FILE: The city of Sebastopol has told A&M BBQ to move its smokers due to local complaints.
MalikC./Yelp
Sebastopol’s popular A&M BBQ restaurant faces an uncertain future after residents told city council members that smoke emitted from the restaurant’s smoker was creating a “toxic situation” earlier this month.
During the May 5 city council meeting, several residents who live blocks from A&M BBQ told council members that the restaurant’s two large smokers have contributed to poor air quality in the neighborhood, forcing some to keep their windows closed. Resident Megan Cowan told the council that air quality has become “untenable” after the restaurant switched to larger smokers with bigger smokestacks.
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“The smokestacks bring the smoke directly up into our neighborhood, which is uphill of A&M Barbecue, and it creates this very toxic situation that has been captured in the PM2.5 meters on [air quality monitoring website] PurpleAir,” Cowan said.
During a phone call with SFGATE, A&M BBQ owner and pitmaster Kristopher Austin said that he was taken aback when he read the negative feedback following the May 5 meeting. He and his business partner Finn Liss reiterated their commitment to the community while stressing their focus on finding “long-term solutions” in an Instagram post days later. For nearly two years, A&M BBQ has operated without issue, Austin said, but now its future is uncertain as he navigates the possibility of running his business without smokers on site and potentially relocating A&M BBQ during its busiest season.
FILE: The city of Sebastopol has told A&M BBQ to move its smokers due to local complaints.
A&M BBQ/Yelp
“We’ve never wanted to be a nuisance to anyone,” Austin said. “It’s disheartening to see the reaction from the community and how it’s being handled. We’re trying to be as compliant as we possibly can, but the only thing we asked for in the beginning was time to find a new space — but that’s not happening.”
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Neighbors complaining about wood-fired grills isn’t an isolated issue. In September 2025, one of Glen Park’s newest restaurants — La Cigale — faced similar criticism.
Mary Gourley, Sebastopol’s city manager, told SFGATE in an email that outdoor commercial barbecues are specifically defined and regulated under Sebastopol’s zoning code. A&M BBQ’s smokers are not currently permitted at the business location, but Gourley said that the zoning code does allow outdoor commercial barbecues in other city areas with proper permits.
The city approached A&M BBQ around March to request that it move one of its two smokers off-site, according to Austin. That smoker is currently in storage, leaving A&M BBQ at half production. But city zoning rules could force him to move the second smoker. In April, the city issued A&M BBQ a notice regarding two large smokers not approved by the city, according to a notice Gourley shared with SFGATE. On May 28, the city gave the restaurant 10 days to cease using its outdoor commercial barbecue, which violates city zoning rules.
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Finding locations within the zoning area has been a challenging feat for Austin. According to Austin, the city suggested A&M BBQ move its smoker to the former Mary’s Pizza Shack in town, but it ultimately didn’t work out. Austin and Liss were also in talks with the owner of Mexican restaurant El Coronel to potentially move the smoker to a parking space, but those plans were also fruitless. Austin declined to comment on why both sites did not work out.
During the May 5 meeting, former Sebastopol Mayor Larry Robinson suggested that A&M BBQ add filters to its smoker to be compliant with the city’s wood smoke ordinance. Adding filters to commercial smokers isn’t cheap either, setting back restaurant owners thousands of dollars. Last year, Rich Table co-owner Evan Rich told the San Francisco Chronicle that the business spent $80,000 on filters for the restaurant’s wood-fired grill. (The Chronicle and SFGATE are both owned by Hearst but have separate newsrooms.)
Austin said he hasn’t had time to test out a filter system due to a lack of time, but said that he’s willing to try them. He does worry about the potential changes they could have on his cooking process and the food he prepares, he added.
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FILE: The city of Sebastopol has told A&M BBQ to move its smokers due to local complaints. Pictured are customers inside the Bay Area restaurant.
MichaelR./Yelp
Austin opened A&M BBQ to much fanfare in June 2024, even getting a nod from Bay Area celebrity chef Guy Fieri, who enjoyed A&M BBQ oxtail during the 2025 Wine and Food Experience. Throughout the week, customers have stood in line for his Texas-style, dry-season rubbed brisket and ribs that have been called among the best in Sonoma County by Sonoma Magazine. But with the latest pressure to move his smokers, Austin worries about the financial impacts and logistical hurdles he and his staff will soon face.
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“It’s going to be hard to afford because now we have to do extra time to travel back and forth to go do this thing,” Austin said. “I have to break my staff up and separate them. There are a lot of things that have to happen for me to maintain the restaurant every single weekend without the smokers there, and that’s going to be the most difficult part.”
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While Austin figures out his next move, he has asked customers to show their support for A&M BBQ by submitting letters to city council members for the upcoming June 2 city council meeting. As of Friday, dozens of letters have been submitted in support of A&M BBQ, with many urging the city to give Austin more time to find a sustainable solution.
“The only outcome I’m looking for is fair treatment,” Austin said.