J.T. Youngblood’s Is Now Permanently Closed

If you’re not on the Facebook pages for the Mueller neighborhood and its surrounding area, you might not have known that J.T. Youngblood’s shuttered quietly over the weekend.

Sunday, Dec. 16, was the final day of service for the fried chicken joint anchoring the Diamond building in the Mueller development.

Last night’s Facebook post reads:

“Our J.T. Youngblood’s family would like to inform you, with a heavy heart, that we have decided to close our doors. Today was our last day of serving up fried chicken after almost 2 years in operation. We thank you for all your love and support. It has been our pleasure serving the Austin community and we have enjoyed bringing a Texas Tradition back to the present!”

J.T. Youngblood’s, co-owned by Todd Duplechan (Lenoir), Jeffrey Weinberger (Jeffrey’s), and Jeff Haber (Four Seasons), opened in March 2017 to an enthusiastic neighborhood of diners, selling out of chicken within hours during its first few days of operation. But the restaurant, a resurrection of a beloved midcentury Texas chain, struggled with consistency in its menu pricing and service, and business slowly dried up, despite the fact that the fried chicken and pies were on point.

I popped in to Youngblood’s on Sunday after a farmer’s market visit for one final two-piece meal to go. The chicken was as crisp and delicious as ever, the mac and cheese was creamy and flavorful, and the Key lime pie was tart and nostalgic. My meal was missing the pickles promised on the menu, though. Perhaps the staff were distracted by the fact that they’re losing their jobs less than two weeks before Christmas.