Sebastopol barbecue must move its outdoor smokers by the end of the week, owners say

SEBASTOPOL: The owners of A and M BBQ say they must stop using their outdoor smokers at the restaurant's South Main Street location by the end of this week, warning that the change could limit how much food they can prepare and which menu items are available, according to a Facebook statement from the owners reported by Fox Business on October 14.

The owners stressed that the restaurant itself is not closing. “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, as quoted by Fox Business. The owners said they are talking with individuals and businesses about a temporary home for the smokers and asked supporters to share leads on properties or commercial spaces that could help, the report says.

Sebastopol Times · Source

A unanimous council vote on October 6

The deadline follows a unanimous October 6 vote by Sebastopol officials against two zoning changes that could have allowed the restaurant to keep operating its outdoor commercial smokers at the site, according to a city statement cited by Fox Business. The Sebastopol Times, reporting on the same meeting on October 8, said the council instead chose a third option: leave the zoning as it is and resume enforcement, with a motion by Council Member Stephen Zollman that was approved by all.

The city says outdoor commercial barbecues are prohibited in the restaurant's Office Commercial district, although they can be allowed with conditions in other commercial districts, according to the Fox Business report. The decision ends a temporary pause in enforcement and revives the prospect of fines if the business does not comply, the report says. City Manager Mary Gourley told SFGATE that officials sent the restaurant a courtesy notice warning that continued use of its two large smokers could trigger enforcement, including fines, and that officials would follow up on compliance at the end of this week, according to Fox Business.

How the dispute built, and what the owners tried

A and M BBQ opened in June 2024 and replaced smaller smokers with larger equipment as demand grew, according to the Sebastopol Times account cited by Fox Business. Neighbors complained about smoke drifting into their neighborhood, including at a May 5 council meeting, the report says. The Sebastopol Times said concerns about air quality were raised by neighbors and that the city sent a cease and desist letter in May, then paused enforcement while it studied rezoning options.

Stephen Gold / Wikimedia Commons (public domain) · Source

Co-owner Finn Liss told the council that the business had tried cooking meat about three miles away and driving it back to the restaurant, but stopped after the Sonoma County Health Department objected to transporting meat between the locations, according to the Sebastopol Times account in the Fox Business report. Liss also told the council the owners had looked at many properties in recent months and were close to negotiating a lease on a new property, without naming its location, the Sebastopol Times reported. An offer to place a smoker on property connected with the El Coronel restaurant was also discussed as a temporary option, both outlets reported.

Owner Kris Austin told the Sebastopol Times after the vote that it was not the outcome the owners had hoped for, and the paper quoted him on October 8 as still hunting for a new location. The restaurant drew wider attention when Guy Fieri praised its confit smoked oxtail at the 2025 Healdsburg Wine and Food Experience, in a video posted to Austin's YouTube channel, according to Fox Business. For now, the owners are urging customers to be patient with menu changes and sellouts during the transition, their statement said.