Horn Barbecue mysteriously evicted from Lafayette location

Last week, the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office slapped an eviction notice on the front door of Horn Barbecue in Lafayette, just a year after Matt Horn, the James Beard Award-nominated chef from Oakland, opened the Mount Diablo Boulevard location as part of his effort to grow his celebrated but embattled restaurant empire.

The notice, with a “no trespassing” warning, gave no reason for the eviction, and Horn and his spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment. But in prior communications with Diablo Magazine...