TV Restaurants

What Happened to 17th Street Bar & Grill After Best Thing I Ever Ate?

Best Thing I Ever Ate, Season 5 Marion, Illinois

Current status

Closed

As of October 2026, 17th Street Bar & Grill has closed — confirmed via Yelp, August 2026.

What the source shows: Yelp's Marion listing carries a 'CLOSED' heading, updated August 2026, for the 2700 17th Street address, while the related Murphysboro location under the same ownership continues to be listed as open on Yelp. How we decide a status →

What happened after Best Thing I Ever Ate?

The Best Thing I Ever Ate's 'Smoky' episode (Food Network) featured 17th Street Bar & Grill for its slow-smoked barbecue, cooked over apple wood and served with housemade sides. The restaurant is part of the 17th Street Barbecue group founded by three-time Grand World Champion pitmaster Mike Mills, whose flagship location operates in nearby Murphysboro, Illinois; this location sits on 17th Street in Marion. Yelp's listing for the Marion address carries a 'CLOSED' heading, updated August 2026, with no current hours or menu posted. Tripadvisor's page for the same address does not show an explicit closure notice and still lists customer reviews, so the two platforms disagree on the location's current status; the Murphysboro location, under the same ownership, continues to be listed separately as active.

The episode Best Thing I Ever Ate, Season 5

Episode 3
Air date not confirmed
Title: Smoky · What was featured: slow-smoked barbecue plate

Also in Season 5 Best Thing I Ever Ate

Season 5: 61 of 104 still open · 7 renamed, moved or under new owners

All 13 Season 5 episodes →

Nearest open restaurants By distance from 2700 17th Street

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Sources we checked 3 references

  1. Yelp https://www.yelp.com/biz/17th-street-barbecue-marion
  2. Tripadvisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g36322-d941836-Reviews-17th_Street_Barbecue-Marion_Illinois.html
  3. 17bbq.com https://17bbq.com/
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Record btiea-0415 · checked by Cal Marchetti.