The smoke will soon clear at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que.
After 25 years in Gowanus, the sprawling barbecue joint known for its ribs, live music and weekend crowds will close its Brooklyn location this spring as its lease comes to an end, the company announced this week.
“It has been an absolute honor to be welcomed into the Brooklyn community for 15 years,” Dinosaur Bar-B-Que CEO Mike Nugent said in a statement. “We’ve had a front-row seat to an incredible neighborhood, and we’re proud of the team who showed up every day to deliver great barbecue and even better hospitality.
“Most of all, we’re thankful for the guests who kept coming back hungry,” Nugent added.
For over a decade, the restaurant has been a constant in the neighborhood, with its nationally known, award-winning BBQ. Aside from the Gowanus location, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que has locations in Harlem, Rochester, Hamburg, Troy and Syracuse.
The announcement adds to a growing list of longtime local establishments facing lease turnover and shifting neighborhood economics. Local brewery Strong Rope announced the closure of its Gowanus location in March. Earlier this week, Bay Ridge’s Hunters Steak & Ale House announced it was closed after 30 years in the neighborhood.
Still, the tone from Dinosaur Bar-B-Que isn’t entirely somber. The restaurant is encouraging customers to stop in before the final day — to grab “one more rack (or two)” and send off the location the way it operated for years: loud, busy and full.
An exact closing date has not yet been announced.
