Barbecue restaurant to open with new name in Elk Grove’s historic district
Horn Barbecue, the acclaimed Bay Area barbecue restaurant founded by pitmaster Matt Horn, will open its doors this weekend in Old Town Elk Grove.
The restaurant, at 9700 Railroad St., announced the 11 a.m. Saturday opening on social media.
“We’re thrilled to bring our award-winning barbecue to the Elk Grove community,” the restaurant wrote in an Instagram post.
The restaurant replaces Slow & Low Smokehouse, which was operated by Michael Hargis. Hargis closed the restaurant at the start of the year and announced he was partnering with Horn to bring the West Oakland-based concept to Sacramento County.
“This partnership was built on faith — faith in the craft, in the community and in each other,” Horn said. “Elk Grove deserves more than great barbecue. It deserves a gathering place that fosters connection and belonging.”
The menu includes brisket, beef ribs, smoked turkey and oxtails. Sides feature cornbread, collard greens, potato salad and macaroni and cheese.
Horn received recognition as one of Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs in 2021, the same year his Oakland location earned Michelin Bib Gourmand status. Horn Barbecue was also a James Beard Award finalist for Best New Restaurant in 2022.
Hargis, whose past Sacramento ventures include LowBrau and Beast and Bounty, described the collaboration as “the start of a transformative chapter for local barbecue.”
Horn was named one of Food and Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs in 2021, the same year his restaurant received Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition, a category that spotlights restaurants that provide high-quality, affordable meals.
Horn Barbecue also was one of five James Beard Award finalists for Best New Restaurant in 2022.
The Horn opening follows a period of business challenges for Hargis.
Hargis unloaded LowBrau and Holy Spirits in March, according to the Sacramento Business Journal, amid ongoing litigation over loan defaults tied to some of his ventures.
Hargis also closed Beast and Bounty, his California cuisine restaurant in the Ice Blocks shopping center, at the end of last year. The closure, announced in late December, marked the end of a critically acclaimed dining spot recognized by the Michelin Guide and praised by patrons for its design and menu.
That midtown space will be taken over for a new concept by the operators of Urban Roots.
On Thursday, the Elk Grove Citizen reported that Hargis and Slow & Low had defaulted on a city-backed loan, which the city of Elk Grove is trying to recoup after a bank took possession of the pledged collateral on the outstanding $425,000.
According to the Citizen, the City Council was told earlier this month that city officials would “pursue foreclosure against property pledged as collateral by the owner” after Hargis defaulted on the loan. The personal property used as collateral by Hargis and his wife has been on the market since Jan. 22.