TV Restaurants

What Happened to Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque? (Stillwater, MN)

Closed verified

As of September 2026, Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque has closed — confirmed via startribune.com, January 2018.

Primary source
startribune.com ·
Secondary source
startribune.com ·

Last verified

What the source shows: The Star Tribune reported that Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque and Pirate Bar, open since 2008, closed in January 2018 after owner Tim McKee and chef Shawn Smalley decided to end the venture.

  • Season / episode Season 14, Episode 6
  • Original air date
  • Address 423 Main St S, Stillwater, MN 55082

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What happened after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque in the 'Unexpected Eats' episode, aired 2012-05-07, spotlighting the Stillwater, Minnesota restaurant's Caribbean-inspired smoked barbecue. Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque and Pirate Bar had operated on Main Street South in downtown Stillwater since 2008, combining a barbecue kitchen with a pirate-themed bar. According to the Star Tribune (2018-01), owner Tim McKee and chef Shawn Smalley closed the restaurant after nearly a decade in business, with McKee citing recent struggles as the reason for ending the venture. A companion Star Tribune article on the closure, published the same month, referred to the business by its full name, Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque and Pirate Bar. No source found describes a reopening or successor business at the Main Street address.

On the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives episode 'Crazy for Chicken' (aired 2014-04-18), Guy Fieri returned to Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque and Pirate Bar in Stillwater. According to FlavortownUSA.com, Fieri called out the jerk pork tacos, topped with a grilled scallion aioli, and the slow-smoked jerk chicken, alongside the restaurant's Triple Six Wings. Smalley's opened in 2008 serving American-style takes on Caribbean barbecue, including jerk chicken, brisket, and wings, and had already appeared on the show once before, in an 'unexpected eats' segment in 2012. The 2014 visit focused on the restaurant's chicken preparations for the episode's chicken theme.

Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

Season / episode
Season 14, Episode 6
Original air date
Episode title
Unexpected Eats
What was featured
Caribbean-inspired smoked barbecue
Role
Featured restaurant
Name on the broadcast
Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque
Season / episode
Season 19, Episode 14
Original air date
Episode title
Crazy for Chicken
What was featured
Jerk pork tacos, jerk chicken, and Triple Six Wings
Role
Featured restaurant
Name on the broadcast
Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque

Frequently asked questions

Is Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque still open in 2026?

As of September 2026, Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque has closed — confirmed via startribune.com, January 2018.

What happened to Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque in the 'Unexpected Eats' episode, aired 2012-05-07, spotlighting the Stillwater, Minnesota restaurant's Caribbean-inspired smoked barbecue. As of September 2026, Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque has closed — confirmed via startribune.com, January 2018.

Is Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque permanently closed?

As of September 2026, Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque has closed — confirmed via startribune.com, January 2018. We publish a closure only with a dated source behind it, and we say plainly when it has not been independently confirmed.

Where is Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque located?

423 Main St S, Stillwater, MN 55082. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.

What season and episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque?

Season 14, Episode 6 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, first aired May 7, 2012. The episode is titled “Unexpected Eats”.

Every status on this site carries a confidence label and a date, and names the source it rests on. Read the Editorial & Corrections Policy for what each label means and how quickly we act on corrections. The questions above are generated from this record's own published fields — we never publish a question we cannot answer from the data.

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Visit info

Address
423 Main St S, Stillwater, MN 55082
Venue type
restaurant
Official website
None found

Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.

Sources

  • startribune.com — https://www.startribune.com/smalley-s-caribbean-barbeque-closing-after-almost-a-decade-in-stillwater/468822343
  • startribune.com — https://www.startribune.com/bye-bye-to-pirate-bar/469406773
  • flavortownusa.com — https://www.flavortownusa.com/locations/519/smalleys-caribbean-barbeque
  • dinersdriveinsdives.com — https://www.dinersdriveinsdives.com/Smalleys-Caribbean-Barbeque-and-Pirate-Bar-Stillwater-MN

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