Shorty’s Dadeland Restaurant Sets December 27 Closing Date

Shorty’s Bar-B-Q announced on November 4 that its Dadeland restaurant will serve its final meal on December 27, ending 75 years at 9200 S. Dixie Highway in Miami. The restaurant has been a South Florida fixture since 1951, known for smoked barbecue and communal picnic tables where generations of customers gathered.

The Dadeland location’s closure follows the 2022 sale of the property and an adjacent parcel to Florida Value Partners and Atlantic Pacific Companies, who paid $14.5 million. The restaurant had previously said it would eventually close and be demolished.

Shorty’s is asking customers to visit before the final day and share memories and photographs. Its Bird Road location in West Miami and its Davie restaurant will continue operating, and the company’s catering team will keep serving Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

Founded by E.L. “Shorty” Allen, the restaurant became known for hickory-smoked ribs and chicken, coleslaw and a rustic dining room. Fire destroyed the first building, which was reconstructed in 1971. Shorty’s also earned 10 Best of Miami honors from New Times, among them a 2019 award for top barbecue.

The Bird Road restaurant recently received attention after a state inspection cited it for 55 violations, in a state food-safety feature called “Dirty Dining.” Shorty’s said its Bird Road and Davie locations remain open and operating.