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A California barbecue joint praised by celebrity chef and restaurateur Guy Fieri is feeling the heat from City Hall, with zoning restrictions forcing its owners to find a new home for their outdoor smokers.
The owners of A&M BBQ in Sebastopol said in a Facebook statement they must stop using their outdoor smokers at the current location by the end of this week, warning the change could limit how much food they can prepare and which menu items are available.
“We are not being shut down. Our restaurant can remain open, the restriction is on having our smokers at our current location,” the statement said.
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Sebastopol officials voted unanimously Oct. 6 against two zoning changes that could have allowed A&M BBQ to keep operating its outdoor commercial smokers at its South Main Street restaurant, according to a city statement.
The decision ends a temporary pause in enforcement and revives the prospect of fines if the business does not comply.
The city, located roughly 55 miles north of San Francisco, said outdoor commercial barbecues are prohibited in the restaurant’s Office Commercial district, although they can be allowed with conditions in other commercial districts.
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Food at the restaurant, owned by Kris Austin, has attracted attention well beyond the Sonoma County community.
Fieri praised the eatery’s confit smoked oxtail at the 2025 Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience in a video posted to Austin’s “Smoking With Austin” YouTube channel.
But the dispute over how that food gets cooked has dragged on for months.
A&M BBQ opened in June 2024, and replaced smaller smokers with larger equipment as demand grew, according to the Sebastopol Times.
Neighbors subsequently complained about smoke drifting into their neighborhood, including at a May 5 council meeting.
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The city considered either rezoning the restaurant’s property or changing the rules throughout the Office Commercial district. Both approaches would have required a conditional use permit and standards addressing smoke, odor and air quality.
Council members rejected both options, leaving the existing restrictions in place.
“It definitely wasn’t the outcome that we were hoping for,” Austin told the Sebastopol Times after the vote.
An earlier attempt to keep the barbecue coming involved cooking meat about 3 miles away and driving it back to the restaurant, co-owner Finn Liss told the council, according to the Sebastopol Times.
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But Liss said the business stopped that arrangement after the Sonoma County Health Department objected to transporting meat between the locations.
The owners have also explored placing a smoker on property offered by the owner of El Coronel Mexican Restaurant as a temporary solution, the outlet reported.
City Manager Mary Gourley told SFGATE that officials had sent A&M a courtesy notice warning that continued use of the two large smokers could trigger enforcement, including fines. She said officials would follow up on compliance at the end of this week.
The owners’ latest statement said they are talking with individuals and businesses about a temporary home for the smokers that would allow them to continue cooking off-site. They asked supporters to share leads on properties, commercial spaces or business owners who could help.
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“We want to be courteous to the community around us while we continue working toward a long-term solution,” the statement said.
They also urged customers to be patient with menu changes and sellouts and to treat employees kindly during the transition.
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“Please be kind to our staff. Our team works incredibly hard, and they’re doing their best through a challenging situation,” the statement said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the city of Sebastopol for comment.
