TV Restaurants

What Happened to Bludso's BBQ After Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?

Closed verified

As of September 2026, Bludso's BBQ has closed — confirmed via Time Out, November 17, 2016.

Primary source
timeout.com ·
Secondary source
Yelp ·

Last verified

What the source shows: News coverage confirms the original Compton pit closed permanently in November 2016 after a lease dispute, while the packet's geocoded match was actually a separate sister restaurant in Los Angeles.

  • Season / episode Season 17, Episode 6
  • Original air date
  • Address 811 South Long Beach Boulevard, Compton, CA 90221

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What happened after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Bludso's BBQ in the episode "Kings and Queens of 'Cue," aired 2013-05-27, spotlighting pitmaster Kevin Bludso's Texas-style smoked brisket and barbecue plates. Bludso's BBQ was a barbecue restaurant at 811 South Long Beach Boulevard in Compton, California, operating there since 2008. According to Time Out Los Angeles, the Compton location closed permanently in November 2016 after Bludso could not reach a new lease agreement with the building's owner. The outlet reported that Bludso planned to focus on pop-ups and catering while his separate Bludso's Bar & Que restaurant on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles kept operating. A Yelp listing updated in September 2026 continues to mark the Compton address as permanently closed. The 2013 episode captured the pit in its original Compton storefront, a separate address from the still-operating La Brea Avenue restaurant.

Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

Season / episode
Season 17, Episode 6
Original air date
Episode title
Kings and Queens of 'Cue
What was featured
Texas-style smoked brisket and barbecue plates at the original Compton pit
Role
Featured restaurant
Name on the broadcast
Bludso's BBQ

Frequently asked questions

Is Bludso's BBQ still open in 2026?

As of September 2026, Bludso's BBQ has closed — confirmed via Time Out, November 17, 2016.

What happened to Bludso's BBQ after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Bludso's BBQ in the episode "Kings and Queens of 'Cue," aired 2013-05-27, spotlighting pitmaster Kevin Bludso's Texas-style smoked brisket and barbecue plates. As of September 2026, Bludso's BBQ has closed — confirmed via Time Out, November 17, 2016.

Is Bludso's BBQ permanently closed?

As of September 2026, Bludso's BBQ has closed — confirmed via Time Out, November 17, 2016. We publish a closure only with a dated source behind it, and we say plainly when it has not been independently confirmed.

Where is Bludso's BBQ located?

811 South Long Beach Boulevard, Compton, CA 90221. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.

What season and episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Bludso's BBQ?

Season 17, Episode 6 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, first aired May 27, 2013. The episode is titled “Kings and Queens of 'Cue”.

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Visit info

Address
811 South Long Beach Boulevard, Compton, CA 90221
Venue type
restaurant
Official website
None found

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Sources

  • timeout.com — https://www.timeout.com/los-angeles/blog/nobody-freak-out-bludsos-bbq-in-compton-has-closed-111716
  • Yelp — https://www.yelp.com/biz/bludsos-bbq-compton

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Record ddd-0602 · last verified .