Food and Drink

Charlotte-area BBQ joint makes ‘extremely difficult’ choice to close after 80 years

After nearly 80 years, R.O.’s Bar-B-Que is shutting its doors.

Owners of the Gastonia eatery have made the “extremely difficult decision” to permanently close Saturday, Dec. 27, according to a message shared on its Facebook page, citing “a combination of current and sustained economic factors.”

A white, single-story building with a grey shingled roof houses “R.O.’S BAR-B-Q”. The restaurant has a sign on the roof and a paved parking lot in front with several cars, including a white pickup truck. Green trees are visible in the background under an overcast sky.
R.O’s Bar-B-Que in Gastonia will close Dec. 27, citing a combination of current and ongoing “economic issues.” Google Street View image from Sept. 2023 | ©2025 Google

“Since 1946, our unwavering commitment has been to provide a dining experience defined by exceptional product quality and dedicated service at a fair value,” it read. “We truly wish we could have continued to be a community staple for generations to come.”

R.O’s owners shared that its slaw and pimento cheese products will still be available at local retailers, however.

CharlotteFive reached out to R.O.’s Bar-B-Que for more information Monday and was awaiting a response.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

A barbecue sandwich filled with sliced meat and a creamy orange sauce sits on a branded paper liner that says “DELICIOUS.” Behind the sandwich is a side of crinkle-cut fries, a small cup of ketchup, and a large styrofoam cup featuring the “R.O.’s Barbecue” logo and a lemon wedge on the rim.
“Since 1946, our unwavering commitment has been to provide a dining experience defined by exceptional product quality and dedicated service at a fair value,” owners of R.O.’s Bar-B-Que said after announcing the restaurant’s closure. Screengrab from R.O.’s Bar-B-Que Facebook page
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This story was originally published December 22, 2025 at 11:26 AM.

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Tanasia Kenney
Sun Herald
Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.
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