Mt. Diablo BBQ opened Sunday, August 2, at 3422 Mt. Diablo Blvd. in Lafayette, filling a storefront that has housed barbecue restaurants for years but sat vacant since Horn Barbecue's eviction in early 2026.
The restaurant is owned by Eric and Lawrence Ingram, part of a family that runs RSBBQ Inc., a Gilroy-based company operating smokehouses across Northern California. Their portfolio includes South Winchester BBQ and the BBQ Pit in San Jose, BBQ152 in Gilroy, and Mission St. BBQ in Santa Cruz. The Lafayette location marks the family's first East Bay outpost.
Eric Ingram told the Gilroy Dispatch in a 2018 profile that he was "living the dream. I get to eat barbecue and drink beer all day."
The menu runs from breakfast tacos and Angel biscuit sandwiches with eggs (7 to 11 a.m.) to brisket, pulled pork, burnt ends, pork ribs, tri-tip, and chicken platters through dinner. Combo platters of two to four meats run $27 to $43, according to the Mercury News.
All meats are smoked with California oak, sourced from naturally fallen trees when possible, with no propane or starter fluid. Beef comes from Harris Ranch.
The restaurant also holds a beer-and-wine license, per an ABC filing noted by Diablo Magazine that lists Eric and Lawrence Ingram as principals.
Hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, or until sold out.
The address at 3422 Mt. Diablo Blvd. has a long barbecue history. Previous tenants include Bo's Barbecue, Boneheads, All the Smoke, and Horn Barbecue, the latter operated by James Beard Award nominee Matt Horn before its alcohol license was suspended.
Rajiv Doshi of Lamorinda Life visited during the soft opening and sampled the chicken plate with potato salad, mac and cheese, and cornbread, calling the pickled vegetables and spicy barbecue sauce highlights.
The Ingram family business started with Eric, his father Lawrence Lee Ingram Jr., and brothers Franz and Larry building their first smokehouses in the South Bay. Now they're bringing that operation to downtown Lafayette.
Meats can sell out. The restaurant recommends calling ahead to reserve favorites. More information is at mtdiablobbq.com.
