Felix's BBQ With Soul has permanently closed its Oceanside restaurant at 309 Vista Way, with a notice on the front door stating the business ceased operations on August 2. The restaurant's website has also removed the Oceanside location from its list of operating restaurants, leaving Carlsbad, San Marcos and Lake Elsinore as the company's remaining California locations.
The company has not publicly announced the closure or provided a reason for shutting down the restaurant. However, comments circulating on local social media have speculated that rising rent may have contributed to the decision, although those claims have not been independently confirmed by SanDiegoVille and the restaurant has not addressed them publicly.
The Oceanside restaurant represented far more than another location in the chain. It was the restaurant that launched Felix Berry's vision of bringing elevated Southern barbecue and soul food to Southern California after a winding journey that began thousands of miles away in Troy, Alabama.
Berry has often credited his late mother for teaching him how to cook and inspiring his lifelong appreciation for Southern food. After working in restaurants throughout college and later moving to California for a management career, he developed a close friendship with restaurateur Ruth Davenport, another Alabama native who operated Ruth's Place in Orange County. Berry later described Davenport as someone who reminded him of his mother and encouraged him to pursue his dream of opening his own restaurant.
That opportunity came in 2008, when Berry signed a lease for a vacant building in Oceanside during the depths of the Great Recession. Tragically, Davenport passed away from cancer just weeks after the lease was finalized, leaving Berry determined to honor her encouragement by building the restaurant they had envisioned.
Against long odds, Felix's BBQ With Soul found an audience. The restaurant became known for its hickory-smoked St. Louis ribs, beef brisket, fried catfish, fried chicken, oxtails, shrimp and grits, collard greens, mac and cheese, cornbread and gumbo, helping establish one of San Diego County's most recognizable destinations for Southern cuisine.
Berry frequently said his business was about more than food. Over the years, Felix's became deeply involved with churches, schools, nonprofits and community organizations while earning a reputation for mentoring employees and creating opportunities within underserved communities. The restaurant was also recognized as one of San Diego County's prominent Black-owned restaurant businesses and became a gathering place for countless community events.
As the brand grew, Berry expanded beyond Oceanside, opening additional restaurants in southeastern San Diego, Carlsbad, San Marcos and Lake Elsinore. The Market Creek Plaza location in southeastern San Diego closed in 2016 after its lease was not renewed, a setback that Berry later described as disappointing given the restaurant's strong community ties.
In 2023, Felix's announced plans to return to the city of San Diego by securing space beneath The Orchard at Hilltop mixed-use development near Euclid Avenue, not far from its former Market Creek restaurant. Although the project generated excitement among longtime customers, the restaurant has yet to announce an opening date.
The closure of the Oceanside restaurant now leaves Carlsbad and San Marcos as Felix's only remaining San Diego County locations.
For many North County residents, the Vista Way restaurant introduced them to Southern comfort food at a time when authentic soul food restaurants were relatively uncommon in the region. Over nearly 17 years, it became known not only for generous portions and slow-smoked barbecue but also for the welcoming atmosphere Berry worked to cultivate from the day the restaurant opened.
SanDiegoVille has reached out to Felix's BBQ With Soul seeking comment regarding the closure, whether the decision was related to lease costs or other business factors, and whether the company plans to return to Oceanside in the future. This story will be updated if additional information becomes available.
Felix's BBQ With Soul continues operating restaurants in Carlsbad, San Marcos and Lake Elsinore. For more information, visit felixsbbq.com.
Originally published on August 6, 2026.
