Sharon's South Closes to Reopen as Cahoots Seafood Bar & Grill in Abilene

ABILENE, Texas, June 11, 2026 — Sharon's South, the barbecue restaurant at 2050 Antilley Road in Abilene, closed its doors on Monday, June 8 and will reopen under an entirely new concept: Cahoots Seafood Bar & Grill, a Cajun and seafood-inspired dining destination that promises a departure from the Texas barbecue the address has served for years. Management has not yet announced an opening date for the new venture.

The rebrand marks the end of Sharon's South's run as a barbecue outlet, though it leaves the original Sharon's Barbecue location at 849 U.S. Highway 80 E. fully operational. That location, which has been serving traditional Texas barbecue since 2005, will continue unchanged while the south side location undergoes its transformation.

Cajun and Seafood Flavours Come to Abilene's South Side

The shift from Texas barbecue to a Cajun and seafood format represents a significant pivot for the Antilley Road address. Cahoots Seafood Bar & Grill will bring a style of cuisine that is largely absent from Abilene's established dining landscape — Gulf Coast and Cajun-inspired dishes that rely on fresh seafood, bold spice profiles and the comfort-food traditions of Louisiana's culinary heritage.

"We are grateful for the support our customers have shown Sharon's South over the years and are excited to bring something new and unique to the community," said Sharon's management in a statement released alongside the closure announcement.

The Cajun and Gulf Coast cooking tradition that Cahoots will draw from encompasses dishes such as crawfish étouffée, fried catfish, shrimp po'boys, seafood platters and gumbo a range that gives a seafood bar and grill format its depth and breadth. For those unfamiliar with the Cajun culinary tradition behind the new concept, HCP Good Food's Cajun recipes collection offers useful context on the flavours and techniques at its heart.

Sharon's Barbecue: Two Decades on Abilene's Dining Map

The original Sharon's Barbecue opened in 2005 on U.S. Highway 80 E. and spent twelve years establishing itself as one of Abilene's recognised barbecue destinations before a second location followed in 2017. Sharon's South on Antilley Road brought the brand to the city's southern residential corridor, where it traded for nearly nine years before the decision to rebrand.

The closure of Sharon's South as a barbecue outlet does not signal the end of the Sharon's brand in Abilene. The Highway 80 location will continue serving the slow-smoked Texas barbecue the restaurant has built its reputation on since the mid-2000s, giving loyal customers an unchanged option while the south side property takes its new direction.

Abilene Awaits an Opening Date

No timeline has been confirmed for Cahoots Seafood Bar & Grill's opening. The transition from an operating barbecue restaurant to a seafood-focused bar and grill involves both a menu overhaul and likely interior changes to suit the new concept's identity and service style. Management has indicated the community can expect further announcements as the rebrand progresses.

Abilene's dining scene has seen a number of independent restaurants adapt their concepts in response to shifting customer preferences and competitive pressures in recent years, and the move from a land-based barbecue menu to a coastal and Cajun seafood format reflects an appetite for greater variety in West Texas dining options. Cahoots Seafood Bar & Grill is located at 2050 Antilley Road, Abilene, Texas.

More information about Indian cuisine and its regional diversity can be explored through Indian cuisine history and traditions.

Businesses monitoring hospitality expansion trends can also explore restaurant industry growth trends for 2026 to understand how regional food concepts are shaping dining markets.