Editor's Note: This article has been updated to clarify the Reno Avenue location's reopening and the timeline of its fire-related closure.
Earl's Rib Palace's Reno Avenue location at 4414 W. Reno Ave. in Oklahoma City reopened on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, following a yearlong closure after a kitchen fire. The restaurant announced the reopening in an Oct. 24 media release, during the chain's 30th anniversary year.
A Costly Overnight Blaze
The fire broke out on Oct. 17, 2025, and was called in at 1:25 a.m., according to Yahoo News, which reported that crews found flames burning in the rear portion of the restaurant. The Oklahoma City Fire Department sent 17 units to knock down the fire, and the outlet's report noted that the restaurant was empty at the time, with one firefighter sustaining a minor injury that was treated at the scene.
Investigators determined the fire started in the kitchen, though the cause was listed as unknown, the same report states. Damage was estimated at roughly $300,000 against the building's assessed value of $730,000.
The Location's Reopening
According to the restaurant's Oct. 24 media release supplied with the correction request, the rebuilt location features an updated kitchen and dining room. Staff spent several weeks training in the new kitchen and preparing for opening day.
The restaurant's official Reno location page carries an opening announcement, although older fire-closure language remains farther down the page. An Oct. 27 report describes customers returning when the restaurant reopened on Oct. 26.
Three Decades of Oklahoma Barbecue
Earl's Rib Palace traces its roots to 1996, when it was founded in Oklahoma City by longtime friends Matt Worsam, Scott Woods, Steve Mason and Richard Rea, per Yahoo News. The company now operates five locations across the Oklahoma City metro and employs more than 200 people, according to Earl's Rib Palace, which describes itself as owned and operated by lifelong friends who grew up in the city and as a certified Made in Oklahoma business.
The restaurant says it slowly smokes its meats over Oklahoma hickory kindling. Menu details and operating hours for the Reno Avenue location are available on its website.
Part of a Broader Pattern of Comebacks
Earl's isn't the only Oklahoma City restaurant to return after a fire. In March 2024, Broadway 10 announced plans to reopen after a damaging fire and months of closure, according to KOCO. Taco Empire in northwest Oklahoma City also reopened several months after a mid-December kitchen fire, as Hoodline previously reported in its piece on the taqueria's return.
