LAFAYETTE, CA — The newly opened Horn Barbecue in Lafayette has drawn praise for its Texas-style BBQ, but there’s a problem.
Horn BBQ keeps running out of food–and some locals are getting frustrated.
Seamus G. from Rheem shared on social media that he visited the restaurant recently but missed out on beef ribs, which had sold out by 3 p.m. “Matt Horn is one of the nation’s top BBQ chefs,” Seamus wrote, “but his previous restaurant routinely had a two-hour wait and sold out early, so this isn’t surprising.”
Other diners echoed similar concerns. Marc B from the Trails Area noted that pork ribs sold out by 5:45 p.m. on one evening, although beef ribs were still available. He also mentioned parking as a potential issue, citing the growing popularity of the new location. While Marc described the potato salad as “over-salted but tasty,” he joked that he’d “boil a few potatoes and extend it” at home.
While most customers who actually score a plate appreciate the quality of the barbecue, others are disappointed by the frequent sellouts and higher prices. “It’s great to have a place of this quality right in our own backyard,” Seamus G. said, but added, “get there early before it gets too crowded.”
Local diners report frequent shortages of menu items, even during peak hours. On December 20, a reader who goes by Honehaze shared online that when visiting the Lafayette location in the afternoon, the restaurant had already run out of many key items, including brisket and potato salad.
Another customer, MB from Clayton, said they visited the restaurant on December 22 after reading our story. “By 4:30, they had sold out of ribs, brisket, and several sides,” they said in an email. “It was so disappointing after just opening in Lafayette.”
MB also commented that the Lafayette location mirrored Horn’s Oakland practices of closing when sold out, but the transition has left some diners frustrated. “Four of us drove from Clayton and Walnut Creek,” they added.
The popularity of Horn Barbecue’s Oakland location—where long waits and sellouts were standard—seems to have carried over to Lafayette.
MB also told us the practice of routinely selling out “…worked in Oakland but doesn’t in Lafayette. We shared the info with friends. Also noted they took over the old BBQ place and didn’t change a thing. Same ol’ uncomfortable chairs that have been there for years and same ol’ roll towels almost impossible to unroll. Soooo not ok and disappointing.”
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Selling food until you run out often happens in the BBQ world. Unlike with other cuisines, barbecue takes hours to make. That can lead to challenges when lots of customers want a limited supply of food. That’s likely what’s happening in Lafayette.
Hopefully, the supply issues smooth out over time. Until then, there’s a clear takeaway: if you want Horn’s barbecue, go early.
We tried to visit and Horn was sold out, so we feel everyone’s pain. Make sure to join our 925 News newsletter so we can share our review as soon as we actually get to try the food!
We went yesterday, Sunday afternoon, and at 2 o’clock they were sold out of chicken, beef, ribs, tri-tip and beef sausage. Luckily we were not planning ordering any of these except the chicken and we were able to get brisket, pulled pork and a hot link. Everything was great, but the line was super long and it took forever to get through it. I don’t think they should do lunch anymore and just do dinner maybe open at 4:30 or 5:00.