This Barbecue Restaurant’s Secret Sauce Recipe Locked Away

Discover the story behind McClard’s Bar-B-Q, a beloved Arkansas restaurant with a secret sauce recipe hidden in a bank vault.

At McClard’s Bar-B-Q in Hot Springs, Arkansas, one family recipe is considered so valuable that it’s locked away in a bank vault. This nearly century-old barbecue institution has been serving customers since 1928, and four generations of the McClard family have helped preserve the restaurant’s traditions.

Among those traditions, the recipe for the signature barbecue sauce is the most tightly guarded. This sauce helped transform a roadside tourist station into one of Arkansas’ most cherished dining spots. According to the restaurant, founders Alex and Gladys McClard operated the Westside Tourist Court, which included a gas station and diner, during the late 1920s.

The story goes that when a traveler passing through couldn’t pay the roughly $10 owed after a two-month stay, he offered a recipe instead—claiming it was for “the world’s greatest barbecue sauce.” The McClards accepted the recipe, thinking it better than nothing and soon realized it lived up to the man’s promise. They began tailoring it to suit their tastes, and before long, the barbecue business flourished as the standout attraction of their tourist court.

Reviewers describe the sauce as hot and spicy, built on a rich, vinegary base that provides a tangy bite. They note it resembles traditional Carolina barbecue sauces more than those found in Texas or Kansas City.

McClard’s Bar-B-Q opened in 1928 and moved to its current location in 1942. Rather than keeping the iconic barbecue sauce recipe in the restaurant itself, the handwritten recipe remains stored within a safety deposit box at a downtown Hot Springs bank, ensuring it stays protected for future generations.

The restaurant continues to prepare its sides using time-honored family recipes, which have attracted loyal customers for generations, including some notable figures. Former President Bill Clinton, who spent much of his childhood in Hot Springs, remained a devoted patron long after leaving the state. He was known for enjoying the restaurant’s spicy sauce, tamale spread, and chicken wings.

Reports suggest that while he was president, McClard’s ribs were flown to Washington, D.C. on Air Force One, and they even made their way to Camp David, the presidential retreat located in the Catoctin Mountains.

The McClard family asserts that the new generation of ownership continues to enjoy great success. Each week, the restaurant serves 7,000 pounds of hickory-smoked beef, pork, and ribs, alongside 250 gallons each of spicy barbecue beans and cole slaw, as well as 3,000 hand-rolled hot tamales and 3,000 pounds of fries.

What began as a settlement for an unpaid motel bill has blossomed into one of Arkansas’ enduring culinary traditions, with the McClard family determined to keep its secrets tightly under wraps.