Urban Brew and Bbq will close on Saturday after 12 years in the Grand Central District | Urban Brew and BBQ

Urban Brew and BBQ, a trailblazer in St. Pete’s Grand Central District, will serve its final plates on Saturday, September 6th.

The restaurant announced the decision on social media, thanking guests for “a wild ride” and inviting regulars to stop in one last time.

To mark the send-off, an event dubbed “Urban’s Last Dance” will be held on Saturday from 11 a.m. until sellout at 2601 Central Avenue. A buffet will be offered at “$12 for 12 great years”.

For over 12 years, Urban became a reliable neighborhood hangout. Even as Grand Central blossomed with new breweries, bars, coffee shops, boutiques, and restaurants, the barbecue joint remained a steady anchor.

“I think what it really comes down to is expenses have kept climbing,” owner Andy Salyards told St. Pete Rising. “Revenue has stayed about the same, but at the end of the day, you need such a high sales volume to make it work.”

Pickled Sow Cow

Smoked brisket and pulled pork topped with house made coleslaw, pickled red onions and your choice of BBQ sauce

Pulled Pork Sandwich

Chicken Tenders

Urban’s menu leaned into slow-smoked staples and playful comfort food.

Fan favorites included the St. Louis ribs, pulled pork, and brisket plates, alongside signature items like Urban Mac ’n’ Cheese and “The Thing,” an over-the-top open-faced stack of cornbread, pulled pork, bacon, a fried egg, and Gouda cheese sauce.

House sides, including collards, baked beans, garlic mash, and more rounded out the spread, with rotating taps and a whiskey-heavy bar program to match.

Founded by Andy Salyards in June 2013, Urban Brew and BBQ helped jump-start the Grand Central District dining scene with a laid-back space built around smoked meats, craft beer, and bourbon.

The barbecue spot first opened in 1939 Central Avenue, in a building that is now part of the Imagine Museum.

Andy Salyards, owner of the Urban Restaurants Group | Mark Wemple

Over the next few years, Salyards launched several other downtown concepts, including Urban Comfort, Urban Provisions, and Urban Creamery.

In 2016, Urban Provisions rebranded as Urban Deli and Drafts but closed a year later. Its space at 2410 Central Avenue soon became home to another Salyards concept, The Floribbean.

Then, in early 2019, Urban Brew and BBQ relocated a few blocks west to a larger space at 2601 Central Avenue, where it shared a home with Urban Comfort.

By 2020, Salyards decided to step away from his St. Pete restaurant group to spend more time with family in Tennessee.

Two years later, in 2022, Urban Creamery also closed its doors.

Urban Brew and BBQ was the last remaining restaurant in Andy Salyards’ Urban Restaurants Group. With its closing, Salyards’ business presence in St. Pete has officially come to an end.

When asked if he still has any ties to the city, he replied simply, “Just relationships.”