PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — It's the end of an era for a South Philly restaurant that's been a neighborhood staple for over 70 years. Frank and Deb Barbato closed the doors of Bomb Bomb Bar-B-Q Grill and Italian Restaurant for the last time on Dec. 28.
Earlier this month, the Barbato family announced they'd be closing the iconic restaurant and heading into retirement. "The Bomb Bomb Barbato family, through 3 generations, has been proud and fortunate to have served the Philadelphia, Delaware County and South Jersey communities for over 73 years," they wrote in an announcement on the restaurant's website.
According to local lore, the business was bombed twice on consecutive days by rivals in the community, and the owner eventually sold the bar. The new Jimmy's Tavern nicknamed "Bomb Bomb" until it became the new name of the place in 1951, when Frank's dad bought the place.
Frank told NBC10, he started working with his dad when he was 19 years old. The bar became a ful-service restaurant in 1990.
In a social media post, they thanked family, friends and customers who made Bomb Bomb "a destination for great food and fun."
