Great news for brisket-loving Lamorindans and East Bay foodies who have longed for some stellar barbecue: Matt Horn is opening a new restaurant in Lafayette.
Horn, a James Beard award-nominated barbecue chef who was named one of the country’s best new chefs by Food & Wine Magazine in 2021, announced on Instagram that he was opening a new Horn Barbecue location at 3422 Mount Diablo Blvd. on Wednesday, Dec. 18. It’s the former location of the much loved Bo’s Barbecue, an East Bay community mainstay, and two other restaurants — Boneheads and All the Smoke. It’s a location, in other words, with ‘cue in its DNA.
“Horn Barbecue in Lafayette is not just a restaurant; it’s the result of hard work, dedication, and a commitment to make a difference,” Horn announced on social media. “Our vision has always been to serve others, uplift our community and build something that lasts. To everyone who has stood by us — your loyalty, trust, and encouragement have been the foundation of our success.”
It has been a long and wild journey for Horn, who opened his original location in West Oakland in 2020 and soon rose to national acclaim with even the Michelin Guide calling him a “local sensation.”
But the original eatery was destroyed in 2023 in a fire that is still under investigation for arson. Horn’s family raised $130,000 through a GoFundMe campaign in the days after the fire hoping to rebuild. Earlier this year, he was promised $100,000 from Alameda County in federal pandemic relief funds.
Horn relaunched Horn Barbecue in April in the same Oakland location as another of his restaurants, the now-shuttered Matty’s Old Fashioned, but said he would not try to rebuild at the original site. (His other restaurant, Kowbird, opened in Oakland in 2022 and inspired a chicken-centric cookbook by the same name.)
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In addition to the fire, Horn has also grappled with legal trouble that includes allegations of unpaid wages, a $167,000 lawsuit with his former business partner, David Kim, and a $200,000 dispute with a former employee who claims he helped Horn start the business and did most of the cooking.
The new restaurant will bring Horn’s signature “West Coast barbecue” to Lafayette’s buzzy downtown for the first time, offering up brisket, beef and pork ribs, smoked turkey, wings and Horn-style Burnt Ends and the full lineup of sides, from mac and cheese to collard greens, cornbread and slaw.
Details: Open from noon to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday at 3422 Mt. Diablo Blvd. in Lafayette; hornbarbecue.com.
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