What Happened to Hillbilly Heav… After Restaurant Takeover? (Hamilton, ON)
Current status
As of October 2026, Hillbilly Heaven is reported closed by cbc.ca (April 2013), reviewed by our team on October 19, 2026; not yet independently confirmed through direct contact with the business.
Last verified
What the source shows: CBC Hamilton's April 2013 story, as described in the research note and its headline address, reports the Mountain site at 647 Upper James Street shutting; I could not open the page myself.
- Season / episode Season 1, Episode 13
- Original air date
- Address 647 Upper James St, Hamilton, ON L9C 2Z1
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What happened after Restaurant Takeover?
Hillbilly Heaven, a Southern barbecue restaurant on Hamilton's Mountain, was the thirteenth episode of Restaurant Takeover (Food Network Canada), airing on 2012-11-22. TVmaze's synopsis describes owner Cameron as someone who had gathered whatever money he could to open the restaurant, which had a roadkill-themed menu and heavily kitschy decor. The show sent chef Adam Hynam-Smith and designer Amanda Campbell to work with him. TV Guide's season listing describes a kitschy Southern barbecue restaurant that was redone, starting with its decor.
The series format, as the Globe and Mail's television listing for the premiere on 2012-08-30 described it, pairs a chef with a designer who use hidden-camera footage to work out what a business is missing before a makeover is planned. The sources I read for this episode do not itemize the new menu, the decor that replaced the original, or how the relaunch went, so this entry does not describe them.
A blog post dated 2012-12-05 by the writer judskii, a few weeks after the episode aired, describes the restaurant on Upper James near Fennell and says it had been showcased on the Food Network. The writer called the decor homey and the staff friendly, ordered a brisket sandwich with baked beans for $8.95, and also described a pulled pork platter and chili cheese fries available for $3.50 extra. The post does not mention Restaurant Takeover and does not name the owner.
CBC Hamilton ran a story, dated April 2013 in the research for this entry, whose web address headlines Hillbilly Heaven shutting its Mountain site; the research places that site at 647 Upper James Street. I could not open the story in this environment, so this entry cannot add any detail from it.
A map search for the restaurant's name returned a Hillbilly Heaven Bar & Grill in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, which is a different business and is not covered here. I found no article, directory entry or map listing from 2014 onward that reports on the Hamilton restaurant, and none of the pages I read says what occupies 647 Upper James Street now.
Featured on Restaurant Takeover
- Show
- Restaurant Takeover
- Season / episode
- Season 1, Episode 13
- Original air date
- Episode title
- Hillbilly Heaven
- What was featured
- Southern BBQ joint with roadkill-themed menu and kitschy decor overhauled
- Role
- Featured restaurant
- Name on the broadcast
- Hillbilly Heaven
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Visit info
- Address
- 647 Upper James St, Hamilton, ON L9C 2Z1
- Venue type
- restaurant
- Official website
- hillbillyheavenbarandgrill.com
- State hub
- TV restaurants in Ontario
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
- cbc.ca — https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/headlines/hillbilly-heaven-shuts-mountain-site-amidst-feud-with-city-1.1405483
- judskii.wordpress.com — https://judskii.wordpress.com/2012/12/05/hillybilly-heaven/
- tvmaze.com — https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/31187/restaurant-takeover/episodeguide
- tvguide.com — https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/restaurant-takeover/episodes-season-1/1000501917/
- theglobeandmail.com — https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/television/tv-five-shows-worth-watching-tonight-aug-30/article4508128
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Record rto-013 · last verified .