Springdale has one of the most interesting food scenes in Arkansas, driven almost entirely by its large Latin American immigrant community. The poultry industry attracted workers from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras beginning in the 1980s, and their presence has produced a concentration of authentic Central American and Mexican restaurants that would be unremarkable in Los Angeles but is genuinely surprising in the Arkansas Ozarks.
Emma Avenue is the main corridor for Latin food — taquerias, pupuserias, and carnicerías line several blocks and most operate on a cash-only basis. The quality is consistently good and the prices are well below anything comparable in a major city.