It looks like the Red, Hot & Blue barbecue and burger restaurant in Leesburg is gone for good. It was a stalwart of the local dining scene for many years — but now it has become the latest victim of the pandemic.
A reader shared an image (below) of a closed sign reportedly posted at the restaurant today.
“Two plus years of covid, rising food and labor costs have finally brought us down,” the message to customers read. “We just never had a chance to recover. But we want to thank you for all your years of patronage and good will. We will miss all of you who visited regularly. Thank you.”
No one answered at the restaurant when The Burn called this evening, and both its Google and Facebook listings online say “permanently closed.” And the Leesburg location no longer appears on the brand’s website.
We couldn’t find an opening date for the Leesburg Red, Hot & Blue, but it was at least as early as the mid-aughts if not before.
The local chain was founded in Arlington in 1988 and there are approximately 10 locations in five states. The only other one in Virginia is in Fairfax on Chain Bridge Road.
It will be interesting to see what takes over the space. The 5,200 s.f. Red, Hot & Blue building sits in a prominent spot at the corner of East Market Street and Plaza Street.
It’s part of the Bellewood Commons shopping plaza that is also home to a Dunkin’ Donuts and Melt Gourmet Cheeseburgers.
(Image at top: Red, Hot & Blue)
When we moved here in 2001 our real estate agent took us to RH&B for lunch.
Maybe a good bbq place will take over, but since the area doesn’t have ANY good bbq, I doubt it
It’s a ways from Leesburg but Pit Stop in Cascades is very good. Black Hog is also solid. There’s some ok competition.
You tried the ResQ BBQ in the shopping complex across from where RH&B used to be? It’s near the newer drive-thru Starbucks. Pretty good BBQ. Not the best around, no, but very consistent so far, which is one thing that RH&B never was for me.
Melt should grab the location and move from their current crowded location.
Agree!
Went on my first date with my husband in 2003. What a loss. Only chain I’ll mourn.
Covid schmovid. I feel bad for the franchise owner and the employees who lost their jobs, but Red, Hot & Blue was done in by mediocre barbecue, plain and simple.
“We couldn’t find an opening date for the Leesburg Red, Hot & Blue, but it was at least as early as the mid-aughts if not before.” ?? Original opening date?
Not surprising, since places serving real barbecue have opened in the area. Once people saw the difference, it was over. No loss.
Same with me when I move here on 2003 our real estate agent took us to RH &B for dinner
We moved to Ashburn July ’95, and this location is one of my earliest memories of eating out in the area
This spot originally opened as a Bob’s Big Boy, and then became a Shoney’s later on…can still remember that as Bob’s they had a breakfast buffet that was pretty good! it’s been RH&B for at least 15-20 years I think…Shoney’s are few and far between anymore, but Bobs Big Boy can be found still in Southern California…was unaware that only the Fairfax RH&B remains….guess Herndon lost theirs too!
I was born and raised in 2001, every so often my parents would take me and my siblings to Red Hot n blue for dinner. I would always get their hot brownie sundaes. I always remember grabbing a half-rack of sweet ribs.
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