{"id":253055,"date":"2026-04-30T21:55:41","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T21:55:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/253055\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T21:55:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T21:55:41","slug":"historic-miami-bbq-joint-closes-after-unsafe-building-violations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/253055\/","title":{"rendered":"Historic Miami BBQ Joint Closes After Unsafe Building Violations"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHistoric Miami BBQ joint Original Uncle Tom’s Barbecue has closed after nearly 80 years due to unsafe building code violations.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Original Uncle Tom\u2019s Barbecue photo<\/p>\n

It looks like Uncle Tom\u2019s Barbecue<\/a>, Miami\u2019s oldest barbecue pit, is closed for good. Miami-Dade County posted an \u201cUnsafe Building\u201d notice on the front door in September 2025. The restaurant has been dark ever since. Yet, nobody from the restaurant has said anything.<\/p>\n

By early April 2026, people driving Calle Ocho and on social media <\/a>were piecing it together: a dark sign, a \u201crenovating\u201d banner in the window, and the Notice to Vacate on the front door.<\/p>\n

What happened to this 80-year-old Miami institution for delicious barbecue? We now have the answers.<\/p>\n

\"\"The violations include hazardous electrical or mechanical installations, unsanitary conditions due to malfunctioning sanitary facilities, and work done without a permit<\/p>\n

Photos by Raoul Duke via Facebook Group \u201cFoodies Who Review South Florida\u201d<\/p>\n

The Violations<\/p>\n

According to the Miami-Dade County Unsafe Structures notice posted on the building and shared on Facebook<\/a>, the violations include hazardous electrical or mechanical installations, unsanitary conditions due to malfunctioning sanitary facilities, work done without a permit or with expired permits, and fire and windstorm hazards. <\/p>\n

The notice also recommends that the main CBS structure be repaired or demolished. It also advises demolishing the metal-and-wood frame structure (the patio).<\/p>\n

A CBS, or concrete block structure, is the most common building type in South Florida. When the county recommends that one be repaired or demolished as part of a full patio demolition, it is not a minor code citation.<\/p>\n

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THANK YOU!<\/p>\n

You’re all set.<\/p>\n

CLOSE\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\"\"Original Uncle Tom\u2019s Barbecue opened in Miami in 1948<\/p>\n

Original Uncle Tom\u2019s Barbecue photo<\/p>\n

Miami\u2019s Oldest BBQ Pit<\/p>\n

Thomas Constantine Fantis, a New York native who came to Miami after World War II, opened Uncle Tom\u2019s Barbecue on the Trail in 1948. The log cabin-style building on Calle Ocho never updated itself, which was part of the charm. Christmas lights hung across the patio year-round, while paper towel rolls stood on the picnic tables. Black-and-white photos of Rita Hayworth, Mae West, and Liberace hung about the room. The signature house sauce was vinegar-based with hints of cinnamon, a recipe that traced back to the Fantis family.<\/p>\n

The menu ran to baby back ribs, spare ribs, brisket, sliced pork, and chicken. The restaurant was open daily until midnight, with its large neon sign on the Trail serving as a familiar landmark to locals. Plenty of regulars had been going since childhood, and the following was eventually large enough to support multiple locations across South Florida, which all eventually shuttered as well.<\/p>\n

Miami-Dade issued a nearly identical Notice to Vacate in 2013<\/a>, citing the same categories of violations and recommending demolition of the patio structure. The restaurant eventually came back. The building caught fire in December 2020<\/a>, but the space eventually reopened.<\/p>\n

Original Uncle Tom\u2019s Barbecue. 3988 SW Eighth St., Coral Gables; originaluncletomsbbq.com<\/a>. Now closed.<\/p>\n

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