Throughout the month of May, readers of arkadelphian.com were given the opportunity to cast a vote in our third annual Readers Choice Awards.
There were some surprises this year in a few of the 90+ categories, as some former runners up claimed the top honor in 2025, and some new names and businesses made the list. We contacted winners for a chance to further boost their recognition by way of thanking readers via advertising and inclusion in the photo gallery below.
Special thanks to Batson Sign Company and The UPS Store for working with us to provide window decals and certificates, respectively, to winners.
We’re proud to present the winners, listed below in (mostly) alphabetical order in four main categories: Food + Drink; Business; Places; and People.
A slideshow gallery picturing most of the winners is included below. To navigate the slideshow, simply click the arrow on either side of the image.
And the winners are …
Food + Drink
Best Appetizers
1st: Fat Boys
Runner-Up: Slim & Shorty’s
Best Breakfast
1st: Andy’s
Runner-Up: Matty’s
Best Coffee
1st: Daily Drip
Runner-Up: JavaPrimo
Best Donuts
1st: Donut Palace
Runner-Up: Dunkin’
Best Lunch
1st: Fat Boys
Runner-Up: Ouachita Valley Meats
Best Deli
1st: Ouachita Valley Meats
Runner-Up: Brookshire’s
Best Salad
1st: Hamburger Barn
Runner-Up: Fat Boys
Best Desserts
1st: Bakes by Bree
Runner-Up: Ludwig’s Bakery
Best Bakery
1st: Ludwig’s Bakery
Runner-Up: Bakes by Bree
Best Frozen Treat
1st: Sonic
Runner-Up: Baskin-Robbins
Best Barbecue
1st: Allen’s BBQ Company
Runner-Up: Fat Boys
Best Steak
1st: Fat Boys
Runner-Up: Hamburger Barn
Best Hamburger
1st: Fat Boys
Runner-Up: Hamburger Barn
Best Fries
1st: Fat Boys
Runner-Up: McDonald’s
Best Pizza
1st: Domino’s
Runner-Up: Guti’s
Best Asian Restaurant
1st: Golden Wok
Runner-Up: Tasty Hibachi
Best Mexican Restaurant
1st: Ambar
Runner-Up: El Parian
Best Seafood
1st: Fish Net
Runner-Up: Flying Burger
Best Food Truck
1st: Walk Baby Love BBQ
Runner-Up: Libby’s Kitchen
Best Caterer
1st: Fat Boys
Runner-Up: Walk Baby Love BBQ
Best Bar & Grill
1st: Slim & Shorty’s
Runner-Up: The V Bar & Grill
Best Cocktails
1st: The V Bar & Grill
Runner-Up: Slim & Shorty’s
Best Drive Thru
1st: Chicken Express
Runner-Up: Wendy’s
Best Restaurant
1st: Fat Boys
Runner-Up: Hamburger Barn
Business
Best Small Business
1st: A-Town Fitness
Runner-Up: Bakes by Bree
Best Large Company
1st: Veolia
Runner-Up: Hostess/J.M. Smucker Co.
Best Accounting Firm
1st: Turner, Rodgers, Manning & Plyler, PLLC
Runner-Up: Echols, Thompson & Kneebone LTD
Best Auto Body
1st: Arkadelphia Collision Repair Center, Inc.
Runner-Up: Southwest Auto Collection
Best Auto Parts Store
1st: AutoZone
Runner-Up: O’Reilly
Best Auto Repair
1st: Cannon Auto
Runner-Up: Arkadelphia Tire & Auto
Best Bank
1st: Southern Bancorp
Runner-Up: Citizens Bank
Best Barber Shop
1st: Unique Barber Service
Runner-Up: Cut-N-Up
Best Detail/Car Care
1st: RP Detail
Runner-Up: Dillon Rogers
Best Child Care Center
1st: Ms. Mae’s Fun Time Learning Center
Runner-Up: AJ’s Little Learners
Best Clothing
1st: Adorn Boutique
Runner-Up: Violet Fields Boutique
Best Convenience Store
1st: Tiger Mart (Exxon)
Runner-Up: Stuckey’s
Best Credit Union
1st: Patterson Federal Credit Union
Runner-Up: Two Rivers Federal Credit Union
Best Dentist
1st: Ross Family Dentistry
Runner-Up: Scott Byrd, DDS
Best Electrical Service
1st: JW Rogers Electric Inc.
Runner-Up: Daniell Electric & Refrigeration
Best Event Venue
1st: Blakelytown Venue
Runner-Up: Suttle Ridge at DeGray
Best Eye Clinic
1st: Byers Eye Care
Runner-Up: Dr. Frank Teed
Best Feed & Ranch
1st: Atwoods
Runner-Up: Clark County Livestock Feed
Best Financial Advisor
1st: David Sims
Runner-Up: Blake Bell
Best Fitness Center
1st: A-Town Fitness
Runner-Up: Foundation Fitness
Best Florist
1st: Mary & Martha’s Florist & Gifts
Runner-Up: Brookshire’s
Best Funeral Home
1st: Welch Funeral Home
Runner-Up: Williams Funeral Home
Best Furniture Selection
1st: Ivan Smith Furniture
Runner-Up: Laster’s Furniture Company
Best Garden Supply/Nursery
1st: Atwoods
Runner-Up: Walmart
Best Hair Salon
1st: Gossip Shop
Runner-Up: Rebel Child
Best Heating & Air
1st: Goza Heating & Air
Runner-Up: Daniell Electric & Refrigeration
Best Insurance
1st: Knight Insurance Professionals
Runner-Up: Clark County Farm Bureau Insurance
Best Internet Service Provider
1st: South Central Connect
Runner-Up: Optimum
Best Lawn Care
1st: Judsen Coon Lawn Care
Runner-Up: Nash’s Lawn Care
Best Liquor Store
1st: Celebrations Wine & Spirits
Runner-Up: Lucky Liquor
Best Minority-Owned Business
1st: Walk Baby Love BBQ
Runner-Up: XOXO Impressions
Best Nail Salon
1st: LTC Nail Spa
Runner-Up: Tony’s Nails
Best Elderly Care
1st: Twin Rivers Health & Rehabilitation
Runner-Up: The Plaza at Twin Rivers
Best Pawn Shop
1st: Quality Pawn Shop
Runner-Up: Arkadelphia Pawn and Gun LLC
Best Pest Control
1st: Legacy Termite and Pest Control
Runner-Up: Pest Plus
Best Pet Grooming
1st: Hair of the Dog
Runner-Up: Nellie’s Pet Grooming and Boarding
Best Pharmacy
1st: Heartland Pharmacy
Runner-Up: Walmart Pharmacy
Best Plumber
1st: Taylor Plumbing LLC
Runner-Up: Avalance Plumbing
Best Real Estate Agency
1st: Bluebird Real Estate
Runner-Up: Crye-Leike Pro Elite Realty
Best Roofing Company
1st: Ark Roofing & Gutters
Runner-Up: Palmer’s Roofing
Best Thrift Store
1st: The Beehive
Runner-Up: Lighthouse Ministries
Best Tire Service
1st: Garner’s Tire & Auto
Runner-Up: Arkadelphia Tire & Outfitters
Best Title Company
1st: First National Title Company
Runner-Up: Jackson Title Company
Best Towing
1st: Beene’s Towing & Recovery
Runner-Up: Phil’s Automotive
Best Veterinary Clinic
1st: South Arkansas Veterinary Hospital
Runner-Up: Providence Veterinary Care
Best Woman-Owned Business
1st: Adorn Boutique (Natalie Cook)
Runner-Up: Kaitlyn Goad Creative LLC (Kaitlyn Goad)
People
Best Attorney
1st: Taylor King
Runner-Up: Clay Sexton
Best Bank Teller
1st: Haley Nichols (Patterson)
Runner-Up: Elizabeth Rogers (Bank OZK)
Best Car Salesman
1st: Brock Davis (Southwest Auto)
Runner-Up: Larry Mitchell (L&J Auto)
Best Elected Official
1st: Sheriff Jason Watson
Runner-Up: Assessor Mona Vance
Best Grocer
1st: Ryan Halaby (Brookshire’s)
Runner-Up: Jimmy Bloomfield (Brookshire’s)
Best Law Enforcement Officer
1st: Jason Watson
Runner-Up: Jason “Shorty” Jackson
Best Nurse
1st: Alvern Thomas (Baptist Health Medical Clinic)
Runner-Up: Kristen Brown (Healthy Connections)
Best Paramedic
1st: J.D. Windham (Valor EMS)
Runner-Up: Melina Jenkins (Valor EMS)
Best Personal Trainer
1st: Jacob Coon (A-Town Fitness)
Runner-Up: Jason McCready (A-Town Fitness)
Best Physician
Tie: Drs. Bryan McDonnell and Ali Mitchell (Baptist Health Medical Clinic)
Best Realtor
1st: Falicia Samuels (Crye-Leike Pro Elite Realty)
Runner-Up: Shelly Craft (Lake Hamilton Realty)
Best Restaurant Server
1st: Sara Shockey (Fat Boys)
Runner-Up: Allie Harris (Slim & Shorty’s)
Best Clerk
1st: Natalie Cook (Adorn Boutique)
Runner-Up: Brandon Frazier (The UPS Store)
Best Teacher
1st: Molly Tucker (Peake Elementary School)
Runner-Up: Jenny Coon (Arkadelphia High School)
Best Volunteer
1st: Nicole McGough
Runner-Up: Jason McCready
Places
Best Charity Event
1st: Group Living Gala
Runner-Up: Soldiers of Service Walkathon
Best Local Attraction
1st: DeGray Lake
Runner-Up: Arkadelphia Aquatic Park
Best Nonprofit Organization
1st: Group Living Inc.
Runner-Up: Percy and Donna Malone Child Safety Center
Best Place to Take Kids
1st: Caddo Valley Park
Runner-Up: Arkadelphia Aquatic Park
Best Place to Work
1st: Taylor King Law
Runner-Up: Henderson State University
Best Place to Worship
1st: Trinity Temple Assembly of God
Runner-Up: Third Street Baptist Church