Emma Lee’s

This first trip of visiting Emma Lee's was simply beautiful and amazing. It's a family attraction and everyone is so friendly and thoughtful. The food is very delicious. As stated on their business card: "Emma Lee was Courtney Sanders grandmother. She had a passion for cooking for people in the neighborhood. She also loved cooking for the less fortunate and those unable to prepare their own. Every dish was served with love and you can taste it. Before she died, she gave her secret recipes to Courtney. These family recipes are shared with the community thus continually sharing her legacy. They want you to come and taste the love and make you feel at home" If you hadn't visited this wonderful family owned restaurant, you will definitely need to make the trip. We definitely will be going back over and over again!!!! This married couple are teachers during the week and continue their dedication to the community on the weekends. They both definitely fit the scripture " We are our brothers keeper"!!!!

If you're in Hot Springs over the weekend stop here. The food is fantastic, the staff is friendly, and the portions are generous. The sampler platter is the way to go, 3 meats and 5 sides! I could eat their fried chicken for days, it is perfect.

The coveted five ⭐ stars. I would consider this one of those hole in the wall places you see on the food channel where they give rave reviews about the food and staff. This is family run business that operates on all cylinders. We came on a Sunday and we were immediately greeted by their children at the door. They had impeccable manners. Once you stepped inside, you were greeted by the smell of Southern cooking. The smells of freshly cooked collard greens to smoked ribs to ox tails. I knew right there I wanted to try everything on the menu. I opted for the Ox tails with yellow rice, corn bread, collard greens, and macaroni and cheese. My wife got the meat loaf, collard greens, and candied yams. The staff was super friendly and gave us portion sizes meant for royalty. The prices were very reasonable. We sat down and the owner came out to ask how the food was. I have had some great ox tails in Birmingham, Alabama but hers was the best ever. All of the food was was extremely good and made for a great Sunday lunch for my wife and I. We will definitely be back.. my only complaint was the bottled drinks and parking. I love an all you can drink fountain drink option and I would love if there was more parking.

Great food, super friendly family owned and operated. A hidden gem. We were there for Thanksgiving dinner. The buffet had more to offer besides the standard turkey and dressing. We'll probably never cook at home for the holidays again.

Really great family owned and operated Southern Soul Food restaurant. The family is so nice and accommodating. The food is great. I would recommend checking what is the menu for the day before going. Don't show up to find out they don't have what you want that day.

Emma Lee's is a family owned restaurant that provides a very high quality homemade food. Recipes have been in the family for generations. The delicious food aside, we really had a good time talking to the kind family.

Got catfish, dirty rice & gumbo. Everything was delicious, hot & homemade. The staff & owner were very nice. Would recommend to anyone who loves soulfood.

I did not get the full palte, but wish I had after eating. Sooo good! The fish was cooked to perfection and I had my eye on the chicken because it looked amazing. I will definitely be going back for more next time I go to hotsprings!

Came here for New Year's Dinner last minute as they we're the only place with genuine food and of course happy to support a black owned restaurant. Very family oriented which we love but this leads to slow service. This would have been ok if they didn't run out of food items, but it's so good that it makes sense. They invited us back the next day to make up for it but we're closed so hoping they can do so next time our group comes back!

It hit the spot for what I needed...love this place! Will be returning once back in town. Highly recommend!!

Food was delicious and the staff was so polite and positive and when we got in they greeted us and they kept checking on us and the best prices.and the place is so nice and the food is very fresh.

This place and the family that own it deserve more than 5 stars but I am limited by Yelp. We arrived at this family restaurant about ten minutes before they closed on a Saturday and they were so kind and welcoming. The food was amazing and just like grandma used to make. You could tell real love and care went into the cooking. Our party of four had some smothered turkey, fried chicken wings, and baked chicken along with fried cabbage, Mac and cheese, roasted broccoli, and cornbread as sides. The strawberry cake was so good we ate some there and bought some to go. We also got the last of the peach cobbler and it was amazing. They change the menu throughout the week and we all said we wanted to come back and try the hamburger steak and meatloaf! So good!

In a tourist town... what business is only open 2 days a week? Emma lees! So dumb! I heard good thing , but I have not tolerance for business that are lazy! Get back to work!

Not even lying, I was holding back tears of happiness eating this food!!! We got there at opening and there was a short line outside the door, but service was excellent even with being busy immediately, and of course that meant the food was FRESH out of the kitchen. You can tell everyone who works there has a system and I think is family? Honestly I would join their family to eat this food every day. My boyfriend got the meatloaf, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and cookie pudding (like a layered banana pudding that tasted like a fluffy cloud and had the perfect ratio of cream/pudding to vanilla wafers). I got the smothered pork, green beans, and yams with a delicious, perfectly baked strawberry cake with what I'm sure was homemade icing, light and smooth and not too sweet. The pork was so juicy and savory that it just melted in your mouth. The green beans and meatloaf had the BEST seasoning. Every bite made me feel like the critic in Ratatouille who senses his inner child eating at his mom's house. The mac and cheese, corn bread, and mashed potatoes were no slouches either. They were serving Thanksgiving coziness with every morsel. The YAMS. I mean. The light crisp on the surface of the bake, the expert-level control on the cinnamon use, all brought so much warmth to my heart, and I'm pretty sure it healed my soreness from yesterday's hike. Long story short, if you're a weary traveler missing mom's home cooking, looking for a cozy meal that soothes your soul and nourishes you for the trip home, and also don't mind crying in public while eating, go to EMMA LEE'S!!!

You can't go wrong with this place-just let the staff choose your food for you! That's what I did and I can't get over how good everything was. We had meatloaf, smothered pork chops, cabbage, dressing, Mac-n-cheese, cornbread, peach cobbler AND strawberry cake and would do it again if we had any room left. They are only open on Saturday and Sunday, so plan accordingly.

Visiting this weekend for a little getaway and stopped in for the first time but definitely not the last! First, the family was so kind and welcoming! The food was outstanding! Support this business-they deserve your support and you deserve great food and friendly service.

When you walk in the door, you are stepping into this family's home. The friendliness, the food choices and the flavors are like a big hug. We will have to go back repeatedly to taste everything, but cannot imagine being disappointed by anything. Great idea for them to put the desert in a seperate container, you aren't going to have room for it with the meal!

Food had great flavor and was cooked well but our portions were very small with respect to the other diners. Mash potatoes needed more butter or creme. The greens tasted great but were ice cold and had small bones from the ham left in the greens. Doubt if we go back. Prices were fine but the meal was under valued for what we received on the plate. Didn't have a problem with the decor. Get like we were eating in her home.

This was a great southern - home cooked dining experience for my family! We learned the history of the business, signed the guestbook and met the descendants of Emma Lee! Such a blessed family! The food was simply amazing, the portions were hearty and the selections were broad! This was a great dining experience! We will return SOON! It was a hidden gem in Little Rock Arkansas!

We have been driving by this place for a while and it was never open. Finally I looked it up and saw that they are only open Saturday and Sunday, so you have to make a plan to go. Tried it yesterday, and it did not disappoint. The Mac and cheese to the yams to the peach cobbler dessert was everything I was hoping for.We will definitely go back!

If you miss this place than your missing out on the best gumbo ever as well as the catfish. Just go already

Found out about this place from the Mighty Ribs compiled list of black owned restaurants in central AR. It did not disappoint. I have been missing my favorite home cooking spot since I moved to Hot Springs from Conway and this hit the spot. Generous portions at a good price. Fried chicken was crunchy and moist, mac and cheese spot on. My fiancé had the chicken spaghetti and it was delicious as well. We'll be back soon.

Great Soul food in a simple and welcoming atmosphere! The Saturday Sampler is more than enough for two. Their Strawberry cake was totally on point!! Worth going off the beaten path for.