A barbecue company with deep roots in the Bay Area has opened up shop in Lafayette.
Read more Where to find deals on chicken tenders and wings in late July
And it turns out to be in a suitable location for smoking ‘cue: The former address of pit master Matt Horn’s barbecue restaurant, which faced eviction and shuttered earlier this year.
Mt. Diablo BBQ is in its soft opening phase right now at 3422 Mt. Diablo Blvd., with a grand opening planned for Aug. 2. The restaurant serves “slow-smoked meats” and “cold beer,” according to its Instagram, plus breakfast starting at an amazing 7 a.m. in the morning, for folks who like to pack on the calories before work.
The eatery is part of a family-run company called RSBBQ Inc. (“Real Smoked BBQ”) that’s based in Gilroy and operates many other local restaurants. Among them are South Winchester BBQ and the BBQ Pit in San Jose, BBQ152 and the High and Mighty Pizza Joint in Gilroy and Mission St. BBQ in Santa Cruz.
Meat juice and tangy barbecue sauce seem to run in the family’s veins. One of them, Eric Ingram, told the Gilroy Dispatch several years ago that he was “living the dream. I get to eat barbecue and drink beer all day. It wasn’t intentional, but it worked out that way.”
The meats the family specializes in are smoked with California oak – some from naturally fallen trees – and are made without a scintilla of propane or starter fluid. Some of the beef comes from California’s Harris Ranch, according to the company’s catering website, which relates the tale: “We’ve traveled the country taking time-honored methods from the Carolinas, Texas and California to deliver a barbecue experience like no other. It takes a little more time and a lot of patience, but it’s worth it.”
Read more Word Game: July 25, 2026
The current menu has, for breakfast, tacos with eggs and salsa ranchera and Angel biscuit sandwiches with eggs and American cheese, both with the option to throw on some pulled pork or brisket.
For the main event, there are regular or large platters of brisket, pulled pork, burnt ends, pork ribs and other meats, with the option to create a 2-to-4 meat combo ($27-$43). Sides include mac and cheese, potato salad, beans, coleslaw, a baked “spud” with all the fixings and salads – wait, what are those? – like Santa Maria with avocado and grilled tri-tip and Berry Bleu with blue cheese and blackberries.
For dessert, there are seasonal pies sold whole or by the slice and homemade bread pudding, a root beer float and a berry cobbler with two scoops of ice cream. The restaurant also has an active beer-and-wine license.
Mt. Diablo BBQ’s arrival restores order in Lafayette’s smoked-meat world since the departure of James Beard nominee Matt Horn’s ill-fated restaurant. The address has long had barbecue masters as tenants, having also sheltered Bo’s Barbecue, Boneheads and All the Smoke.
Details: Open 7 a.m.-9 p.m. or until sold out daily (breakfast is offered from 7-11 a.m.) at 3422 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette; mtdiablobbq.com.
Read more Historic downtown San Jose skyscraper gets a brand new look
About the Author
