HootsBBQ & Steaks(870) 222-1234Call

McGehee, AR · since 2012

Smoked all night in an old cattle barn on Highway 65.

Brisket and pork butts seasoned with nothing but salt and pepper and smoked at least 14 hours, plus ribeyes, catfish and a bakery case of from-scratch cakes.

(870) 222-1234Get directions

4.6 on Restaurantji (421 ratings) · 4.4 on Tripadvisor (171 reviews)

Hoots BBQ from the highway: a red HOOTS BBQ canopy over the parking lot and a tall HOOTS BBQ & Steaks sign

From an RV on the Gulf Coast to a barn on US-65

After selling their farm, Delta locals David and Susie Powell spent three years touring the coast from Key West to South Padre Island in a 45-foot motorcoach. On a beach in Port Aransas, David had an idea: open a barbecue restaurant back home. Susie had never smoked a piece of meat in her life; she taught herself.

They found a late-1940s cattle auction barn on Highway 65, later a gas station and convenience store, and spent well over a year renovating it themselves. Hoots opened on April 23, 2012, with a line out the door. David passed away in 2015; Susie still runs the place today.

Why “Hoots”? The McGehee High School mascot is the Owl, and owls hoot. And the Powells always liked to say they were having a hoot.

The tall roadside sign: HOOTS BBQ & Steaks, with a rusty BAR panel below
A dining room with wooden tables, red pendant lamps and an old Gulflex sign behind interior windows

The smoker’s week

Salt, pepper, smoke and time. No injections, no shortcuts, and no leftovers: when it’s gone, it’s gone.

  1. SunLit around 3 PM
  2. Mon
  3. Tue
  4. WedBriskets & butts: 14+ hours overnight
  5. Thu
  6. Fri
  7. SatRuns till evening
  • 14+ hours Every brisket and pork butt smokes overnight.
  • Twice a day Chicken and ribs go on fresh for lunch, then again for dinner.
  • Call ahead Ribs sell out, so regulars order theirs when they reserve.
The bar at Hoots: corrugated tin walls, pendant lights made from bottles and a long counter

Tin walls, a full bar and room for 300

The Powells filled the barn with finds from their travels: old tin and chalkboards on the walls, gas-station memorabilia, light fixtures made from pipe fittings and wine bottles, and tables reclaimed from other restaurants.

There’s a bakery counter by the entrance, a bar (21+), two big dining rooms and a banquet room at the back for family reunions, parties and team dinners. Hoots has hosted everything from after-church gatherings to prom-night dates.

“Our reserved room was set up very nice… plenty of room.”Restaurantji review, Aug 2024
Call to book the room

Save room: voted Arkansas’s best dessert

Readers of AY Magazine named Hoots the state’s best dessert in 2019. The layer cakes are baked from family recipes Susie learned from her mother. Find them under glass at the bakery counter by the door.

  • Italian cream cake
  • Carrot cake
  • Strawberry cake
  • German chocolate cake
  • Cheesecakes
  • Banana pudding
  • Lemon icebox pie
  • Bread pudding
A tall slice of Italian cream cake with cream cheese frosting
Whole cakes and cheesecakes under glass domes on the bakery counter

What people say

4.6/5Restaurantji · 421 ratings

4.4/5Tripadvisor · 171 reviews · #1 of 4 restaurants in McGehee

  • “…a group of 10 that flew into the airport just to eat at Hoot’s.”

    Restaurantji review, Mar 2025

  • “We had a hoot at Hoots!!!”

    Restaurantji review (family reunion), Aug 2024

  • “Loved the Oysters!”

    Restaurantji review, Sep 2024

In the press

Hours & location

Monday11 AM – 9 PM
Tuesday11 AM – 9 PM
Wednesday11 AM – 9 PM
Thursday11 AM – 9 PM
Friday11 AM – 10 PM
Saturday11 AM – 10 PM
SundayClosed
2008 US-65, McGehee, AR 71654
Look for the red HOOTS letters on the canopy.
(870) 222-1234 · call ahead for reservations
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