TV Restaurants

What Happened to Hominy Grill After Best Thing I Ever Ate?

Closed verified

As of September 2026, Hominy Grill has closed — confirmed via charlestoncitypaper.com, April 8, 2019.

Primary source
charlestoncitypaper.com ·
Secondary source
live5news.com ·

Last verified

What the source shows: Charleston City Paper (2019-04-08) and Live5News (2019-04-28) both reported chef Robert Stehling's decision to close Hominy Grill after nearly 24 years.

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What happened after Best Thing I Ever Ate?

The 'Chocolate' episode featured Hominy Grill's chocolate soufflé, one of several dishes that drew national attention to the Charleston restaurant, alongside its shrimp and grits and the "Big Nasty" biscuit plate. Hominy Grill served Southern and Lowcountry cooking at 207 Rutledge Avenue in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, under chef Robert Stehling, who won the James Beard Foundation's award for best chef in the Southeast in 2008. Charleston City Paper reported on 2019-04-08 that Stehling had announced Hominy Grill would close, telling the paper he felt ready for new experiences after nearly 24 years in business. Live5News reported on 2019-04-28 that Hominy Grill served its last day of business as planned, ending its run on Rutledge Avenue. Wikipedia's summary also notes the restaurant appeared on other television programs, including No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain and Man v. Food, before its 2019 closing.

Food Paradise's "Sausage Paradise" (2012, season 4) featured Hominy Grill's Lowcountry breakfast fare, including its shrimp and grits and the sausage-gravy-smothered fried chicken biscuit known as the "Big Nasty." According to Wikipedia (revised 2026-07-27), Hominy Grill operated for almost 24 years at 207 Rutledge Avenue in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, under chef Robert Stehling, who won a James Beard Foundation award as the Southeast's best chef in 2008. Google Places marks the business as permanently closed, and a 2026-09-08 site check found the address now occupied by an unrelated retailer, Thula Tula, indicating Hominy Grill is no longer operating at that location.

Man v. Food included Hominy Grill in a 2009 episode (aired August 19, 2009) during its Charleston stop, featuring the restaurant's shrimp and grits and its "Big Nasty" — a fried chicken breast stacked on biscuits under sausage gravy. According to Wikipedia, revised 2026-07-27, Hominy Grill operated at 207 Rutledge Avenue in downtown Charleston for nearly 24 years under chef Robert Stehling, who won a James Beard Foundation award as the Southeast's best chef in 2008. Wikipedia also lists appearances by the restaurant on The Best Thing I Ever Ate, No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain, and Man v. Food (season 2). Google Places lists the Rutledge Avenue address as permanently closed. The matching address and business name indicate this is the same business as existing record btiea-0137, appearing here as a separate episode.

Featured on Best Thing I Ever Ate

Season / episode
Season 2, Episode 7
Original air date
Not confirmed
Episode title
Chocolate
What was featured
Hominy Grill's chocolate soufflé
Role
Featured restaurant
Name on the broadcast
Hominy Grill
Season / episode
Season 4, Episode 4
Original air date
Episode title
Sausage Paradise
What was featured
Lowcountry breakfast classics: shrimp and grits, the "Big Nasty" biscuit
Role
Featured restaurant
Name on the broadcast
Hominy Grill
Season / episode
Season 2, Episode 3
Original air date
Episode title
—
What was featured
shrimp & grits and the "Big Nasty" fried chicken biscuit
Role
Featured restaurant
Name on the broadcast
Hominy Grill

Frequently asked questions

Is Hominy Grill still open in 2026?

As of September 2026, Hominy Grill has closed — confirmed via charlestoncitypaper.com, April 8, 2019.

What happened to Hominy Grill after Best Thing I Ever Ate?

The 'Chocolate' episode featured Hominy Grill's chocolate soufflé, one of several dishes that drew national attention to the Charleston restaurant, alongside its shrimp and grits and the "Big Nasty" biscuit plate. As of September 2026, Hominy Grill has closed — confirmed via charlestoncitypaper.com, April 8, 2019.

Is Hominy Grill permanently closed?

As of September 2026, Hominy Grill has closed — confirmed via charlestoncitypaper.com, April 8, 2019. We publish a closure only with a dated source behind it, and we say plainly when it has not been independently confirmed.

Where is Hominy Grill located?

207 Rutledge Avenue, Charleston, SC 29403. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.

What season and episode of Best Thing I Ever Ate featured Hominy Grill?

Season 2, Episode 7 of Best Thing I Ever Ate. The episode is titled “Chocolate”.

Every status on this site carries a confidence label and a date, and names the source it rests on. Read the Editorial & Corrections Policy for what each label means and how quickly we act on corrections. The questions above are generated from this record's own published fields — we never publish a question we cannot answer from the data.

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Visit info

Address
207 Rutledge Avenue, Charleston, SC 29403
Venue type
restaurant
Official website
None found

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

  • charlestoncitypaper.com — https://charlestoncitypaper.com/2019/04/08/hominy-grill-is-closing-the-beloved-charleston-breakfast-spot-will-close-april-28-after-nearly-a-quarter-century/
  • live5news.com — https://www.live5news.com/2019/04/28/charlestons-hominy-grill-closes-after-nearly-years/
  • Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hominy_Grill

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Record btiea-0137 · last verified .