Oakland ‘ barbecue party’ closer
After a delayed opening, Oakland’s Horn Barbecue started taking online orders last week, selling out of hundreds of pounds of brisket, ribs and pulled pork within hours.
The orders were a bridge to the West Oakland space’s true opening, expected soon, when customers can walk inside to order and eat at tables outside the former popup’s highly anticipated first restaurant.
Last weekend’s long line for takeout barbecue at 2534 Mandela Parkway was a surprise; owner Matt Horn had planned to open with outdoor seating in late September but was stopped by lastminute permit issues. Alameda County officials told him he needed to install an indoor smoker, instead of using the location’s outdoor smoker, as he had planned to do since 2019. Horn complied, which meant installing a 26foot hood in the restaurant’s kitchen.
“It wasn’t just the fact that I had to put the hood in. For me to put the hood in, I had to tear down walls, I had to create new electrical wiring, which was easily
over $ 100,000,” Horn said. “This whole process of getting this restaurant to where the city wanted it has approached or exceeded $ 500,000.”
Horn said he was questioned by county officials over aspects of the outdoor smoker. The Alameda County Department of Environmental Health did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“A lot of these people aren’t used to the idea of craft barbecue,” Horn said. “They don’t understand what goes into making it. ... Of course somebody will be here watching the smoker. If you don’t, how are you going to keep your temperatures up exactly where you need them to be at all times?”
Enthusiasm for the opening of Horn Barbecue has not waned in the East Bay. The Saturday only barbecue quickly sold out, and lines stretched down blocks of Mandela Parkway for hours. All the while, Horn could be seen near the back of the restaurant, working on final elements of the building’s construction.
“People are still supporting us through this and I can’t even explain how huge that is, especially from a financial standpoint,” he said. “When we finally get open, it’s going to be one huge, socially distanced barbecue party out here.”