[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 113 (Thursday, June 18, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E550]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE FAMILY LEGACY OF McCLARD'S BAR-B-Q

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BRUCE WESTERMAN

                              of arkansas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 18, 2020

  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the near-century-
old legacy of McClard' s Bar-B-Q in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Founded by 
Gladys and Alex McClard in 1928, the fourth generation of the McClard 
family, represented by owners Scott and Shannon McClard, keeps its 
doors open today.
  In the last century, McClard's has been a cultural icon of the Hot 
Springs area, gathering long lines of customers outside its doors on 
Albert Pike Road. Known for barbecue pork, ribs, tamales, and infamous 
barbecue sauce, the barbecue joint is a local favorite, even noted to 
be a favorite of President Bill Clinton's during his upbringing in Hot 
Springs.
  The restaurant's leadership recently made the decision to sell the 
family-owned spot following a brief closing during the COVID-19 
pandemic. While it has reopened this week under new ownership, the 
McClard family is still actively involved in the restaurant's progress 
in the community.
  Not only does McClard's Bar-B-Q boast of some of the best cooking in 
the Southwest Arkansas area, but the restaurant holds 92 years of 
Arkansas culture, history, and memories. Theirs is a story of the 
American dream, and I look forward to seeing this place continue to be 
a place of joy for Fourth District residents, just as it has for nearly 
a century. I take this time to thank all generations of the McClard 
family for their years of hard work and their diligence in creating the 
most loved of Hot Springs traditions.

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