call us : (870) 347-1350
19751 Highway 33 South
Augusta, Arkansas
"Yes, come early and stay late, letting your tamales and steak digest while convincing George to tell stories about the politicians, musicians and other colorful characters he has known. Spring is beginning in Arkansas, and with it the desire for Friday and Saturday road trips. The drive to Gregory is a trip back in time with good food awaiting at your final destination."
Tamale Factory bringing big crowds to Gregory
With several months now under its belt, the Tamale Factory has settled into a familiar groove. Wallis and Western are able to keep up with the thousands of weekend hot-tamale orders, thanks to five hours of cooking and seasoning ground beef each week, followed by an entire day of cutting and hand-wrapping each tamale.
"I get in at 6a.m., and I'll be here until 3:30 or even 5," Western said of Wednesday tamale processing. Western has been making tamales for Eldridge for 20 years and still craves the taste of the spicy snacks. Just don't ask her for the breakdown of the spice blend. "It's
a secret, those seasonings," Western said. "That's what keeps people coming back."
A night out at the Tamale Factory is something special and you can see it in the clientele. Patrons come dressed in their best Wranglers, boots and belt buckles or they are covered head to toe in camouflage as they roll in from a long day of duck hunting. Most people arrive with groups of friends and family for a night of good food, laughter and drinks.
Still Hot On Tamales: Arkansas' continuing love affair with a Delta favorite
"Inside the door, the need for that reservation becomes clear. In a small, crowded dining room, several tables are filled with diners who've driven
90 miles or more just for dinner. And while the oversized steaks being marched out of the kitchen are a fixture at almost every table, one order
is even more ubiquitous in the 2-year-old barn-restaurant hybrid.
Almost as quickly as they're placed on the table, stacked pyramids of wax
paper-wrapped and string-tied tamales are snapped up, opened and smothered with chili and hot sauce."
Service was great, the steaks were cooked just as ordered and had a great taste, the tamales are a must have as an appetizer! They were so good I had a dozen to go! The catfish was outstanding! I will definitely go back!
Small town Arkansas loves their local joints, and one we're eager to get to is The Tamale Factory in the tiny hamlet of Gregory, a few miles east of Searcy. We've heard really good things about their steaks and tamales since they opened in early November, and owner George Eldridge said they're swarmed on Friday and Saturday nights to the point where they're now requiring reservations of groups of six or more.