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A week+ after Bar-B-Q King announced it will close, the lunchtime crowds still pour in

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Inside Bar-B-Q King, the restaurant was packed as customers waited patiently in a long line to order at the counter on Wednesday, Oct. 29. A staff member at the register bags an order as the queue stretches back through the building, filled with patrons eager to say a final goodbye to the eatery, which will close on Nov. 1.

Inside Bar-B-Q King, the restaurant was packed as customers waited patiently in a long line to order at the counter on Wednesday, Oct. 29. A staff member at the register bags an order as the queue stretches back through the building, filled with patrons eager to say a final goodbye to the eatery, which will close on Nov. 1.


Alex Cason

CharlotteFive

A week ago, Bar-B-Q King’s announcement that it would close was still fresh, so it was no surprise when CharlotteFive reported long lines of people showing up for one last meal at the classic restaurant.

In fact, owner Gus Karapanos was “too busy to stop for a chat as the masses lined up Wednesday,” Oct. 22, wrote C5’s Heidi Finley.

A week later, the lunchtime crowds are still pouring in for one last taste before Bar-B-Q King closes on Nov. 1.

The location will become a bank, Catherine Muccigrosso previously reported.

On Wednesday, Oct. 29, we stopped by for one last look at the classic restaurant’s lunchtime crowds before the 64-year-old spot that was featured in the first season of Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” shutters its doors.

A wide exterior shot of the Bar-B-Q King drive-in on a rainy day. A vintage red sign with the restaurant’s name is on the left. The parking lot is full, with cars parked under the long, covered awning that extends from the restaurant building.
The iconic “Bar-B-Q KING” sign, reading “FOOD SERVICE,” stands watch over a full parking lot on Wednesday, Oct. 29. On a rainy afternoon, the drive-in stalls were filled with customers paying a final visit to the Charlotte institution before it closes permanently on Nov. 1. Alex Cason CharlotteFive

An exterior view of a drive-in style restaurant on an overcast day. Several cars, including SUVs and a pickup truck, are parked or waiting in a line that wraps around the building toward a covered service window. The parking lot is wet.
A long line of cars snakes through the Bar-B-Q King drive-in on a damp, overcast Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. Fans of the iconic Charlotte restaurant, which is closing its doors for good on Nov. 1, have been turning out in droves to get a final taste. Alex Cason CharlotteFive

A long, narrow walkway under the covered awning of a drive-in restaurant. Cars are parked at an angle on both the left and right sides of the walkway, facing outward. The restaurant’s building is visible at the far end of the covered path.
A view down the central walkway of the Bar-B-Q King drive-in shows cars packed into the angled parking stalls on both sides on Wednesday, Oct. 29. For decades, carhops served customers directly at their vehicles in this spot, a memory many patrons came to relive one last time. Alex Cason CharlotteFive

An interior view of a restaurant from behind a stainless-steel service counter. In the foreground, a staff member works at the counter. In the background, a long line of customers is visible, stretching along a wall of windows and out the glass door.
A week after Bar-B-Q King announced it would close on Nov. 1, customers continued to pile in for one last meal on Wednesday, Oct. 29. Alex Cason CharlotteFive

An interior view of a restaurant from behind a stainless-steel service counter. In the foreground, a staff member works at the counter. In the background, a long line of customers is visible, stretching along a wall of windows and out the glass door.
A week after Bar-B-Q King announced it would close on Nov. 1, customers continued to pile in for one last meal on Wednesday, Oct. 29. Alex Cason CharlotteFive

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Melissa Oyler

The Charlotte Observer

Melissa Oyler is the editor of CharlotteFive. When she’s not writing or editing, you’ll find her running, practicing hot yoga or snuggling with her rescue dogs, X and Charlie. Find her on Instagram or X: @melissaoyler.
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