Oakland's popular Horn Barbecue opens new Lafayette location
Popular Oakland barbecue chef Matt Horn is expanding his operations, opening a new restaurant in Lafayette on Wednesday.
The new Horn Barbecue location is at 3422 Mt. Diablo Blvd., which has previously operated as Boneheads BBQ and All the Smoke BBQ.
"This is not just the launch of a new location—it is the realization of a dream built on passion, perseverance, and a deep commitment to serving our community," read a post on the restaurant's Instagram announcing the Dec. 18 opening.
Horn first made his mark at his original West Oakland outpost, where his smoked brisket, ribs and tri-tip would draw large lines of people who would wait for hours to get their hands on his product. Horn Barbecue earned a James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant in 2022.
Horn's business has also faced some significant challenges. In November of 2023, his West Oakland restaurant was significantly damaged in a fire just two days after being defaced with graffiti.
Horn would close the West Oakland restaurant on Mandela Parkway, opening a new location on 8th Street in Oakland where he was operating one of his other restaurants, Matty's Old Fashioned. While that restaurant eventually closed, Horn's Barbecue has taken over the space.
Horn's reputation clearly carries plenty of weight with his fans and followers, with a large group of people gathering at the new Lafayette restaurant's doors prior to opening at noon on Wednesday.