Mt. Diablo BBQ is lining up to take over the long-challenged barbecue address at 3422 Mt. Diablo Blvd in Lafayette, becoming the latest smokehouse to test this high-traffic downtown block. The new restaurant will be led by Eric Ingram and Lawrence Ingram Jr., members of a Gilroy-based barbecue family with multiple Northern California outlets. The owners have not yet shared an opening date.
According to WhatNow, a recent liquor license application lists Mt. Diablo BBQ as the prospective tenant at the address and names the Ingrams as the owners. The filing would put the Ingrams in the former home of All the Smoke BBQ, Boneheads Texas BBQ and Horn Barbecue, with no soft-opening timeline mentioned in the report.
New Name, Familiar Hands
Per the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, RSBBQ, Inc. appears on the state’s roster of designated multi-outlet licensees. Local reporting noted that the Lafayette application is listed as a “41 - Pending” license, a category that typically covers beer and wine sales, and that reporters have already reached out to RSBBQ for comment, according to Bay Area Telegraph.
Ingram Family Barbecue Footprint
Public filings show the family’s barbecue roots are not new. According to BizProfile, Trail Dust BBQ LLC lists Lawrence Lee Ingram as the registered agent and Eric Ingram as the manager. WhatNow also reports that Eric Ingram is part of the family behind Crossroads BBQ and has been involved in several other Northern California barbecue ventures.
A Troubled Address
The address itself comes with baggage. As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, Horn Barbecue was evicted from the Lafayette space in February after a legal lockout and an apparent suspension of the liquor license tied to collection actions. The property’s owner told the paper the location “will not reopen as Horn Barbecue,” closing the book on the latest in a series of barbecue tenants at the site.
Another Try For Barbecue On Mt. Diablo Blvd
The spot at 3422 Mt. Diablo Blvd has already seen a carousel of smokehouses, from Boneheads Texas BBQ to All the Smoke, that struggled to gain long-term traction in the busy corridor. Local reporting has framed Mt. Diablo BBQ as the newest attempt to make barbecue stick in downtown Lafayette and traced the pending corporate filing to RSBBQ, Inc., which operates elsewhere in the region, according to the Bay Area Telegraph. Neighbors say the quick turnover at the address makes any new barbecue announcement one to watch.
What To Expect
RSBBQ, the company name tied to the Lafayette filing, is listed in local business records as the corporate entity behind Mission Street BBQ in Santa Cruz and other Central Coast operations, according to the Santa Cruz Record. If the Ingrams bring a similar oak-smoked, catering-friendly setup to Lafayette, the space could lean into both counter service and event work, in line with the group’s past outlets.
For now, Lafayette diners can simply add Mt. Diablo BBQ to the growing list of upcoming openings on Mt. Diablo Boulevard and wait for a formal word on menu, hours and opening day. This story will be updated when the owners share more details.
