Horn furthermore told Diablo that his Oakland restaurant, located on Eighth Street downtown, remains open and that he was actively searching for a new location in Sacramento County, as his Elk Grove restaurant recently closed after just a year, with the property owner saying that Horn had fallen behind on rent.<\/p>\n
![\"Evictions](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SJM-L-HORNBBQ_Eviction.jpg\")
Evictions notices from the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department were taped to the front door of Horn Barbecue on Mount Diablo Boulevard in Lafayette. (Martha Ross\/Bay Area News Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n
In Lafayette, the space that once housed the long-beloved Bo\u2019s Barbecue sat dark this week, the phone line was dead and online ordering has been disabled. Horn insisted to Diablo that the plan is to \u201creopen and continue serving the Lafayette community.\u201d<\/p>\n
With regard to alcohol service, another notice taped to one of the restaurant\u2019s windows showed that its alcohol license was suspended in July 2025 by the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control for an unspecified violation.<\/p>\n
Horn Barbecue opened in Lafayette with much excitement<\/a>\u00a0four years after the one-time viral pop-up chef launched his original restaurant in West Oakland in 2020. Horn quickly rose to national acclaim with the Michelin Guide calling him a \u201clocal sensation\u201d and Food & Wine hailing him as one of the best new chefs in 2021. He also began expanding beyond the Bay Area, opening eateries in Elk Grove and Fresno.<\/p>\n As for branching out into to the East Bay suburbs, Horn said on social media in December 2024<\/a> that the Lafayette spot \u201cwas not just a restaurant; it\u2019s the result of hard work, dedication, and a commitment to make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n He also said, \u201cOur vision has always been to serve others, uplift our community and build something that lasts. To everyone who has stood by us \u2014 your loyalty, trust, and encouragement have been the foundation of our success.\u201d<\/p>\n But it has been a wild journey for Horn, as the Bay Area News Group has previously reported<\/a>. His original West Oakland eatery was destroyed in a 2023 fire. Horn\u2019s family raised $130,000 through a GoFundMe campaign in the days after the fire. But he subsequently said he would not try to rebuild at this site, instead relocating Horn Barbecue<\/a> to the same downtown Oakland location as another of his restaurants, the now-closed Matty\u2019s Old Fashioned.<\/p>\n In addition to the fire, Horn also has grappled with legal trouble<\/a>, which 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<\/a> and did most of the cooking.<\/p>\n It appears that the legal issues also have followed Horn to Lafayette, which might preclude him reopening there, according to the San Francisco Chronicle<\/a>.<\/p>\n Horn\u2019s spokesperson, Seneca Scott, told the Chronicle that the suspension of the alcohol license \u201cstemmed from obligations associated with a prior tenant,\u201d but that prior tenant appears eager to offer a different take. Horn subleased the property from All the Smoke BBQ, which operated there previously. All the Smoke owner James Dailey confirmed he subleased the restaurant to Horn in October 2024 \u2014 and said he plans to pursue legal action.<\/p>\n David Roberson, who owns the Mount Diablo Boulevard property, also told the Chronicle that the space \u201cwill not reopen as Horn Barbecue nor (with) anyone affiliated with Matt Horn.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t