Shake Shack top dog at ‘Cookin’ Cats’

Shake Shack top dog at ‘Cookin’ Cats’

Tackers win first place at ASU Mid- South competition

news@theeveningtimes.com

Jeff and Mark Tacker never expected they would end up winning their first fried catfish competition.

Arkansas State Mid-South had asked Jeff to enter the competition last year, but he didn’t think they were ready.

They didn’t have the equipment and weren’t mobile.

“We didn’t feel confident at all that we could do it,” Jeff said. “We had to borrow a pot and a burner, and were just ill prepared for competition. But we ended up winning.”

The father and son duo who run Big John’s Shake Shack in Marion kept it simple and ended up besting about six other teams at the ASU Mid-South “Runnin’ Dogs & Cookin’ Cats” 5K and catfish cook-off on ASU

Oct. 1.

While other teams prepared their filets using spicy or mustard-based combinations, the Tackers went with their “secret” family recipe which was developed by their mother, Loretta.

The Shake Shack has been serving catfish to diners since the mid-1980s. In fact, the catfish buffet on Friday is their busiest day of the week.

Visitors constantly leave notes next to a map of the United States full of pins showing where customers have traveled from complementing

the catfish or the

burgers or shakes.

“We stuck with the original recipe,” Mark Tacker said. “We just kept it simple with flour and corn meal and our special seasoning. I think that is what sets it apart from everybody

else’s.”

The duo also won first place in the fried anything category for Mark’s fried Oreo and fried Nutty Butter, and second place for their catfish po’ boy.

“Mark is the one who did all the work,” Jeff said. “He battered the fish frys and put it all together.”

Jeff and Mark are now the second and third generation to carry on the tradition at Big John’s.

Jeff first started going to the restaurant when he was just six years old and worked alongside his father “Big John” into his teens.

He moved away for 20 years to do missionary work in Togo, West Africa and also served as a youth pastor in Oxford, Miss., Shreveport, Louisiana, and San Antonio, Texas.

He came back in 2011 and was a principal at West Memphis Christian, but stepped away a year-and-ahalf ago to return to the family business.

“This has been my life,” Jeff said. “It’s all I know.

And what I love most about it is seeing all the people who are impacted by this place. Just about every day somebody will come in and tell me a story about my dad, or how their mom used to bring them by, and just the memories of people.”

He’s delighted that his son has shown an interest in carrying on the family tradition.

“I’m hoping the third generation will take Shake Shack to a whole new level,” Jeff said.

Mark first started working in the kitchen at age 16 and now, at 20, has been instrumental in helping to expand the business.

It was Mark who two years ago convinced the

family to open on Saturdays,

and has come up with

many new menu items.

Mark has dreams of his own of someday owning his own restaurant.

“I do have plans to go do missionary work,” Mark said. “But I will always come back.”

Right now they are busy with plans to add more seating and maybe even open up a food truck.

“We’re looking to see what is around and get in to it more,” Jeff said.

And while social media like Facebook and Trip Advisor are helping spread the word about Big John’s, Jeff said he is still holding out hope that the Food Channel will discover Shake Shack and decide to come and feature the place on its “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” television show.

Uncle Lou’s Fried Chicken, a Memphis favorite,

was featured on the

show and business has never been the same since.

“Uncle Lou said he had to start opening on Sunday’s because he has so many people just from that show,” Jeff said.

By Mark Randall