The Vancouver outpost of a Richmond restaurant known for its BBQ skewers, drinks, and lively atmosphere appears to have quietly closed this spring.
In mid-March, V.I.A. heard from locals that the Tasty BBQ restaurant on False Creek at 1018 Beach Ave was closed during its posted business hours.
At the time, V.I.A. reached out to Tasty BBQ to clarify the status of the waterfront restaurant's operations, but did not receive a response.
Tasty BBQ remains listed as "temporarily closed" online via Google, but signs now posted on the still-closed restaurant's indicate the space is for lease.
The restaurant debuted in Richmond (7771 Westminster Hwy) in 2021 and quickly became known for its neon-infused dining room, share-able hot and cold dinner and brunch dishes, and extensive beer and cocktail menu, including VitaSoy juice or soy milk boxes amped up with alcohol add-ons.
Tasty BBQ opened its Vancouver location in the spring of 2024. The address has previously housed several restaurant concepts over the years, including Najia, Chilli House, and Thai House.
A few months after launching in Vancouver, both Tasty BBQ locations were included on the "longlist" of contenders for the top dining experiences in the region by the judges of the Chinese Restaurant Awards.
According to online user-generated review site Yelp, in December the business was showing signs of struggle at the False Creek location, with "Yelpers" pointing out staffing and quality issues.
In early May, one Yelper observed the following: "[O]ne day, perhaps a month ago, it simply closed and has not reopened. No signs, no notice, nothing. It is as if the owner simply walked away."
An active business licence for Tasty BBQ on Beach Avenue remains in place, according to the City of Vancouver database. The Tasty BBQ website continues to list the Vancouver location, as does the business' social media, however, its Instagram feed has not been updated since February.
Tasty BBQ's original Richmond location appears to be operating as usual.
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