Earl's Rib Palace's Reno Avenue location at 4414 W. Reno Ave. in Oklahoma City remains closed after a late-night fire tore through its kitchen. The chain says this is its 30th anniversary year in business.
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 — a steep hit for a restaurant that has anchored south Oklahoma City for three decades.
The Location's Status
The Reno Avenue location remains closed because of fire damage.
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 at earlsribpalace.com.
Part of a Broader Pattern of Comebacks
Earl's isn't the only Oklahoma City restaurant to claw its way back from a fire. Broadway 10 was reported to be preparing for its own reopening after a damaging fire and months of closure, according to KOCO. More recently, Taco Empire in northwest Oklahoma City reopened several months after a mid-December kitchen fire, as Hoodline previously reported in its piece on the taqueria's return.
