Arkansas' Lively College Town Is An Underrated Escape With Vintage Finds, Southern Flavors, And Fishing

The Arkansas Delta stretches across the southeast corner of the state, dotted with 15 counties that feel suspended somewhere between past and present. This is where you'll find the melodious trail that will take you into the heartland of American music, among many other unique destinations. However, it's also where Arkansas' small college towns like Monticello have been perfecting their own brand of Southern charm for over a century.

Monticello is about an hour's drive from Pine Bluff, but it also has its own tiny municipal airport — Ellis Field (KLLQ) — only 2 miles from its central business district, so slipping into its orbit can be easy depending on where you're coming from. The whole place feels devastatingly easy to romanticize, carrying that distinct feel of a Polaroid that never quite faded. One can almost imagine living inside a sepia-toned photograph in Monticello, although the University of Arkansas, anchoring the town, gives it a refreshingly youthful energy.

Give in to that lull — Monticello wants you to. Spend your morning at Market in the Park, where you can browse through vintage finds and fresh produce that local growers and makers set out. Follow that with a soul food lunch that's nourishment for the soul in every sense of the word, and if the day stretches on, all the better. There's a lake just outside town where anglers swear the bass are worth the trip, but you don't need to cast a line to feel the ease of it.

Monticello leans hard into Southern cooking, and if you're here, then you should too. You could honestly close your eyes and point in any direction down Monticello's main drag and land somewhere worth eating. This town is rife with family-owned kitchens that have been perfecting their recipes for generations. But there are certain places that locals will send you to without hesitation. Annie's Soul Food Kitchen is one such place. This homestyle restaurant on Broadway is a local staple that has mastered the art of comfort food. Yelp reviewers sing praises about the tender chicken that falls right off the bone, along with other classics like the waffles and catfish. Portions are also substantial in that distinctly Southern way.

If you're in the mood for good barbecue, you're in the right state. Arkansas has no shortage of must-try stops, including Marianna, a Delta town making a name for itself with world-class barbecue. Monticello holds its own with Ray's, a local restaurant that's been feeding the town since 1964. Three generations of the Ray family have kept this place running, serving burgers and barbecue that earned it a spot as a finalist in the 2024 Arkansas Food Hall of Fame. The menu spans from their famous burgers and barbecue to catfish and fried pies that locals swear by. For something more casual, 3 Heathens' BBQ & Catering operates as a food stall but delivers restaurant-quality results — their racks in particular are universally loved by locals.

Just outside town sits a 1,520-acre lake that opened in 1997 and has quickly earned a reputation as one of Arkansas's premier bass fishing destinations. Lake Monticello holds the record for some of the state's largest bass catches, which is precisely the kind of claim that gets fishing enthusiasts driving from all over the region. The lake was originally planned as a water reservoir, but it turns out the bass had other ideas.

The setup here is properly thought out, with two concrete boat ramps and designated areas for different activities. You'll find one ramp at Harris Road next to Harold West Park on the east side, and another on the west side accessible from Highway 35. Beyond the fishing, the lake doubles as a wildlife observation spot where you can catch glimpses of deer, quail, and various bird species in their natural habitat.

Lake Monticello is just the start — Arkansas is stacked with under-the-radar spots to keep the momentum going. One underrated pick is Woolly Hollow State Park for its swimming, fishing, boating, and hiking. The best part about this state is that once you start looking, you'll find these hidden gems scattered throughout the entire Arkansas Delta region.