[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 63 (Monday, May 7, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S2918]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNIZING THE JONES BAR-B-Q DINER

 Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the 
owners of one of the oldest African-American-owned restaurants in 
America, the Jones Bar-B-Q Diner in Marianna, AR, which has been 
honored by the James Beard Foundation Awards.
  The foundation recognized Jones Bar-B-Q as one of five restaurants 
from across the country in the ``America's Classics'' category at the 
2012 annual awards ceremony taking place today at the Lincoln Center in 
New York City.
  Foodies will tell you this honor is a big one. Arkansas writer Rex 
Nelson calls the Beard award the equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize for 
journalism--certainly high praise for a small operation that began on a 
back porch, but this is no ordinary run-of-the-mill barbecue.
  This honor is a long time in the making. Jones Bar-B-Q Diner has been 
in operation, in some form, since at least the 1910s. Walter Jones, the 
founder and first pitmaster, lived in a bare wood dogtrot house and 
first served barbecue from the screened-in back porch on Fridays and 
Saturdays. The family recalls that original cooking setup as a ``hole 
in the ground, some iron pipes, a piece of fence wire and two pieces of 
tin.''
  Eventually, Walter moved from selling the meat on the back porch to a 
small place in town called the Hole in the Wall. It was literally a 
window in a wall from which he would sell meat from a washtub. The 
modern incarnation, the Jones Bar-B-Q Diner, opened in 1964.
  The business today remains true to its smalltown, family roots. 
Hubert Jones, Walter's son, is the present day proprietor and his son, 
James, tends the pits. The pork shoulder is still smoked with a simple 
setup over the pit. They still serve a very limited menu that centers 
around smoked pork hacked into bits and served on white bread with the 
Jones' vinegary sauce.
  The James Beard Foundation--which is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) 
organization dedicated to celebrating, preserving, and nurturing 
America's culinary heritage--only awards its ``America Classics'' 
distinction to restaurants with ``timeless appeal . . . that are 
beloved for quality food that reflects the character of their 
community.''
  To qualify for the ``America's Classics'' award, establishments must 
have been in existence at 10 years and they must be locally owned. The 
honorees are selected each year by the James Beard Foundation's 
Restaurant Committee, which is comprised of 17 people throughout the 
country, many of whom are notable food critics and culinary writers. 
The foundation is acutely aware of how special Jones Bar-B-Q Diner is 
to Marianna, the State of Arkansas, and southern cuisine.
  I will leave you with one piece of advice. If you want some of Jones' 
famous smoke pork, it is best to arrive early. The diner usually opens 
around 7:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday and then closes by early 
afternoons when all the meat runs out. So get there early, bring your 
appetite, and be sure to congratulate the Jones family for being 
recognized by the James Beard Foundation. Their restaurant is 
definitely an integral part of the community and of Arkansas's culture. 
I am proud of Jones family's contribution to the Natural State's 
heritage and commend them for receiving this honor. The Jones Bar-B-Q 
Diner in Marianna truly is an American classic.

                          ____________________