Lassis Inn, Known for Its Catfish, Reels in a James Beard Award

In the culinary world, a James Beard Award is bestowed upon the finest chefs and restaurants, marking them as the gold standard. Recently, an Arkansas favorite – one that might not figure prominently on the white tablecloth list and sits proudly just a stone’s throw from an interstate overpass in Little Rock – received the nod from the James Beard Foundation as one of six recipients of its 2020 America’s Classics Award.

“It’s like the fish you get in the country…your grandmama’s fish,” Keya Cooley said while enjoying a late lunch at Lassis Inn, a catfish restaurant. “It never needs any seasoning. It’s cooked to perfection.”

The Beard Foundation announced its selection of Lassis Inn earlier this month. The Foundation designates the award for locally owned restaurants “that have timeless appeal and are beloved regionally for quality food that reflects the character of its community.” Its annual awards ceremony will be held on April 24.

Lassis Inn has been around since 1905 and is widely known for the blue exterior of the eatery and the piping hot, best-in-town catfish. A family-run establishment, Cooley recalled visiting the restaurant during her teenage years and introducing it to her daughter when she was a child.

She remarked, “My daughter actually sent me the article, and she lives in New Jersey. She said, ‘Momma, that’s our restaurant.’”

No Dancing, Please

On the Saturday TheVillage stopped by Lassis, Cooley and Andre Pendleton were there for their third Saturday in a month. The two said they waited an hour for a table. But, the jukebox and the smell of fried catfish helped them pass the time.

Pendleton commented, “That’s another good thing about this restaurant, the jukebox.”

As he and Cooley talked, the blues classic, ‘Last Two Dollars’, by Johnnie Taylor poured from the jukebox and mingled with the aromas that have made Lassis a national treasure.

“One time I was in here, and an older lady was sitting over there drinking a 40-ounce, and she got up and danced by herself,” Pendleton shared. Above the jukebox a sign warns diners, “No dancing”. But, if you’ve ever had good catfish