TV Restaurants

What Happened to Big Earl's BBQ After Man v. Food? (Scottsdale, AZ)

Man v. Food, Season 4 Scottsdale, Arizona

Current status

Closed

As of October 2026, Big Earl's BBQ has closed — confirmed via Yelp, February 2026.

What the source shows: A Yelp listing for the Scottsdale address, updated in February 2026, marks Big Earl's BBQ as closed, and Phoenix New Times separately reported the same closure. How we decide a status →

What happened after Man v. Food?

Big Earl's BBQ was an old-school barbecue restaurant in a standalone brick building in Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona, that opened in January 2011 in a former pizzeria space at 7213 East First Avenue, according to Phoenix New Times. According to a Yelp listing updated in February 2026, Big Earl's BBQ at that address is marked permanently closed; Phoenix New Times separately reported on the closure in a piece headlined "Closed: Big Earl's BBQ in Scottsdale." A same-named restaurant, Big Earl's Greasy Eats, operates in nearby Cave Creek, Arizona, but according to Arizona Highways and phoenix.org, that business was converted from a former Standard Oil station by owner Kim Brennan in 2002 — years before the Scottsdale barbecue restaurant opened — making it a separate, unrelated business rather than a relocation or rename.

The episode Man v. Food, Season 4

Episode 24
Aired
What was featured: Old-school barbecue in Old Town Scottsdale
How Man v. Food restaurants have fared: 24% closed →

Also in Season 4 Man v. Food

Season 4: 41 of 68 still open · 7 renamed, moved or under new owners

All 27 Season 4 episodes →

Nearest open restaurants By distance from 7213 E 1st Ave

All 121 TV restaurants in Arizona →

Before you go: Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.

Sources we checked 4 references

  1. Yelp https://www.yelp.com/biz/big-earls-bbq-scottsdale
  2. phoenixnewtimes.com https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/food-drink/closed-big-earls-bbq-in-scottsdale-6514979/
  3. Yelp https://www.yelp.com/biz/big-earls-greasy-eats-cave-creek-2
  4. phoenix.org https://www.phoenix.org/food_and_drinks/big-earl-s-greasy-eats-a-true-taste-of-50s-americana-in-cave-creek/article_0ced4a5a-6baf-11ef-a5bf-37eeafa75024.html
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Record mvf-267 · checked by Cal Marchetti.