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Horn Barbecue<\/p>\n
Dillon T. Yelp<\/p>\n
Horn Barbecue Closes Its Last Location in Oakland<\/p>\n
The smoke signals were there for all to see. Once high-flying Bay Area pitmaster Matt Horn appears to have shuttered his last barbecue joint. The San Francisco Chronicle reports on the quiet closure of Horn Barbecue<\/a> in Oakland, the city where he first built his reputation with sold-out pop-ups and his first brick-and-mortar restaurant in 2020. Despite almost immediate national acclaim, it\u2019s been a messy road since, with his flagship location burning down in 2023 in a possible arson incident.<\/p>\n Horn Barbecue<\/p>\n Kris L. Yelp<\/p>\n From the start, Horn has been plagued by money-related lawsuits from former business partners, employees, and food vendors. Nevertheless, Horn surprised many when he expanded to Lafayette, where he took over the former Bo\u2019s and Bonehead\u2019s barbecue spot on Mt. Diablo Boulevard in 2024, quickly following that with new outposts in Elk Grove and Fresno. Despite long lines and positive reviews, Horn Lafayette soon shuttered last year due in part to a suspended alcohol license, with the Elk Grove, Fresno, and Oakland restaurants following. Horn said in a statement that he would continue to provide catering and service private events, pop-ups, and live-fire experiences. Fortunately for Lamorinda barbecue fans, Mt. Diablo BBQ pounced on the Lafayette space where it launched its new smokehouse earlier this summer.<\/p>\n Mac\u2019s Old House Re-launches in Antioch<\/p>\n Give it up for Joe Martinez and Ron Harrison, the new owners of Mac\u2019s Old House,<\/a> who renovated and reopened the old-school family-style Italian supper club in little over a year. The restaurant, located in a newly spruced-up 100-plus-year-old home and lauded for its affordable drinks and grub (including prime rib dinners with bread, minestrone soup, salad, pasta, and sauteed veggies for less than $20), opened softly last week. The previous owners passed along all the old recipes to the new operators, who instituted a small hike to reflect the cost of goods and inflation but managed to keep prices remarkably low by Bay Area standards: That prime rib dinner with fixings is now $21.95. More importantly, a prized East Bay landmark and gathering spot has been preserved for future generations.<\/p>\n Mac\u2019s Old House<\/p>\n Facebook<\/p>\n Primrose Bakery Expands to Livermore<\/p>\n Pleasanton\u2019s popular Primrose Bakery<\/a> debuted a second location<\/a> in downtown Livermore at 154 South J Street. In addition to its lineup of pastries, baked goods, and other treats, Primrose is known for its custom wedding cakes and special events.<\/p>\n Casual Burgers and Arcade Replace Italian Fine Dining in Moraga<\/p>\n Wayside Social, a burger spot with fries, shakes, and a kids arcade section, is taking over for white-tablecloth La Finestra in Moraga. Owner Ben Rojas, who opened the nearby La Chamba Taqueria in 2023, will also serve beer and wine for the adults, a fact Rojas cleverly announced on social media with a callback to the \u201880s cult movie Say Anything. Follow Wayside\u2019s progress here.<\/a><\/p>\n Small Bites from Around the East Bay:<\/p>\n Congrats to Side Gate Brewery,<\/a> which celebrated its fifth anniversary last Saturday at its beer garden near Todos Santos Plaza, the largest one in Concord.<\/p>\n A new American comfort food concept called The Post<\/a> is taking over the longtime home of Forli Restaurant in Alamo.<\/p>\n Rumors of the demise<\/a> of Dan\u2019s Bar in Walnut Creek are greatly exaggerated\u2014at least for now.<\/p>\n San Francisco has a new food hall in the Presidio: The Mess Hall.<\/a><\/p>\n 40-year-old Chinese restaurant Ben\u2019s closed<\/a> in Oakland\u2019s Jack London Square.<\/p>\n Milky Flakes in Walnut Creek; Meadowlark Dairy in Livermore; Lafayette Scoop; Serotonin Scoops in Berkeley; and Baccio di Latte in San Jose and soon Walnut Creek make a list of new ice cream spots<\/a> around the Bay Area.<\/p>\n The West Coast Asian Foodie Festival is this weekend<\/a> at the San Mateo County Event Center.<\/p>\n Asian-influenced Ones Cafe & Bakery\u2019s new Alameda location is open.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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