’s used on the ribs and in sides like the jambalaya. “Very few people are allowed to use it,” he explains. “That’s why our food is so good.” The seasoning comes from the family recipes of Darrell Hicks, a barbecue champion who has cooked for the likes of the Waltons, the NFL, the Indy 500 and major league baseball. Hicks agreed to share his Fortune 500 recipe with Tooley because he was a friend of the family and because Hicks thought the Cajun taste would be hot in Arkansas.

His personal secret, Tooley adds, is time. “(Barbecue) has to be babied a lot,” he says. “It has to be a hands-on type of thing. It can’t be something you just throw in the smoker and ignore.” On the new menu, Tooley has kept the pulled pork sandwich that he says was his best seller—served with fries or Cajun chips — and his fall-off-the-bone ribs — half a rack and a full rack.

Tooley’s BBQ also offers a sliced beef sandwich, a sliced chicken sandwich and a smoked bologna sandwich, along with a chicken, beef or pork plate served with two sides. New are the never-frozen Angus burgers served with fries or Cajun chips and dressed with cheese, mushroom and swiss or barbecue with carmelized onions and a country-fried steak plate served with mashed potatoes and green beans.

Breakfast is served on Saturday mornings only, Tooley says, and includes the usual eggs, bacon, sausage and hash browns, along with a barbecue omelet and “the best pancakes in the world.” Even with sizable portions, diners still find room for dessert. The favorite is the opossum pie, a fluffy creation that starts with pecans in the crust and continues up through layers of whipped cream cheese and chocolate pudding to a whipped top. “Mema’s homemade pies” also include coconut, pecan and peanut butter by the slice or whole pie.