Helotes mainstay Bobby J’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers is listed on Google as “permanently closed.” Credit: Screen Capture / Google Maps

Bobby J’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers appears to have flipped its last patty, shutting down after serving the bedroom community of Helotes for some 20 years, as first reported by the Express-News.

Google lists the eatery, known for serving hearty burgers in a cozy atmosphere, as “permanently closed.” Its phone number also has been disconnected. However, it’s unclear when the restaurant actually shut its doors.

In Facebook posts, the owners of Bobby J’s,  located at 13247 Bandera Road, complained of staffing shortages during the COVID-19 crisis. The restaurant’s final Facebook post, made April 12, notes that it cut its days of operation to just Thursday through Sunday.

“We are sorry for the inconvenience and we hope we can get back to opening [every day] again soon so we can serve y’all,” the post reads. “Thank y’all for your patience and understanding.” 

Bob Sfalos opened Bobby J’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers in 2000 after a long career in real estate, the Express-News reports. When he died in 2009, his wife Beth took over and operated the business until her passing 10 years later.

“When she took over Bobby J’s she became like a second mother [and] friend to her employees and created an environment like no other,” her obituary in the Express-News read. “Beth’s true passion though wasn’t Bobby J’s; it was her children (Jay [and] Chris) and animal rescue.” 

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This article appears in Oct 5-18, 2022.

Nina Rangel uses nearly 20 years of experience in the foodservice industry to tell the stories of movers and shakers in the food scene in San Antonio. As the Food + Nightlife Editor for the San Antonio...