Buckhead BBQ in the Buckhead Village has closed. The restaurant, located at 25 Irby Avenue, opened June 1, 2017, according to its Facebook page, and quietly closed within the past few days. Last week the restaurant updated its facebook page to reflect that they are a catering only business. This tweak was the only "comment" from the restaurant which kept such irregular hours that it was difficult to know when they were open. No notice regarding the restaurant's closure was made either on location or on its facebook page.
Edward D. S. Kenimer, III, Managing Partner & Pit Master, and his father and fellow pit master Edward D. Kenimer, Jr. were at the restaurant regularly, when it was open. The duo's specialty was "East Georgia BBQ." While the construction around the restaurant and limited parking surely made running a restaurant challenging, the owners did themselves no favors in failing to offer a "brown bag special" or something of the sort to the large captive construction worker population or the growing number of apartment residents in the area.
The Kenimers did not own the land on which their restaurant was located. Fulton County tax records indicate that the .06 acre site is owned by Mitchell Brannen, Chairman & CEO of real estate firm NAI Brannen Goddard. Tax records further indicate that the property was purchased by Brannen in 1999 for $100,000.
Prior to Buckhead BBQ's 2017 debut, the building was home to One Star Ranch, another popular barbecue eatery, and before that, Texas State Line, yet another barbecue restaurant.
The small restaurant building, roughly 1,300 square feet according to county records, was built in 1955 and according to locals, has operated as some type of restaurant for much, if not all, of its existence.
In 2018, Fulton County valued theland on which the restaurant is located at $113,200 and the building itself at $52,500, for a combined value of $165,700.
As can be seen in the photos, the building was in close quarters to Gentry, a new high-rise apartment building currently under construction. Work on the upcoming 21 story, 290 unit multifamily development began last year, shortly after work on nearby Hanover Buckhead Village was completed. The developer reportedly made an offer to purchase the restaurant site, but the parties were unable to come to terms on a purchase price.
There is no word yet on what may happen to the space, but someone, likely one of the developers of the multiple projects underway, has wasted no time in getting two large power poles installed in front of the restaurant.
For those seeking barbecue in or near Buckhead, we recommend checking out:
The Greater Good BBQ - 4441 Roswell Road (Chastain Park)
Lovie's BBQ - 3421 Piedmont Road (Buckhead)
Fat Matt's Rib Shack - 1811 Piedmont Avenue (Piedmont Heights)
Are you surprised that Buckhead BBQ has closed? What is your favorite BBQ joint in Buckhead? What would you like to see open in place of Buckhead BBQ in Buckhead Village?
Please share your thoughts below.