A&M BBQ, a restaurant in Sebastopol, California, says it must stop operating its outdoor commercial smokers at its current location by the end of the week. The business can stay open, but its owners say the restriction could reduce how much food they can prepare and affect which items they can offer.
The dispute centers on zoning rules for the restaurant’s South Main Street property. Sebastopol officials say outdoor commercial barbecues are not allowed in the Office Commercial district where A&M BBQ operates. The city says such equipment may be permitted in some other commercial districts, subject to conditions.
On Oct. 6, the City Council voted unanimously against two proposed zoning changes that could have allowed the restaurant to continue using its smokers at the site. One proposal involved changing the zoning of the property; the other would have altered rules across the Office Commercial district. Both approaches would have required a conditional use permit and standards covering smoke, odor and air quality. With the proposals rejected, the existing restrictions remain in force.
The vote also ended a temporary pause in enforcement. City Manager Mary Gourley told SFGATE that the city had sent the restaurant a courtesy notice stating that continued use of its two large smokers could lead to enforcement action, including fines. Gourley said officials planned to check on compliance at the end of the week. The supplied reporting does not specify a fine amount.
The restaurant’s owners, Kris Austin and Finn Liss, have been seeking ways to continue preparing barbecue while complying with the rules. A&M BBQ opened in June 2024 and replaced smaller smokers with larger equipment as demand increased, according to the Sebastopol Times. Neighbors later complained about smoke reaching their area, including at a May 5 City Council meeting.
One earlier workaround was to cook meat about three miles away and transport it to the restaurant, Liss told the council, according to the Sebastopol Times. He said the restaurant discontinued that arrangement after the Sonoma County Health Department objected to moving meat between locations. The owners have also explored a temporary smoker location on property offered by the owner of El Coronel Mexican Restaurant, the outlet reported.
In a Facebook statement, A&M BBQ said it is speaking with individuals and businesses about a temporary place to operate its smokers off-site. The owners asked supporters to share possible leads, including commercial properties and business owners who might be able to help. They said they want to be considerate of nearby residents while pursuing a longer-term solution.
The restaurant has received attention beyond Sebastopol. At the 2025 Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience, celebrity chef Guy Fieri praised its confit smoked oxtail in a video shared on Austin’s “Smoking With Austin” YouTube channel. The owners said the zoning restriction may mean menu changes and sellouts during the transition. They also asked customers to be patient and considerate toward staff.
A&M BBQ’s statement stressed that the restaurant is not being shut down: the immediate restriction concerns the outdoor smokers at its present location. Fox News Digital said it contacted the city for comment.
