Kendall’s insanely popular barbecue spot is moving to a new (and bigger) location

One of Miami’s favorite spots to line up for barbecue is leaving Kendall — for another, bigger space in Kendall.

Apocalypse BBQ, the runaway hit restaurant from Jeff and Laura Budnechky, has announced plans to leave its space at the Killian Greens Golf Club for Kendall Village Center at 8695 SW 124th Ave. in Miami.

The move, which will take place March 1, is “a huge step for us,” Budnechky said on the restaurant’s social media feed.

“Apocalypse is putting on its big boy pants,” he joked on Instagram.

Apocalypse BBQ, which started as a pop-up in Wynwood and opened at the golf course in December of 2022, will be moving into the Airstream-shaped diner space with the silver siding that was for years the Starlite Diner located near the parking garage at the shopping center.

The new restaurant will be double the size of the Killian Greens venue, going from 43 seats to more than 100, Budnechky said, making it “more comfortable for the team and the people who support us.”

It should also help alleviate the line stretching outside Apocalypse BBQ on a daily basis. The menu, which includes ribs, brisket, chicken wings and pulled pork, draws crowds from all over Miami and beyond, sometimes resulting in customers waiting for hours to eat on the weekend.

Most crowds, Budnechky told the Miami Herald in 2023, “are very understanding.” That said, he’s hoping to see an end to the three-hour waits on the weekends. The new space also offers plenty of parking in a paved lot, a big improvement from the tiny lot at the current restaurant, which will remain open until sometime at the end of February.

The announcement comes just after the Budnechkys have taken on a new challenge: Opening Lala’s Burgers and Fries, their smashburger concept, at Lincoln’s Beard Brewing Co. at 7360 SW 41st St., Miami.

To the loyal fans who had heard rumors of the move and feared a relocation to parts unknown, Budnechky calmed their fears with a laugh.

“I’m never leaving Kendall,” he said. “Kendall is my home.”

This story was originally published January 21, 2025 at 1:40 PM.