[[{“value”:”Everyone has a favorite style of barbecue, from Memphis-style to Texas. But barbecue has traditionally been associated with independent, locally owned restaurants. During the ’70s, ’80s, and beyond, barbecue chains worked to bring those flavors and experiences to a much wider audience. These are the chains that were racking up ribs — and fans — during the golden age of American dining.
Tony Roma’s
When Tony Roma opened his namesake restaurant in 1972 in Miami, Florida, it was a steak and burger joint. But not long after, head chef David Smith grilled up some ribs served with his own custom barbecue sauce. They were such a hit, the restaurant formed its identity around them, and Dallas Cowboys owner Clint Murchison loved them so much he bought franchise rights in 1976. By the 1980s, the chain had more than 120 United States locations and dozens of international ones. Today, there are only six Tony Roma’s restaurants in the U.S., and around 30 international locations.
Luther’s Bar-B-Q
Luther’s Bar-B-Q was founded in Houston, Texas, in 1975. The first location resembled a General Store, featuring a large front porch and polished wood floors while customers were served in a cafeteria-style line. The stockbroker-turned-restaurateur owner wanted to turn Luther’s into a chain, since most barbecue restaurants were local, family-owned businesses. As he built the chain, the new locations were given drive-throughs, a novelty for barbecue restaurants. The business grew to several states in the 1990s and changed hands several times, the last sale to Pappas Restaurants in 2005. All locations were rebranded or closed by 2007. In 2026, the Luther’s naming rights were acquired with a goal of bringing back the business with a new modern approach to barbecue while honoring the Texas legacy.
Bobby Rubino’s Place for Ribs
Before opening his own restaurant, Bobby Rubino helped launch Tony Roma’s. A few years later, in 1978, he started Bobby Rubino’s Place for Ribs in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He opened another location in Pompano Beach a year later, which kicked off a rapid expansion across several U.S. states and internationally as the restaurant became known for its baby back ribs and onion loaf, a signature appetizer that formed a stack of onion rings into a loaf shape. Competition from other restaurants shrank the chain through the ’90s and 2000s. The final location — the original Pompano Beach restaurant — closed its doors in 2022.
Red Hot & Blue
This barbecue chain had an unusual beginning: It was started by lawmakers and staffers in D.C. because they missed authentic Memphis-style barbecue. Then-Tennessee Congressman Don Sundquist, his staffers Wendell Moore and Joel Wood, PBS White House Correspondent Bob Friedman, and political strategist Lee Atwater banded together to found Red Hot & Blue in Arlington, Virginia, in 1988. They paired their hickory-smoked barbecue with blues, soul, and R&B music, making the restaurant both a bipartisan meeting spot and magnet for music icons. The chain grew across 14 states before experiencing ownership changes and financial struggles. There are only three locations left.
Smokey Bones
Smokey Bones may be a more recent barbecue chain, but since all its restaurants are gone now, all we have left is nostalgia. Smokey Bones started in 1999 in Florida by Darden Restaurants, Inc., the same company that owns Olive Garden and Red Lobster. Known for its smoked-for-11-hours pork and mountain lodge decor, the chain grew to nearly 130 restaurants in the early 2000s. Slumping sales led to the closure of nearly half of the locations while the rest were sold in 2007. The chain was acquired again in 2023 by FAT Brands, but bankruptcy led to the remaining locations closing down in 2026.
The post If You Remember These 5 Barbecue Chains, You Grew Up in the Golden Age of American Dining appeared first on Eat This Not That.”}]]