A downtown Little Rock restaurant is giving its November Burger of the Month a distinctly local flavor, naming the dish after one of the city’s most recognizable faces on TV. Hazel’s Public House in the River Market is serving up “The Big Yak,” a burger built to honor KARK 4 Chief Meteorologist Todd Yakoubian, with the special running throughout the month.
According to KARK, the burger features one fresh all-beef patty, Yak sauce, lettuce, cheese, house pickles and onion, all stacked on a sesame seed bun. The restaurant’s menu describes the creation as “a Hazel’s original inspired by Little Rock’s favorite weather guy, Todd Yakoubian, and a certain fast-food classic,” a nod to that classic.
A River Market Staple With a Growing Burger Lineup
Hazel’s Public House sits at 225 E. Markham St. in the heart of the River Market district, in a storefront that previously housed Big Whiskey’s for 16 years before that restaurant closed in 2024, per the same KARK report. The space has since become home to Hazel’s, which the Arkansas Times notes is the brainchild of Allsopp & Chapple owners Eric Carter and Jay Cowley.
The menu leans into classic American comfort food, with the Arkansas Times reporting that Hazel’s focuses on burgers, sandwiches, salads and a selection of house-baked pies. The Big Yak joins an already playful rotation of specialty burgers at the restaurant, including the Fun Guy, a mushroom Swiss burger mentioned by KATV.
Honoring a Familiar Face on Arkansas Screens
Yakoubian serves as KARK 4’s chief meteorologist, a role that has made him a familiar presence for Little Rock viewers tuning in for their daily forecast. Turning that recognition into a namesake burger is a lighthearted way for Hazel’s to tie its monthly special to someone locals already see as part of their routine.
For now, diners curious about The Big Yak can find it on the menu through the end of November, giving River Market regulars and burger fans plenty of time to see what all the fuss is about.
