TV Restaurants

Honky Tonk BBQ Is Now The Tonk Chicago — What Happened After the Show?

Renamed reported

As of September 2026, thetonkchicago.com lists this address as The Tonk Chicago; reviewed by our team on September 7, 2026, not yet independently confirmed through direct contact.

Primary source
thetonkchicago.com ·
Secondary source
Wikipedia

Last verified

What the source shows: The restaurant's current website shows it now operating under the name 'The Tonk Chicago' at the same Pilsen address, with live-music listings dated into September 2026 and a 2026 copyright notice.

  • Season / episode Season 7, Episode 8
  • Original air date
  • Address 1800 South Racine Avenue, Chicago, IL 60608
  • Current name The Tonk Chicago

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What happened after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Honky Tonk BBQ in "Barbequed, Baked & Brined" (S7E8), which aired October 12, 2009, spotlighting the restaurant's Memphis-style smoked barbecue. Honky Tonk BBQ was a barbecue restaurant founded in 2007 by Willie Wagner in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, according to Wikipedia. The restaurant's current website, thetonkchicago.com, now operates under the name "The Tonk Chicago" at 1800 South Racine Avenue, listing live-music events dated into September 2026 and a copyright notice reading "2026." The site's online-ordering link still runs through a page titled "honky-tonk-bbq-1800-s-racine-ave," tying the current business to its earlier name. Wikipedia's separate "The Tonk BBQ" entry likewise places the business, under its new name, at the same Pilsen location. Based on the current website, the business appears to have been renamed from Honky Tonk BBQ to The Tonk while continuing to operate at the same address.

Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

Season / episode
Season 7, Episode 8
Original air date
Episode title
Barbequed, Baked & Brined
What was featured
Memphis-style smoked barbecue and live music
Role
Featured restaurant
Name on the broadcast
Honky Tonk BBQ

Frequently asked questions

Is Honky Tonk BBQ still open in 2026?

As of September 2026, thetonkchicago.com lists this address as The Tonk Chicago; reviewed by our team on September 7, 2026, not yet independently confirmed through direct contact.

What happened to Honky Tonk BBQ after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Honky Tonk BBQ in "Barbequed, Baked & Brined" (S7E8), which aired October 12, 2009, spotlighting the restaurant's Memphis-style smoked barbecue. As of September 2026, thetonkchicago.com lists this address as The Tonk Chicago; reviewed by our team on September 7, 2026, not yet independently confirmed through direct contact.

What is Honky Tonk BBQ called now?

Now: The Tonk Chicago (formerly Honky Tonk BBQ). As of September 2026, thetonkchicago.com lists this address as The Tonk Chicago; reviewed by our team on September 7, 2026, not yet independently confirmed through direct contact.

Where is Honky Tonk BBQ located?

1800 South Racine Avenue, Chicago, IL 60608. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.

What season and episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Honky Tonk BBQ?

Season 7, Episode 8 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, first aired October 12, 2009. The episode is titled “Barbequed, Baked & Brined”.

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Visit info

Address
1800 South Racine Avenue, Chicago, IL 60608
Venue type
restaurant
Official website
thetonkchicago.com

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Record ddd-0263 · last verified .