Horn Barbecue mysteriously evicted from Lafayette location

Last week, the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office slapped an eviction notice on the front door of Horn Barbecue in Lafayette, just a year after Matt Horn, the James Beard Award-nominated chef from Oakland, opened the Mount Diablo Boulevard location as part of his effort to grow his celebrated but embattled restaurant empire.

The notice, with a “no trespassing” warning, gave no reason for the eviction, and Horn and his spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment. But in prior communications with Diablo Magazine, Horn said the Lafayette closure was temporary and stemmed from “operational challenges related to our ability to serve alcohol.”

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.

In Lafayette, the space that once housed the long-beloved Bo’s 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 “reopen and continue serving the Lafayette community.”

With regard to alcohol service, another notice taped to one of the restaurant’s windows showed that its alcohol license was suspended in July 2025 by the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control for an unspecified violation.

Horn Barbecue opened in Lafayette with much excitement four 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 “local sensation” 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.

As for branching out into to the East Bay suburbs, Horn said on social media in December 2024 that the Lafayette spot “was not just a restaurant; it’s the result of hard work, dedication, and a commitment to make a difference.”

He also said, “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.”

But it has been a wild journey for Horn, as the Bay Area News Group has previously reported. His original West Oakland eatery was destroyed in a 2023 fire. Horn’s 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 to the same downtown Oakland location as another of his restaurants, the now-closed Matty’s Old Fashioned.

In addition to the fire, Horn also has grappled with legal trouble, 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 and did most of the cooking.

It appears that the legal issues also have followed Horn to Lafayette, which might preclude him reopening there, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Horn’s spokesperson, Seneca Scott, told the Chronicle that the suspension of the alcohol license “stemmed from obligations associated with a prior tenant,” 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 — and said he plans to pursue legal action.

David Roberson, who owns the Mount Diablo Boulevard property, also told the Chronicle that the space “will not reopen as Horn Barbecue nor (with) anyone affiliated with Matt Horn.”