TV Restaurants

Is Park's BBQ Still Open? Best Thing I Ever Ate Update (Los Angeles, CA)

Best Thing I Ever Ate, Season 11 Los Angeles, California

Current status

Open

As of October 2026, Park's BBQ is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed June 26, 2026.

What the source shows: Park's BBQ's own website lists 955 S. Vermont Ave. with hours of 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, and its press page, updated June 26, 2026, lists a 2026 MICHELIN Guide mention; an AFAR article published April 17, 2026 also recommends the restaurant at that address. How we decide a status →

What happened after Best Thing I Ever Ate? 2 episodes

Part 1 — Season 11, Episode 11

"Best Thing I Ever Ate" episode "Stretchy Pants Required" featured a Los Angeles barbecue restaurant identified in the show record as "Park's BBQ." Two distinct, similarly named barbecue restaurants currently operate in Los Angeles: Park's BBQ, a Korean barbecue restaurant in Koreatown, and The Park's Finest, a Filipino-American barbecue restaurant in Echo Park at 1267 West Temple Street. Yelp's page for The Park's Finest, checked in September 2026, showed 2,652 reviews and 4,409 photos under an active listing. Park's BBQ, the Koreatown restaurant, remains open at 955 S. Vermont Ave.: its own website lists hours of 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, its press page, updated June 26, 2026, notes a 2026 MICHELIN Guide mention, and an AFAR article published April 17, 2026 recommends it at that address.

Part 2 — All-Star, Episode 6

On 'Brilliant Barbecue,' an episode of Best Thing I Ever Ate (Food Network), the show featured Park's BBQ, a Korean barbecue restaurant in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles. Chef and owner Jenee Kim, a graduate of Seoul Women's College's culinary program, opened Park's BBQ in 2003, building a reputation for tableside grilling of premium cuts. Restaurant-fan sites list Park's BBQ among the Los Angeles restaurants that have appeared on Best Thing I Ever Ate.

The episodes Best Thing I Ever Ate

Episode 11
Air date not confirmed
Title: Stretchy Pants Required · What was featured: A Los Angeles BBQ restaurant's specialty barbecue plates (business identity unconfirmed)
All-Star, Episode 6
Air date not confirmed
Title: Brilliant Barbecue · What was featured: Park's BBQ's Korean-style tableside barbecue in Koreatown

Also in Season 11 Best Thing I Ever Ate

Season 11: 79 of 96 still open · 4 renamed, moved or under new owners

All 14 Season 11 episodes →

Nearest restaurants By distance from 1267 West Temple Street

All 892 TV restaurants in California →

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/the-parks-finest-los-angeles
  2. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Park%27s_Finest
  3. tvfoodmaps.com https://www.tvfoodmaps.com/restaurant/CA/Los-Angeles/Parks-BBQ
  4. hungryghostfoodandtravel.com https://hungryghostfoodandtravel.com/travel/parks-bbq/
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Record btiea-0894 · checked by Cal Marchetti.