Beloved Texas Barbecue Restaurant Smoke City Market Turns Off Its Smoker For Good

2015 was a big year for barbecue in Los Angeles, what with Texas Monthly critic Daniel Vaughn declaring Maple Block Meat Company as having California's best brisket. On the other side of things is Smoke City Market in Sherman Oaks, which seems to have sadly closed its doors for the last time this Tuesday.

The restaurant, which Jonathan Gold described as "some of the best Texas-style barbecue in town [...] served here as the good Lord intended: heaped high on sheets of butcher paper, sauce very much on the side," was apparently completely gutted as of Wednesday. A tipster also wrote in to share an email sent by the restaurant on Tuesday clearing out its stock of meats with a 25% off until it closed for good that night. Eater LA called numerous times to get the official word, but received no reply.

It's a sad day for Valley denizens, who now have to look elsewhere for good ol' Texas-style cooking.