After starting as a successful pop-up, Blue Oak BBQ opened a brick-and-mortar location in 2016 at 900 N Carrollton Ave. in Mid-City and became wildly popular. In fact, the restaurant’s popularity has led to significant parking and traffic issues. Those growth-related issues could be partly resolved as the owners have signed a lease to take over the bar space at 910 N Carrollton Ave., which is currently home to the longstanding Parkview Tavern.
According to reports, a disagreement between the building’s owner and Parkview Tavern ownership led to the bar’s lease not being renewed, after more than 30 years of doing business in the same location. Blue Oak BBQ owners Philip Moseley and Ronnie Evans have said they are dedicated to maintaining a similar vibe and concept at the location. Taking over the bar would mean additional seating and parking for guests of their restaurant.
The move comes as Blue Oak BBQ deals with parking and traffic issues at its current location. The roots of those issues appear to have initially formed with the removal of a few parking spots for additional outdoor seating in 2019. The COVID pandemic compelled Blue Oak to add more outdoor seating to their parking in a covered tent area. But with the pandemic over, the popular business has seen traffic and parking issues lead to complaints. To their credit, the business owners have been actively pursuing solutions and engaging with the public, and a move to the neighboring bar space could provide effective solutions for the popular barbecue restaurant. What Now New Orleans successfully contacted ownership but they declined to provide comment for the time being.
