LAFAYETTE, CA — Seemingly overnight, one of Lafayette’s most talked-about restaurant spaces has a very different look. And it signals a new chapter for a building that many locals consider “cursed.”
The former Horn BBQ building at 3422 Mt. Diablo Blvd. has been repainted a bold, barn-red color, replacing the dark, almost charred-wood look that defined the restaurant’s short-lived run in downtown Lafayette.
Wood shingle siding has been entirely removed, and replaced with a modern farmhouse style look.
The black patio railings and outdoor deck remain, but the building itself now looks dramatically brighter from the street.
A Big Visual Change for a High-Profile BBQ Space
The change is hard to miss. The building, which sits along Lafayette’s busy downtown corridor, now has red siding, red window frames, and a cleaner, more polished exterior.
From the street, the transformation makes the former Horn space feel less like a moody smokehouse and more like a bright, casual barbecue spot getting ready for a new chapter.
Again, in addition to the paint, aging items like overlapping wood shingle siding have been striped off and replaced. You can see that siding in this previous photo:
Contrast that to the smoother and more modern look of the transformed building.
There does not appear to be permanent exterior signage up yet, so the final look may still be coming. But the paint job alone is a major reset for a restaurant space that has seen a lot of turnover.
Work appears to be happening inside the building, too, but the outside change is already visually striking.
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Part of a Bigger Change
The changes aren’t just skin deep, either.
Mount Diablo BBQ will be moving into the space soon, as we were the first to report here at the Bay Area Telegraph.
Mt. Diablo BBQ’s menu includes breakfast tacos and biscuit breakfast sandwiches served from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., along with brisket sandwiches, tri-tip sandwiches, ribs, pulled pork, hot links, BBQ meals, salads, kids meals, sides, desserts, family packs, and larger catering-style packs.
The restaurant says it draws inspiration from barbecue traditions “from California to the Carolinas” and smokes with California oak wood.
That breakfast component could make the Lafayette location especially interesting. A 7 a.m. barbecue restaurant on Mt. Diablo Boulevard is not exactly common.
The Group Behind the New Restaurant
The incoming restaurant is tied to Real Smoked BBQ, a Northern California barbecue company that describes itself as a family-run business focused on “old-school values and Northern California barbeque.”
Bay Area Telegraph previously reported that a pending California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control license for the Lafayette address was held by RSBBQ, Inc., the company connected to several barbecue restaurants around Northern California, including Mission St BBQ in Santa Cruz, South Winchester BBQ in San Jose, High & Mighty Pizza Joint in Gilroy, and BBQ Pit in San Jose.
We also spoke to the owner of the building, who expressed huge support for RSBBQ, saying they were the most professional operator he’s working with in years.
He noted that they offer employee-friendly policies, like large bonuses and paid sabbaticals for staff who stay with the company for 5+ years. He also said they plan to transform the building and make it their own.
Again, the barn red color is a big step in that direction!
The building has housed four BBQ places in the span of a few decades. Hopefully a change of design–and more importantly, an owner with tons of BBQ experience locally and 10+ successful restaurants–will do the trick this time.
We’ll let you know as more work happens on the building, and when Mount Diablo BBQ has a scheduled opening date. Join my free 925 News newsletter so I can keep you in the loop.
