Another Houston-area restaurant is closing down. Wednesday, Hiram Clarke BBQ announced it would be shutting down operations after nearly 6 years in business at 2944 S Sam Houston Pkwy. Owners Paul and Martha Jacob said in a statement that rising food and operating expenses had made it “impossible to continue.”
The restaurant’s history stretches back to a different name at a different location. Paul opened Jacob’s BBQ at 14151 Hiram Clarke Rd. in Southwest Houston in 2019. The Texas Southern University alumni had previously done restaurant management for Shoney’s and was the co-founder of a Louisiana music festival before diving into barbecue, Houston Chronicle barbecue columnist J.C. Reid wrote in 2025.
Paul rebranded Jacob’s BBQ to Hiram Clarke when the pandemic hit the same year. The restaurant built a glowing reputation on its “Tex-Lou” sides, a blend of Texas and Louisiana culinary traditions. Signature sides included collard greens and Cajun stew.
Hiram Clarke’s BBQ had its ups and downs in the years since. A series of thefts at the establishment simultaneously endangered the business but also rallied the community to support it. The Jacobs later expanded the restaurant right off Beltway 8 South in 2025, but were forced to close the original due to financial pressures.
“We are incredibly grateful for every meal shared, every conversation, every review, and every opportunity to be a part of your lives. Your support has meant more than words can express,” the Jacobs wrote in their statement.
