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A longtime Charlotte barbecue restaurant has closed — and something new is coming

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A longtime Charlotte barbecue restaurant known for its Eastern North Carolina-style chopped pork is in the process of being sold, and a new restaurant will take its place.

Bubba’s Barbecue, which had been closed for renovations since February 2025, last shared an update then with a Facebook post that said: “Hello Bubba’s Customers, we’re currently renovating our building and will be closed until the updates have been completed. Don’t worry, we’ll be back soon and we can’t wait to serve you in the new and improved Bubba’s Barbecue! Stay tuned for more information.”

The restaurant’s social media remained quiet until a Monday, Jan. 12 deed filed Wednesday, Jan. 14 with the Mecklenburg Register of Deeds showed the property and adjacent parcels at 4452 Sunset Road and 4950 Hamilton Circle Clt were sold to Council Industries CLT.

An overhead shot captures a three-compartment styrofoam container filled with a barbecue meal on a checkered tablecloth. The largest section contains a mound of chopped pork barbecue. Smaller sections hold baked beans and a yellow mustard-based side salad. Four crispy hush puppies accompany the meal.
Eastern North Carolina barbecue from Bubba’s Barbecue in Charlotte. Ralph Miller

Owner Ralph Miller, who’s run the restaurant for nearly 40 years, told CharlotteFive that he was suffering from hip pain that led to spinal-fusion surgery — which comes with a long recovery time.

“I’m not going to be able to get pigs on and off the pit for another 9 months at least,” he said. “I’ve got no choice but to let someone else take it over.”

The buyer is “definitely going to open another restaurant,” Miller said.

But detailed information about those plans is not yet available.

An open white Styrofoam container reveals a hearty barbecue plate. Slices of brisket or ribs heavily coated in a dark reddish-brown barbecue sauce fill the bottom half of the container. The top section includes green beans on the left and a portion of macaroni and cheese in the middle. Three hushpuppies are placed between the meat and the sides. A white plastic fork rests on top of the green beans. The container sits on a yellow and white checkered surface.
A brisket meal at Bubba’s Barbecue. Ralph Miller

The restaurant first opened in 1963 as Jackson and Spoon’s Barbecue (later just Spoon’s Barbecue) on South Boulevard. In 1987, Miller purchased the restaurant and the original recipes.

He later renamed the restaurant Bubba’s Barbecue and moved it to Sunset Road, where it has been serving Eastern North Carolina-style barbecue since 1994. (The Spoon family, meanwhile, opened Bill Spoon’s BBQ on South Boulevard. That restaurant closed in September 2020.)

Bubba’s had also closed from 2020-2022 during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic but reopened with a simplified menu that included brisket and St. Louis-style ribs, family-sized barbecue portions to take home and meal deals with a choice of barbecue, plus two sides and hush puppies.

Two open white Styrofoam containers are side-by-side on a yellow and white checkered tablecloth. The Right Container contains a large rack of ribs generously covered in a glossy, dark barbecue sauce. The left container Contains several sides, including a broccoli salad with creamy dressing in the top-left, yellow coleslaw in the top-right, and three hushpuppies in the bottom section. A white plastic fork and knife are placed in the bottom section of the container with the sides.
Bubba’s Barbecue’s ribs and sides. Ralph Miller

Desiree Mathurin contributed reporting.

Location: 4400 Sunset Rd, Charlotte, NC 28216

Cuisine: Barbecue

Instagram: @bubbasnc

This story was originally published January 15, 2026 at 2:22 PM.

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Heidi Finley

The Charlotte Observer

Heidi Finley is a writer and editor for CharlotteFive and the Charlotte Observer. Outside of work, you will most likely find her in the suburbs driving kids around, volunteering and indulging in foodie pursuits.
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