Smoke House Steak & Seafood Restaurant
Smoke House Steak & Seafood Restaurant is a former meat-and-three restaurant which was located at 348 Finley Avenue West in Birmingham's Thomas neighborhood from the 1950s to December 2023.
The Smoke House opened in the 1950s as a short-order grill and bar. After a year working with his brother, Gus at the nearby Niki's West, Theo Hontzas purchased the business with partner Pete Gerontakis in 1960.
The new owners closed the bar and added daily specials and fresh vegetables, sourced from the nearby Alabama Farmers Market. to stock the cafeteria line. Steaks and Greek-style specialties were available from the menu. For most of its life the restaurant was open 24 hours, but gradually shed its evening hours to focus on breakfast and lunch.
Gerontakis retired and sold his share in 1990. Theo's son Pete began working at the restaurant when he was 10 and later took over as manager.
In 2007 the Hontzeses retired and leased the business to another operator, but after five years they came back and resumed their roles as owner and manager. Theo Hontzas closed the restaurant when he retired at age 90 in 2023.
References
- Evans, Amy (March 12, 2004) "The Smoke House." oral history interview with Theo Hontzas. Southern Foodways Alliance
- Taylor, Drew (December 11, 2023) "Smokehouse Steak and Seafood closing after 63 years in Birmingham." CBS42.com