Horn Barbecue, the Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant that closed after a fire gutted the building on Mandela Parkway in November 2023, will reopen at the same location as owner Matt Horn’s existing Old Town Oakland burger joint Matty’s Old Fashioned.
On Instagram and in a press release, Horn announced that the barbecue restaurant that catapulted him to national recognition will be reborn at 494 8th St. starting Friday, April 26. The revamped restaurant will feature both the Horn Barbecue menu and selected holdovers from the Matty’s Old Fashioned menu including the wings, fish sandwich and milkshakes, according to the press release. The entire Matty’s menu will be available on delivery apps UberEats and DoorDash.
“My family loves the Bay Area, and the tremendous support we have received from the community has been truly heartening,” Horn said in a prepared statement. “I remain steadfast in my promise to serve and contribute to my community, and to continue empowering our local culinary industry.”
The rebranded and reimagined restaurant has a full liquor license, unlike the previous Horn Barbeque location, and will sell cocktails, wine and beer along with the brisket, spare ribs, burnt ends and other smoked meats that have garnered numerous awards and led to a 2022 cookbook, Recipes and Techniques from a Master of the Art of BBQ.
Additionally, Horn announced plans to open a Horn Barbecue Shop in May next to his chicken sandwich shop, Kowbird, at 1733 Peralta St. in West Oakland.
“Reopening Horn Barbecue is not just about bringing back what was lost but pushing forward to new heights,” Horn said in the statement. “With the Horn Barbecue Shop, we aim to meet the evolving needs of our community, providing top-notch, convenient dining options that don’t compromise on quality.”
While the press release announcing the reopening of Horn Barbecue and Horn’s statement characterized the November fire as “arson,” according to Oakland Fire Department spokesperson Michael Hunt the investigation is ongoing and it is “premature” to identify any cause for the blaze.
In his statement announcing the reopening, Horn thanked those who contributed to a GoFundMe campaign following the vandalism and fire which raised more than $130,000. Horn also received $100,000 in COVID-19 relief funds from a pool of money distributed by Alameda County from the American Rescue Plan Act, and he acknowledged the support of Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson among other public officials in his statement.
The grand reopening of Horn Barbecue is scheduled for 11 a.m. April 26 at 494 8th St. in Old Oakland.
