Chef Matt Horn is moving his Horn Barbecue operation into the restaurant space he opened last year as Matty's Old Fashioned, and while some Matty's menu items will carry over, Matty's Old Fashioned is no more.

After a possible arson fire and repeated vandalism hit the original Horn Barbecue location in West Oakland, chef-owner Matt Horn announced in March that he would not be reopening his popular barbecue restaurant in that space.

Fast-forward a little over a month, and Horn lets us know that he's instead going to take over the Matty's Old Fashioned space at 464 8th Street to be the new permanent location of Horn Barbecue.

"Despite a tragic arson event five months ago that devastated the original site on Mandela Parkway, the resilience of the Horn family has propelled them to not only rebuild but also to reinvent," the team says in a release today.

All the favorites from Horn Barbecue will now come out of the kitchen on 8th Street, and several Matty's Old Fashioned menu items will be incorporated as well — including the Matty burger, the smoked bologna sandwich, the fish sandwich, and the smoked sticky wings. (The Matty's Old Fashioned menu will also still remain live on DoorDash and Uber Eats.)

Horn Barbecue fans can expect the full array of smoked meats, hot links, cornbread, collard greens, and mac and cheese from the original restaurant, now in a slightly more buttoned up setting in downtown Oakland.

Additionally, the team will be opening a more grab-and-go barbecue outpost, called Horn Barbecue Shop, next month, next door Horn's fried-chicken spot, Kowbird at 1733 Peralta Street.

The new Horn Barbecue opens on Friday, April 26 at 11 am.

"Reopening Horn Barbecue is not just about bringing back what was lost but pushing forward to new heights," says Matt Horn in a statement. "With the Horn Barbecue Shop, we aim to meet the evolving needs of our community, providing top-notch, convenient dining options that don’t compromise on quality."

Following the November fire at the original location, Horn Barbecue posted a GoFundMe fundraiser to rebuild. And today, Horn "extend[s] a heartfelt thank you" to all the donors, saying, "Your generosity has played a crucial role in our recovery and relaunch."

Taking over the longtime home of Brown Sugar Kitchen in West Oakland, Horn Barbecue opened to immediate crowds and much acclaim in the fall of 2020, wowing a pandemic-addled East Bay with its excellent, Texas-influenced barbecue offerings — and it helped that the food was all takeout friendly.

The lines for Horn's brisket, links, smoked turkey, and ribs gave way to national attention, including a best-new-chef nod from Food & Wine, a writeup from the New York Times, and a James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant.

Success led to some quick expansion, with Kowbird opening on Peralta Street in January 2022 and then opening an outpost in Las Vegas, and Matty's Old Fashioned following last summer, becoming Horn's first proper sit-down spot. We don't know how well Matty's had caught on with diners, but the place received a fairly negative review from the Chronicle's Cesar Hernandez, who noted its "obscene" $19 hot dog and called it "a gastropub disguised as a fancy restaurant, dripping with an exhausting masculine energy."

In any event, Matty's Old Fashioned now fades to the rear and gives way to Horn's original successful concept, which is guaranteed to bring some crowds. And the new space comes with a full cocktail bar — added in recent months — in addition to beer and wine.

Horn Barbecue - Reopening April 26 at 11 am at 464 8th Street, Oakland - Regular hours have not yet been posted.

Previously: Horn Barbecue Will Not Reopen In Original West Oakland Location, Following Fire and Thefts