Madison M.

I really struggled with deciding whether or not to give this three or four stars. Consider this a 3 1/2 star rating. To start, service was excellent! The cashier provided me with some general updates about the business, including them getting taps installed for beer. I had a lot of food to carry outside and she also helped me carry everything out without me needing to ask. I really appreciate that! The employee serving the food suggested that I order a whole pound of the beef rib since it is only offered on Saturdays. I had originally requested just 1/4lb of it to try and he said that I would only get a taste and suggested I get the whole rib. He also made additional recommendations for how to enjoy the leftovers. In total, here's what we ordered : one beef rib for $49.50, one beef brisket sandwich, one pulled pork sandwich, a large mac & cheese, a large collard greens, and a large potato salad. Total came to $120~, not including tip. I am highlighting the beef rib because I am honestly disappointed that I didn't speak up when I was at the restaurant. Our food was plated, and we went outside to eat. As soon as I cut into the beef rib, my boyfriend and I quickly realized that it was almost entirely fat (I'm adding the pic to this review)! Not only do I feel like I'm paying for the weight of the bone but now I feel like I got barely 1/4lb of meat and paid $50 for it. That truly felt like I was being taken advantage of. If there were specific items that were only available by the pound, they should also advertise it as such. But it was advertised that you could get smaller portions to try. Even with that being said, how can you possibly charge someone $50 for a pound of fat?! The sandwiches and sides themselves were different. They were all so good and incredibly flavorful. Both sandwiches were stacked with meat and they were not fatty at all. If I ever decide to return, I would not be getting the actual barbecued meat because I do not trust the quality of what I'm receiving. However, I would recommend the sandwiches. They are also in an affordable price, ranging from $15-$20. The sides are also reasonably priced - $5 for the small and $9 for the large.

Mauricio E.

I visited right before lunch time and wanted to try several items but they were out of sausages and tri-tip sandwiches so I had to pivot. I'll be back for those. Ended up ordering brisket, pulled pork, and several small sides (beans, potato salad, and mac & cheese) to share. The beans had large pieces of meat in it which was great. The potato salad tasted more egg-y than other potato salads and I liked that too! The barbecue sauce was more on the vinegar side which is different than usual and I loved it! If I had to critique something: I would have liked to have more pickled veggies included to match the proportion of meat. I was a bit surprised to have paid almost $100 but it ended up lasting a few meals and was delicious. The prices have gone up since the last menu pictures posted on yelp and are ~20% more than other chain barbecue places but can be justified by the fact that the Oakland location is rated Bib Gourmand on the Michelin guide. It definitely tasted good quality. The parking lot is meter enforced and there is very limited street parking.

Samantha D.

I had high hopes for Horn Barbecue given the hype surrounding this place when it first opened up in Oakland. Maybe something changed after they moved to Lafayette, but it wasn't that good. Got there a little before opening since we were expecting a line, but there wasn't one. Ending up trying a few things: beef rib, brisket, pulled pork, cheddar sausage, pit beans. The pit beans had a lot of meat but were on the saltier side. Cheddar sausage was juicy and had a good bite. Pulled pork was good. Nicely seasoned, and the barbecue sauce paired nicely with it. Probably my favorite meat out of the ones I tried. The brisket and beef rib were on the drier side. I wish they were juicier. The brisket was tough. It wasn't a melt in your mouth type of meat that I expected. The staff are amazing. Super friendly and patient. However, I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here again.

Scott W.

Wow, we've added Horn BBQ to the short list of amazing places. To be clear, it won't be amazing to everyone. As the header states, rustic BBQ. Simple menu, no flash, just outstanding food. We waited about 20 minutes in line. The two guys serving food were engaging, personable, and truly loved their craft. The person who got us our sides was delightful as well. The meat is so tender, that for the brisket or pulled pork, it's kneaded or pulled (respectively). No knives for that. We had brisket sandwiches, ribs, cheesy potatoes and pit beans. All were delicious, but the beans were especially amazing. Louisiana Hot Sauce: yes, the right thing to do. Like any good BBQ, there are some process oddities. Why are the fountain drinks where everyone is in the queue? And perhaps a menu all could see in advance would speed up the line. And the rolls of napkins are not very convenient. That being said, who cares? It's a wonderful place. Like I said, some won't like it. For them, Sauced in Walnut Creek will be a better fit: totally ok food, ok service, ok experience. Horn BBQ, thanks for all that you do!

Davis Y.

No line at all on a Sunday afternoon. As someone who's lived in Austin and can attest to top tier BBQ - this rivals Texas BBQ like no other spot I've tried in the Bay Area. Everything is good. Like everything. I'd say the brisket and ribs are the best meats but the beans are what really steal the show. Couldn't recommend enough

Cheryl G.

I didn't like it. 2 brisket sandwiches, both were very cold $20 each 2 pieces of old hard rubbery pork ribs = $17 Someone needs to quality control. It was not good. Ryan- how does one contact you at Horn?

Hillari A.

We went on a Friday afternoon, after 2pm - perfect timing for a relaxing and well attended experience. This location offers many tables and greets its patrons with nice choice of blues music. I had a brisket sandwich and my friend had the half chicken. Man, that sammie was tender, flavorful and satisfying. My friend said the chicken was yummy and tender as well. After we finished, we had the pleasure of meeting Matt and his brother afterwards and chatted a bit, reminiscing about the old Emeryville location (where I live). I miss it dearly, but luckily, this location isn't far. I will be visiting again! Looking forward to a decadent "wagyu-type" brisket offering :-)

Vuyelwa W.

Barbecue - they just opened the location and it's amazing . Mom and I came For a relaxed lunch , we ordered the brisket, pulled pork, potato salad, bread, pickles. They weigh everything and serve you . It was delicious and the brisket was so so tender ! 0 Potato salad was creamy and they added the pickled onions which were a perfect tangy!! Loved it so much and will will be back !

Randy F.

**3.5 Stars** East Bay BBQ Fans of Texas-style BBQ have inevitably heard of Horn Barbecue based in Oakland and helmed by Pitmaster Matt Horn I've never been to the original location and have read tidbits about the recent press issues but decided to stop by one of their newer locations and try for myself The Lafayette space has been open a little less than a year (Dec 2024) and their Elk Grove location just opened (June 2025) with another fourth location already planned. It's clear Horn is doing well and in expansion mode. I stopped by for dinner and many items were sold out including the Beef Rib (Sat only), multiple sides, and banana cream pie. Luckily, they still had brisket (both fatty and lean), pork ribs and shredded pork Manning the station was Jordan Horn, the brother of Matt Horn and he was personable and funny talking about the expanding business and favorites of guests We sampled the fatty brisket, pork ribs, and pulled pork and had a side of mac 'n cheese. Everything was solid. The brisket was flavorful but would have loved it more moist and tender. Similar with the pork ribs. Pulled pork was similar to other places but definitely had to lean more into their supplied bbq sauce Admittedly, we came at end of day and the brisket had probably finished hours before. Jordan also gave some great pointers on how to order next time and I appreciate that. For barbeque fans, it's nice to have another option in East Bay (especially one that serves beef ribs) and not have to travel to Oakland. Prime Brisket $38 per lb / Spare Ribs $34 per lb / Beef Rib (Sat only) $38 lb / Pulled Pork $27 per lb / Mac & Cheese $5 small Horn Barbeque (Lafayette, CA) There is indoor and outdoor seating. All credit cards are accepted. Walk in only.

Angie A.

We drove from Campbell to try this place, as the desire to find quality BBQ is very strong. Sadly, we were somewhat disappointed. We arrived at 6 pm and they were announcing they didn't have any ribs left. We ordered 1lb of brisket ($40/lb), coleslaw, potato salad, and mac-n-cheese. The meat looks lovely but it didn't have any smokiness and it was somewhat dry. It wasn't tender even though it looked like it. Pouring more sauce on it didn't help much. The coleslaw was good. It had a nice vinegar/mustard flavor and was better than most we've had. We were thankful it wasn't thick with mayonnaise. The potato salad was pretty good too. It was creamy and the potato pieces were of good size. We would've liked some more onion and maybe a little less creamy. The mac-n-cheese was a disappointment. It was overcooked and the cheese mixture wasn't creamy nor flavorful. Finding good quality mac-n-cheese with real cheddar and a crisp top is hard to find. The staff is very nice but the interior is REALLY smokey. To the point of making our eyes water instantly. The chairs are the usual metal hard simple chairs and we had to eat outside due to the smoke inside. There were no paper towel rolls outside but at least we found seating. One disappointment is that they had their catering van in the handicap parking space and there was only one other in a higher level of the parking lot. We are quite picky about our bbq and this just didn't have a shining star with what we tried. For $40/lb, the expectation was pretty high and was not met. We left the restaurant and went for additional eating at The Hideout Kitchen.

Adelita J.

I heard good things about this place. I really wanted to like it. Not saying that I was totally against it. The meat was delicious. Very tender, with good sauce. The greens were extremely salty. I couldn't even eat them. I did enjoy the potato salad and Mac n cheese. I was there shortly after opening hours. I wanted a brisket sandwich and was disappointed to learn they were out of buns. You will have to make sure you have time to spare. The service was not great at all. It became crowded fast! A very long line. Only one person taking orders, preparing the orders and cashing them out. There is plenty of seating, inside and outside. Food is priced by weight. Two ribs were $20. With a sausage, greens and beans the total was $50.

Hugo D.

Came in on a Sunday afternoon looking for a hearty meal and were not disappointed. After looking at the menu for a little more than a split second, we were approached by someone behind counter asking if we needed help ordering. We showed them a picture we had seen in Yelp (by Eric G. - first yelp pic check it out) and lo and behold Eric served the platter of food himself. The food was excellent: full of flavor, so tender the meat fell off the bone. Two delicious sides: house greens and mac n cheese, both perfect compliments to the table of meats! Will definitely come back again, with friends and family. Make sure to try this incredible BBQ spot in Lafayette. P.S. they play great music and the outdoor seating makes for a great time!

Arron P.

Came here craving barbecue. You do have to pay for parking in their parking lot. The service is informative as it was a first time visit. Expensive for meat but that's expected. The ambiance was casual with tv playing in the background. Served fast and it was delicious for barbecue. Would recommend trying.