Here's the latest in Oakland food news. In this edition, an Uptown cocktail bar gets shut down by NIMBY neighbors, while a talked-about barbecue spot is being held up by permitting regulations for its smoker. Plus, a Jordanian-style shawarma pop-up makes its debut.

Closures

Uptown

Here’s How (1780 Telegraph Ave.)

After less than a year in business, Uptown cocktail bar bar Here's How has shuttered permanently, Eater SF reports.

The bar was owned by Jennifer Colliau, who founded cocktail syrup company Small Hand Foods and worked at Fort Mason's The Interval before opening her own spot.

But she's lost an ongoing battle with her upstairs neighbors, who spent more than two years protesting the bar's liquor license over noise concerns — despite its city-center location, right across the street from the Fox Theater.

Colliau was forced to accept a provisional liquor license from the state as a result, and the legal fight to get a permanent one depleted her funds. The provisional license also required her to pay liquor distributors up front, compared to the typical 30-day turnaround for most bars, causing further financial damage.

Colliau, who grew up in the area, wrote in a note to customers that she "can no longer financially weather this fight." She said she's especially disappointed that she was no longer able to create jobs for people in her hometown. "This city lost 12 jobs today," her letter concludes.

The neighbors' battle will also have an impact on the future of the space, much of which Colliau physically built out herself. With no possibility of securing a liquor license, it's likely other restaurant and bar tenants will avoid it, requiring a costly gut renovation for whomever does decide to move in.

Open

Uptown

Shawarmaji (478 25th St.)

Meanwhile in Uptown, culinary incubator Forage Kitchen is now hosting Shawarmaji, a Jordanian pop-up serving shawarma sandwiches.

According to the East Bay Express, the new pop-up comes from Mohammad Abutaha, who spent most of his childhood in Jordan. Though he trained as an engineer, Abutaha always dreamed of opening a restaurant, and worked his way up at other Bay Area Middle Eastern eateries like Reem's and Noosh before starting his own business.

Jordanian shawarma is unique: it wraps marinated chicken, pickles and garlic sauce into a long, thin wrap, then griddles it in the manner of a crispy burrito. The sandwiches are offered solo or sliced on a platter with accompaniments of pickles, olives and fries. For vegans, there's a falafel sandwich as well.

Shawarmaji is now serving at Forage Kitchen Monday - Wednesday from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., and Thursday - Saturday from 11 a.m. - midnight.

Updates

West Oakland

Horn Barbecue (2534 Mandela Parkway)

The much-anticipated Horn Barbecue, which is planning to make a permanent home in West Oakland's former Brown Sugar Kitchen space, has hit a serious snag with city permitting.

Eater SF reports that owner Matt Horn had planned to use a space behind the restaurant to construct a shed, housing the wood smoker that's key to crafting his barbecue.

But it turns out that the city of Oakland owns the land, requiring Horn to apply for an encroachment permit to use it. That permit was denied, with the city arguing they couldn't contribute public right-of-way to a for-profit business. However, Horn argues that the public doesn't use the space anyway — it has been used to dump trash.

It's not clear what Horn can do next. Appealing the decision is one option; smoking the meat off-site and bringing it to the restaurant is another. 

A third is giving up the space. Paying rent for an empty space, plus abatement fees for graffiti tags on the vacant space, have taken a financial toll, said Horn, who had initially hoped to open last fall.

"I could have went anywhere to open up Horn Barbecue, but we decided to do it in West Oakland because we felt there was history and culture," Horn told Eater. 

In the meantime, fans of Horn Barbecue can look forward to Kowbird, Horn's upcoming eatery in the planned Jack London Square food hall. Specializing in fried chicken sandwiches, it's expected to open in the early fall. 

Have you noticed a new addition to (or subtraction from) Oakland's food landscape? Text a tip and a horizontal photo to (415) 200-3233, and we'll look into it.