Elihue Washington Jr.

Elihue Washington Jr. is the longtime proprietor of Lassis Inn, the historic catfish restaurant in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he has operated the business since 1989. The restaurant was recognized by the James Beard Foundation as an America’s Classic in 2020 while under the ownership of Elihue Washington Jr. and Maria Washington. In 2024, Washington became publicly associated with an attempted sale of the restaurant, then filed suit to void the deal and later settled the dispute in his favor.