There is a small restaurant sitting on a highway in the Arkansas Delta that has quietly earned a reputation most big-city spots would envy. Southern Living Magazine called its catfish the best in America, and Garden and Gun listed it among the 50 best Southern foods in the country.
Those are bold claims for a place that has no official website, accepts no credit cards, and opens just two nights a week. What makes a tiny spot tucked between cotton fields and open farmland so unforgettable that people drive hours out of their way just to eat there?
The answer has everything to do with a family that has spent decades perfecting food the old-fashioned way, a founder who once cooked on riverboats, and a dining room where strangers walk in and leave feeling like relatives. Keep reading, because this story gets better with every section.
Where You Will Actually Find It
Murry’s Restaurant sits on US-70 in Hazen, Arkansas 72064, right between the towns of Carlisle and Hazen, and just a short hop off Interstate 40. The address is simply US-70, Hazen, AR 72064, and the phone number is +1 870-255-3266 if you want to call ahead.
The setting is about as Delta as it gets. Open fields stretch in every direction, and the building stands on the south side of the highway like a quiet landmark that most passing drivers would never guess holds some of the most talked-about catfish in the entire country.
That rural backdrop is actually part of the appeal. There are no flashy signs competing for your attention, no strip malls nearby, and no neon glow.
Just honest farmland, a two-lane road, and a restaurant that has been feeding people right for decades. If your GPS takes you to the middle of nowhere, trust it.
A Story That Started on the River
The origin of Murry’s Restaurant reads like a chapter from an Arkansas folk tale. Founder Olden Murry was a former riverboat cook and Army Corps of Engineers veteran who opened the original restaurant in DeValls Bluff, Arkansas, with the establishment date most commonly cited as 1958.
What made the original spot truly unusual was its structure. Olden used his engineering background to build and expand the restaurant out of makeshift railway passenger cars, turning old train carriages into a functioning dining space.
That kind of resourcefulness set the tone for everything the restaurant would become.
In 1986, Olden’s daughter Rebecca and her husband Stanley Young took over operations. They relocated the restaurant to its current spot in Hazen in 1987, and Stanley has been running it for over 40 years, having first gotten involved back in the early 1970s.
The riverboat cook’s legacy lives on in every plate that comes out of that kitchen.
The Catfish That Made National Headlines
Southern Living Magazine calling something the best catfish in America is not a small compliment. That is exactly what they said about the catfish at Murry’s, and one taste explains why the title stuck.
The fillets arrive coated in a cornmeal batter that hits the perfect balance between crunchy and light. The crust is golden brown without being thick or greasy, and the fish inside stays moist and meaty.
Stanley Young credits the result to simple preparation and quality ingredients, which sounds modest until you actually eat it.
Options include regular, half-plate, and jumbo catfish dinners, plus broiled or blackened fillets for those who prefer a different preparation. The blackened version is particularly popular, with a seasoned crust that adds depth without overpowering the fish.
Garden and Gun magazine also recognized it among the 50 best Southern foods, so the accolades are not exactly a coincidence.
The Bread That Arrives Before You Even Order
Before the main course even arrives, the bread already has people talking. Murry’s serves a homemade roll that regulars describe as a giant Parker house roll, sliced through the middle and generously covered in butter while it is still hot from the kitchen.
The texture is fluffy on the inside with just enough salt to make each bite satisfying on its own. Multiple reviews mention asking for a second piece before the entree even reaches the table, which is either a testament to the bread or a warning to pace yourself.
What makes it special is not any secret technique but the fact that it is made fresh and served warm, the way bread used to be treated before restaurants started cutting corners. Every table gets some, which means the moment you sit down, you already know the meal is going to be good.
The bread alone justifies the drive for some people.
Bread Pudding That People Cannot Stop Talking About
Ask anyone who has eaten at Murry’s what they remember most, and a surprising number of them say the bread pudding before they even mention the catfish. That is a bold finish for a dessert at a place famous for its main courses.
The pudding is rich, perfectly sweet, and served with a butter-based sauce that pulls the whole thing together. One description floating around mentions notes of rum sauce that taste like something between a Southern grandmother’s recipe and a professional pastry kitchen.
Stanley Young reportedly makes it himself, which adds a personal touch that shows in every bite.
With 19 separate mentions in customer reviews, the bread pudding is the second most-discussed item on the menu after catfish. That kind of repeat attention from diners is not accidental.
Skipping dessert here would be a genuine mistake, and the staff will probably tell you so with a smile before you even ask for the check.
The Rest of the Menu Holds Its Own
Catfish gets the headlines, but the menu at Murry’s has enough range to keep everyone at the table happy. The chicken fried steak is hand-battered by Stanley Young himself and served with white gravy, which already puts it in a different category from most versions you will find at chain restaurants.
The onion rings are sweet, crispy, and lightly battered in a way that lets the actual onion flavor come through instead of hiding it under a thick shell. The coleslaw is made fresh and described as tangy, which balances the richness of the fried items well.
Beyond that, the menu includes ribeye, T-bone steak, hamburger steak, steak and shrimp scampi, fried shrimp with a hot and spicy option, grilled chicken, quail dinner, frog leg dinner, and hush puppies. The seafood platter combining shrimp, catfish, and crab cake is another popular order.
There is enough variety here that repeat visits never feel repetitive.
An Atmosphere That Feels Like Sunday Dinner
The inside of Murry’s is not trying to impress anyone with design. Wooden tables, simple chairs, and rustic decor create a setting that feels more like a family dining room than a formal restaurant, and that is entirely the point.
The staff greets regulars by name and has been known to offer hugs before the menus even come out. First-time visitors often report feeling like they have been coming here for years within minutes of sitting down.
That kind of warmth is hard to manufacture and impossible to fake.
Stanley Young’s personality is a big part of what sets the atmosphere. He moves through the dining room with the ease of someone who genuinely enjoys having people around, and that energy carries into every interaction his staff has with guests.
Tables of ten or twelve are welcomed without hesitation, and the kitchen works to make sure everyone feels taken care of. Some guests have celebrated weddings, reunions, and retirement parties here, and the restaurant handles all of it with the same unhurried grace.
Awards That Confirm What Locals Already Knew
Long before any publication took notice, the people who grew up eating at Murry’s already had strong opinions about the food. The national recognition that followed simply confirmed what four generations of loyal diners had been saying for decades.
In 2020, Murry’s Restaurant was inducted into the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame, which is one of the most meaningful honors a restaurant in the state can receive. That recognition placed it alongside institutions that have shaped Arkansas food culture in lasting ways.
Southern Living Magazine’s designation of the catfish as the best in America brought attention from food travelers well beyond the state’s borders. Garden and Gun’s inclusion of the restaurant among the 50 best Southern foods added another layer of credibility from a publication that takes Southern culinary tradition seriously.
For a restaurant with no official website and no social media presence to speak of, that kind of reach is remarkable. The food does all the talking, and apparently it is quite persuasive.
Duck Season and the Hunting Crowd
The Arkansas Delta is serious duck hunting territory, and Murry’s has a long-standing connection to that culture. Stanley Young is himself an avid duck hunter and guide, which means the restaurant has always had a natural link to the hunters who pass through the region each season.
During duck season, the dining room fills with hunters who have been out in the fields since before sunrise and are ready for a meal that matches the energy they put into the morning. The hearty portions and straightforward cooking style fit that crowd perfectly.
Many of Stanley’s regular hunting companions have become regular restaurant customers, and that overlap between his two passions has built a loyal base that returns year after year. Non-hunters are equally welcome, of course, and the seasonal crowd simply adds another layer of local character to the dining room.
It is one of those places where you might end up sharing a table story with someone whose family has been coming here since the 1970s.
No Website, No Cards, No Shortcuts
Murry’s Restaurant operates on its own terms, and those terms are refreshingly straightforward. The restaurant accepts cash only, no credit cards, no debit cards.
That single policy surprises more than a few first-time visitors, so planning ahead is genuinely important.
The hours are equally selective. Currently, the restaurant opens on Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. only.
Those four hours, twice a week, are when everything happens. Tables fill up fast, and some guests arrive early to secure their spot.
There is no official website and no official social media page, which means word of mouth and food publications have done all the marketing for decades. For a place that has been recognized nationally, the absence of a digital footprint is almost a statement in itself.
The food is good enough that people find it anyway, drive out to the middle of the Delta, and bring cash. That level of commitment from diners says more about the restaurant than any website ever could.
Tips for Making the Most of Your Visit
A visit to Murry’s rewards a little preparation. Showing up on a Friday or Saturday evening between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. is the only window available, so plan your travel schedule around those hours rather than hoping for flexibility.
Bring enough cash to cover the full meal, including dessert, because the bread pudding is not something you want to skip due to a budgeting miscalculation. ATMs in rural Hazen are not guaranteed, so stopping in a larger town beforehand is a smart move.
Arriving early in the evening tends to mean shorter waits. The restaurant fills quickly, and larger groups have been known to call ahead at +1 870-255-3266 to give the kitchen a heads-up.
The drive from Little Rock takes roughly an hour, and from Memphis it is a similar stretch, making it a reasonable day-trip destination for food-focused travelers in either direction. The combination of great food and genuine hospitality makes the planning effort feel completely worthwhile.
Why People Keep Coming Back for Generations
Four generations of some families have eaten at Murry’s Restaurant. That is not a casual statistic.
It means grandparents brought their children, those children brought their own kids, and now grandchildren are showing up with the next generation in tow, all for the same catfish and bread pudding.
The restaurant has hosted wedding rehearsal dinners, retirement parties, high school reunions, and ordinary Tuesday-night cravings that turned into traditions. The consistency of the food and the warmth of the family behind it have created a kind of loyalty that most restaurants never achieve in their entire run.
Stanley Young and his family have built something that goes beyond a good meal. They have created a place where people mark time, celebrate milestones, and feel connected to something genuinely rooted in the Delta.
The restaurant’s 4.6-star rating across 121 reviews reflects that sustained quality. Some places are worth seeking out once.
Murry’s is the kind of place that quietly becomes a part of your own story.
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