What Happened to Bludso's BBQ After Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Season 17 Compton, California Closed November 2016
Current status
As of October 2026, Bludso's BBQ has closed — confirmed via Time Out, November 17, 2016.
What the source shows: News coverage confirms the original Compton pit closed permanently in November 2016 after a lease dispute, while the original listing's geocoded match was actually a separate sister restaurant in Los Angeles. How we decide a status →
- Episode Season 17, Episode 6
- Aired
- Address 811 South Long Beach Boulevard, Compton, CA 90221
- Website No current website found
- Show map
© OpenStreetMap contributors © CARTO
What happened after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Bludso's BBQ in the episode "Kings and Queens of 'Cue," aired 2013-05-27, spotlighting pitmaster Kevin Bludso's Texas-style smoked brisket and barbecue plates. Bludso's BBQ was a barbecue restaurant at 811 South Long Beach Boulevard in Compton, California, operating there since 2008. According to Time Out Los Angeles, the Compton location closed permanently in November 2016 after Bludso could not reach a new lease agreement with the building's owner. The outlet reported that Bludso planned to focus on pop-ups and catering while his separate Bludso's Bar & Que restaurant on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles kept operating. A Yelp listing updated in September 2026 continues to mark the Compton address as permanently closed. The 2013 episode captured the pit in its original Compton storefront, a separate address from the still-operating La Brea Avenue restaurant.
The episode
Also in Season 17
Season 17: 22 of 33 still open
- Open
-
Ep 5Barrio Cafe
Closed -
Ep 5Rosedale Diner
Closed -
Ep 6Hops & Pie
Open - Closed
-
Ep 7Curry Corner
Open -
Ep 7Prohibition
Closed -
Ep 7Standard Tap
Open
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Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
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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
- timeout.com https://www.timeout.com/los-angeles/blog/nobody-freak-out-bludsos-bbq-in-compton-has-closed-111716
- Yelp https://www.yelp.com/biz/bludsos-bbq-compton
We work hard to keep every status accurate and dated, but restaurants change fast and our sources aren't perfect. If something here is wrong — a status, a name, an address, anything — tell us what you're seeing and where you saw it, and we'll check it.
Record ddd-0602 · checked by Cal Marchetti.