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We’ll sure miss that fried chicken and shrimp.<\/p>\n
July was a tough goodbye. An 80-year-old fried chicken institution, a 50-year-old Tex-Mex landmark, and a beloved Montrose restaurant whose closure carries the weight of an unspeakable tragedy\u2014this month\u2019s losses hit harder than most. Here\u2019s what closed.<\/p>\n
Barbecue Inn<\/p>\n
Generations of diners lined up at this Independence Heights institution after the owners announced it would close on Saturday, August 1, after 80 years in business. David Skrehot told local outlets<\/a> that his family decided to close due to rising costs and his father\u2019s personal decision. While Barbecue Inn billed itself as a \u201clegendary retro BBQ spot,\u201d many locals knew the restaurant best for its fried shrimp, fried chicken, and chicken-fried steak ideally served with loaded baked potatoes. Lines wrapped around the building in the final days, with citizens arriving in droves to express support and say their final goodbyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n Traveler\u2019s Cart<\/p>\n Roughly two months after the death of its owners, Montrose restaurant Traveler\u2019s Cart will officially close to the public on Friday, July 31. The restaurant announced the closure on Instagram, encouraging diners to make one last visit, and in the days leading up to it, Traveler\u2019s Cart was indeed busy. Employees have either been hired at sister restaurant Traveler\u2019s Table (also in Montrose) or at other restaurants in the city.<\/p>\n The closing is a gut-wrenching reminder of the loss of Traveler\u2019s Cart co-owner Thy Mitchell<\/a>, particularly as new details emerge in the tragic case of the murder-suicide that took her life. Police investigations showed that co-owner Matthew Mitchell killed his wife, Thy, and their two children. Thy\u2019s parents have filed a lawsuit citing video evidence that Matthew had been contemplating killing his family in the weeks leading up to the murders.\u00a0<\/p>\n Istanbul Grill<\/p>\n Rice Village\u2019s Turkish restaurant Istanbul Grill closed on July 19, after nearly 30 years in business. The website explains that the owners will be unable to continue operating \u201cdue to lease circumstances beyond [their] control.\u201d<\/p>\n Don Jose Mexican Restaurant<\/p>\n Originally opened in 1974, this storied Tex-Mex restaurant closed on July 13. Owners cited rising costs and rent as making it impossible to continue operating. The announcement resulted in diners flocking to Don Jose until the kitchen ran out of food.\u00a0<\/p>\n Luis Hermosillo, who started at Don Jose as a busboy, bought the restaurant in 2003 and operated the Tex-Mex institution with his nephew, Carlos Garcia, for years before both died in 2020 from complications related to COVID-19. Family members revived the restaurant, serving a loaded menu of Tex-Mex and Mexican staples, including enchiladas, tamales, chimichangas, tacos, and seafood dishes, but rising costs proved insurmountable.<\/p>\n The Dogwood<\/p>\n This Midtown rooftop bar went out \u201cwith a bang\u201d in early July after roughly 13 years. Owner Jason Carrier told\u00a0Chron<\/a> that nightlife traffic has slowed in Midtown and that sales have been \u201cdrastically lower.\u201d He chose not to renew the lease at the end of the year and to allow the next tenant to \u201chelp with the rejuvenation and next cycle of Midtown.\u201d<\/p>\n Tavola<\/p>\n