Joe Bob's Roadhouse closes its doors

Joe Bob's Hot Springs Roadhouse has flown the coop.

Citing lack of business due to the closure of the west end of Hot Springs Road, restaurant owner Brad Herndon said Monday he's had enough and has closed the doors.

"Being at the end of a dead-end street, which is what happened when they started building the freeway, is absurd," Herndon said.

Herndon opened Joe Bob's three and a half years ago at 1510 Hot Springs Road. The business provided a full-service bar, a restaurant featuring "the best (chicken) breasts in the West" and live weekend entertainment.

The venue also was home to the Carson City Raiders Booster Club, which would hold game watches, fund-raisers and general meetings there during football season, and a classic-car group would meet there on occasion.

Virginia and Ed Hoover, founding and current members of the booster club, said they are sorry to hear of the closing.

"We enjoyed the food there, and we think he (Herndon) took good care of us," said Virginia Hoover.

Herndon said the owner of the property, Mark Begich, is now mayor of Anchorage, Alaska. In addition to the restaurant and bar, the property includes the Carson Hot Springs and a hotel.

The hotel and hot springs will stay open.

"Had the owner had any interest in the place and been a local owner, he would have fought tooth and nail to keep Hot Springs Road open (for traffic flow). There would have been no changes to Hot Springs Road.

"It was a challenging location to begin with," he added. "But when the street divider went in and blocked off one side of Hot Springs with the other, that confused people. They didn't know where to go to get to the other side.

"Then, when Hot Springs was shut off at the west end, that just killed us. Carson City is just not business-friendly unless you're an insider."

Joe Bob's received unexpected fame in November 2001 when a billboard in Washoe Valley showed a topless chicken with enhanced breasts (the restaurant's mascot) promoting the Carson City location.

There are three other Joe Bob's locations in Reno and Sparks. They are still in business.

Contact Rhonda Costa-Landers at rcosta-landers@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1223.