A beloved Texas restaurant that became a fixture for generations of diners has served its final meals. After eight decades in business, the family-owned institution is closing as its longtime owner prepares to retire.
Barbecue Inn closes after eight decades
Barbecue Inn, a longtime Houston restaurant and Oak Forest institution, closed after dinner service on August 1, 2026, ending an 80-year run.
Barbecue Inn opened in 1946 when Louis and Nell Skrehot converted a small house on West Crosstimbers Street into a restaurant. What began as a barbecue operation eventually expanded into a full-service restaurant known for fried chicken, seafood, steaks, and other Southern comfort food. The business remained in the Skrehot family for three generations.
For decades, Barbecue Inn was known for its nostalgic atmosphere, red leather booths, old-fashioned servers’ uniforms, and made-to-order fried chicken. Although barbecue was in the restaurant’s name, its fried chicken became one of its most recognizable dishes and earned national praise from publications including Travel + Leisure and Food & Wine.
Owner retires amid rising costs
At 86 years old, Skrehot decided it was finally time to retire. He also pointed to the rising cost of operating a restaurant as a major factor in the decision.
Skrehot said the restaurant industry has changed dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic, with food and other expenses climbing significantly. After decades of running the family business, he said the economics of continuing had become increasingly difficult.
Barbecue Inn was operated by three generations of the Skrehot family. Skrehot’s son had worked at the restaurant for about 15 years before its closure, continuing a family tradition that stretched across most of the restaurant’s history.
Another Houston institution disappears
The closure comes during a challenging period for longtime Houston restaurants. Other established eateries, including Istanbul Grill, Paulie’s, and Rudi Lechner’s, have also recently closed, while Picos is preparing to shut down later this year.
For generations of Houston diners, however, Barbecue Inn’s closure represents something more personal: the loss of a restaurant that had been part of the city’s food scene since 1946.
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