Tom Jenkins’ Bar-B-Q photo
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For 36 years, Tom Jenkins’ Bar-B-Q has been the kind of place you could smell before you could see. A true Fort Lauderdale institution, its wood-smoked perfume often drifted down U.S. 1, drawing in generations of locals for St. Louis ribs, pulled pork, smoky chicken, and sides that tasted exactly like the Sunday dinners many grew up on. But this month, the beloved barbecue landmark will close for good, marking the end of an era that Broward diners never imagined would come.
The announcement went out quietly. According to the Sun Sentinel, its owners left handwritten farewell notes taped to the door, and shared a closing message online, and it immediately sent shockwaves across the community. Longtime customers flooded the restaurant with calls, stopping by in disbelief and lining up for one last taste before the final day on Sunday, December 21. For so many people, Tom Jenkins’ was not just a restaurant. It was tradition. It was comfort. It was Fort Lauderdale.
The restaurant left the following statement on its website: “After two years of careful planning, effective December 21, 2025, we have decided to retire and close the doors of Tom Jenkins’ Bar-B-Q. We want to thank all our customers for all these years of loyal support. It has been an honor to serve you and the community. This has been a journey full of love blessed by God, and we are certainly grateful. Thank you again, and may God continue to bless you and your families!”
Tom Jenkins’ Bar-B-Q photo
A History Rooted in Faith, Friendship, and Southern Roots
According to the restaurant’s longtime website, Tom Jenkins’ Bar-B-Q originated in 1996, founded by friends and pitmasters Harry Harrell and Gary Torrence. Both men shared a deep love for Southern cooking.
Before opening a permanent location, in 1990, the friends sold barbecue sauce and barbecue meats at local festivals and farmers’ markets in a trailer across Fort Lauderdale. Their slow-smoked meats and homemade sauce quickly developed a cult following, the kind that grows only when people taste something that reminds them of home. That momentum eventually allowed them to open their brick-and-mortar on South Federal Highway, where they have now operated for more than 35 years.
In 2020, New Times readers named Tom Jenkins’ the Best Barbecue in the Readers’ Choice awards, cementing its status as one of South Florida’s most cherished dining institutions.
Tom Jenkins’ Bar-B-Q photo
A Legacy That Will Outlast Its Final Day
What kept people returning year after year was simple. The ribs were slow-smoked until tender. The pulled pork was juicy and deeply flavored. The chicken had that perfect hit of wood and smoke. And the sauce, their not-so-secret secret, tied everything together with a tangy sweetness people would happily bottle if they could.
Tom Jenkins’ closing feels devastating because spots like this are not supposed to vanish. They anchor a city. They shape its food story. They make it feel like home. And long after December 21, Fort Lauderdale will still be telling the story of the barbecue house built from faith, friendship, and family recipes that fed this community for decades.
Tom Jenkins’ Bar-B-Q. 1236 Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale; 954-522-5046; tomjenkinsbbq.net. Closing on Sunday, December 21.
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