HORN BARBECUE IS REOPENING IN A NEW OAKLAND LOCATION
Nothing can get Matt Horn down, it seems, as the restaurateur is throwing his just-closed Horn Barbecue back into the Oakland food scene. The restaurant will reopen on Friday, April 26 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. inside Matty’s Old Fashioned at 464 Eighth Street. In a press release, Horn said the hope is to not just reopen the business — but push it to new heights.
The menu will blend standards from Horn Barbecue alongside dishes from Matty’s Old-Fashioned, the throwback burger restaurant Horn opened summer of 2023. The brisket by the pound, pork spare ribs, cornbread and more are returning from Horn Barbecue, while the smoked sticky wings, milkshakes, and other select items make the jump from Matty’s. The full bar remains operational. Though Matty’s Old Fashioned menu items will carry over to the new menu, it seems Matty’s itself will effectually close.
Additionally, the statement includes a teaser of a new restaurant called Horn Barbecue Shop, which will open in May next door to Horn’s sandwich outfit Kowbird. All of this good news comes as Horn readies his new cookbook, Kowbird, for release on May 28.
Meanwhile, the restaurateur has been at the center of ongoing legal and money issues. The pitmaster was sued by former Horn Hospitality Group president David Kyuman who settled in fall 2022 with Horn regarding investments and promised equity in Horn’s businesses. That issue surfaced after Horn Barbecue came under scrutiny from past and current employees for sourcing issues and on-the-job hazards. A devastating fire in fall 2023 caused the Mandela Parkway location — a James Beard Foundation favorite — to close in the first place.
Horn Barbecue (464 Eighth Street) will open on Friday, April 26 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.