Killen's Barbecue in The Woodlands will close on Sunday. The restaurant, which opened in 2021, has served brisket, ribs, and other barbecue dishes. This weekend will be the last chance for customers to dine at this location.
As first reported by CultureMap, Killen is in "final negotiations" to sell the building at 8800 Six Pines Drive to Whataburger. He told the outlet that the offer does not affect the brand's Pearland and Cypress locations. "Whataburger made me a deal I couldn't pass up," he wrote in a text message. If that agreement falls apart, he added, he might look for another buyer or potentially flip the space into a Killen's Burger location.
Killen's official locations page currently lists the Pearland flagship and the Cypress smokehouse as active restaurants, while The Woodlands address is still displayed for now. The Pearland original is shown at 3613 Broadway St., and the chain's locations page (Killen's Barbecue) remains the best place to double-check hours and any closure updates.
Owner Points To Rising Costs And A Rare Offer
Killen has pointed to rising operating costs as a key reason for shrinking his footprint. He has noted that a cord of wood that cost roughly $175 in 2013 now runs about $475, a jump that hits hard when your business model is built on slow-smoked meat.
He told CultureMap that the Whataburger proposal was unusually rich, big enough to change how he thought about keeping The Woodlands shop open. Combined with those cost pressures and a one-time payment to keep the sale window alive, the deal became a very tempting path forward.
From Michelin Bib To Airport Outpost
While The Woodlands location winds down, the Pearland mothership is still racking up accolades. Killen's BBQ there holds a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide, a nod that keeps the brand squarely on the radar of barbecue obsessives.
The business itself has been shifting where it places its bets. As part of that repositioning, a Killen's concession opened at William P. Hobby Airport in late July as part of the airport's dining revamp, giving the pitmaster a more travel-friendly footprint while he refocuses his operations, as per AviationPros.
The Woodlands Dining Scene And What Follows
The Woodlands has been in flux on the restaurant front this year as operators rethink what works in the suburbs. The shake-up includes a run of early-2025 closures tracked in local coverage, including a roundup from Eater Houston.
If the Whataburger deal goes through, neighbors will see a notable shift on that busy stretch of Six Pines Drive, trading an acclaimed independent smokehouse for a high-volume fast-food chain. It would be one more sign of how the area's dining mix is evolving, whether residents are ready for it or not.
For now, Killen's Barbecue's Woodlands location is set to close on Sunday. Diners looking to keep up with the Pearland and Cypress restaurants can check the locations page on Killen's Barbecue for the latest details on hours and any future changes. Those two spots remain open while The Woodlands building heads toward its next chapter under a new owner.
