This Massachusetts Sports Bar Appears to Have Closed Permanently

DARTMOUTH (WBSM) — It appears to be game over for Tailgate Sports Bar & Grill in Dartmouth, as signs point to the restaurant being permanently closed.

Conflicting Signals About Tailgate’s Final Day

Last week, we received a tip from a customer of Tailgate who said the bartender told them that Sunday, March 29 was going to be the restaurant’s last day. We called to confirm, and a manager declined to speak with us. The person who answered the phone said they were “not 100 percent certain” that Sunday was going to be the last day, but said “we will let you know” before ending the call.

Two emails to the manager seeking confirmation went unreturned.

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All week long, we kept an eye on Tailgate’s online presence, including its website, socials and Google listing. We also took multiple trips over to the restaurant itself to see if any notice was posted on the door. The Grubhub app was allowing for advanced orders for Tailgate's regular business hours as of this writing.

Online Presence Begins to Disappear

On Tuesday, March 31, the Google listing stated Tailgate was “permanently closed.” The restaurant’s website is also down. Its Facebook page has not been updated since March 21, and its last posting on Instagram was on March 13.

The restaurant had recently shortened its hours and was no longer open for lunch.

A Short-Lived Run in a Rotating Restaurant Space

Tailgate Sports Bar & Grill opened in March 2025 after the previous restaurant in that space, Riko’s Pizza, closed the day after the Super Bowl in February 2024 and said it would reopen soon after with a new name and concept.

READ MORE: Dartmouth's Riko's Pizza Closing, Will Open With New Concept

When Tailgate opened, it had a much more diverse menu than just the hot oil pizza and salad offered at Riko’s. One of the more unique items was the salted caramel chicken tenders, which we convinced the chef to turn into a salted caramel chicken sandwich on one of our visits there.

READ MORE: We Created a Secret Sandwich at Dartmouth's Tailgate Sports Bar

Riko’s had opened in May 2024 after the previous restaurant in that space, Buster’s, closed in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The building had sat empty for about three years before Riko’s took over the space.

What Could Be Next for the Property

We have reached out to the property owner, Panagakos Development, to find out more information and what we can expect next from the property. We will update this story if that information is provided.