Kat Robinson Arkansas Barbeque Talk

Arkansas barbecue: what is it? Who makes it? And what makes our state's smoked offerings different from everywhere else? Kat Robinson is on a mission to document all of our barbecue purveyors; to meet the men and women who bring it to the table; to understand the history behind it and what's changing in the state of our plate in the future. The award-winning Arkansas food writer shares stories about barbecue's history, of innovators who are bringing it to the forefront today, and how women are changing the narrative. Delve into the veritable catalog of eats in The Arkansas Barbecue Traveler: A Roadside Companion for Hungry Wanderers, and find out what's next on the menu for The Natural State's most earnest champion of Arkansas food.

Kat Robinson is a lifelong native of Arkansas and an Arkansas Tech University alumni. She writes River Valley Eats for the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, which includes Russellville and its surrounds. Robinson's latest book, The Arkansas Barbecue Traveler: A Roadside Companion for Hungry Wanderers, has been recognized by the National Federation of Press Women as one of its 2025 non-fiction selections. Robinson's previous efforts include Arkansas Food: The A to Z of Eating in The Natural State, The Great Arkansas Pie Book, and 101 Things to Eat in Arkansas Before You Die. She has received Emmy nominations for her work on Arkansas Dairy Bars: Neat Eats and Cool Treats and Make Room for Pie, both with Arkansas PBS. She has also twice been named Best Author in the Arkansas Times' Readers Choice Awards. She serves as a founding member of the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame Selection Committee and the co-chair of the Arkansas Pie Festival.