Locals kicked off 2020 with the sad news that a Bossier City landmark has closed its doors after nearly 70 years in business.
Cobb’s Barbecue, located at 203 McCormick Street just off Barksdale Boulevard on the edge of the newly revamped East Bank District, shut its doors for good last week.
“It is after much prayer, thought, and tears that the Joe and Sue Cobb family announce that Cobb’s BBQ has closed. We would like to thank our customers that have patronized the BBQ over the last 67 years. Especially those that have continued to come by over the last 10 years since Joe’s home-going. We would like to thank Shawn and Cathy for their support and hard work for the past 28 years. Please keep our family, Shawn and Cathy in your prayers as we adjust to this new life,” said a post submitted to Cobb’s Facebook page from employee Cathy Grace.
Since Grace posted the announcement on Joe Cobb’s Barbecue Facebook page, residents have flooded their page with comments of memories that they have from the establishment.
“This was one of my favorite places in town to eat. The multiple generations of families that have made this place a part of their lives ….from putting your mark on the pole when you were growing up to the lifetime of great food and family. I will truly miss Cobb’s and the great family environment. This is a sad day for all of us …I only wish I could go one last time to bid this place a proper a do… The Cobb family, Cathy and Shawn you will always have a special place in my heart …..I hate to see y’all go,” said Tim Pope in a post on Joe Cobb’s Barbecue Facebook page.
Scott Irwin, Bossier City Council President, said he was saddened to hear of the restaurant’s closing and knows it will be greatly missed.
“I’m sad to hear that Cobb’s has closed. It’s an institution in Bossier City. It probably won’t sink in until I am craving great BBQ one day,” he said.
Irwin gave his favorite Cobb’s story: “I was eating there with my kids and my son, who was eight at the time, and I told Mr. Cobb how much he liked his straws for shooting spit balls. Mr. Cobb laughed and gave my son a whole unopened box of 100 straws.”
Bossier City Mayor Lorenz “Lo” Walker called the closing a “significant event in the history of Bossier City.”
“It has been not only a great restaurant but an informal meeting place for civic and business leaders and elected officials for decades. Joe and Sue Cobb, and their staff, always greeted their customers with friendship and genuine appreciation. It was a destination; a place locals and visitors enjoyed for good food and great conversation. Joe’s always humorous comments and Sue’s grace as the matron of this iconic dining facility made COBBS’ a proud part of this City,” Walker explained. “It will be sorely missed but we understand and respect their decision. They will be gone, but they will not be forgotten.”
Also shocked and saddened by the news of Joe Cobb’s Barbecue closing is Lisa Johnson, president and CEO of the Bossier Chamber of Commerce.
“Cobb’s BBQ is a thread in the fabric of the legacy of Bossier City. Their sandwiches were the best in town,” said Johnson.
As a proud Bossier High School graduate, she recalled the many pieces of memorabilia on the walls inside Cobb’s.
“If you wanted to experience the history of Bossier High and elected officials, just look at the walls. It was a museum,” said Johnson.
