Has Kowbird cooked its last chicken sandwich?

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Reddit sleuths pointed out that Kowbird, a fried chicken joint owned by chef Matt Horn, has apparently shuttered. One Redditor posted a photo of a notice on the door that appears to have come from the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) and indicates water service was terminated due to non-payment. The notice includes the address for Kowbird and is dated Jan. 27, 2025. Others reported seeing signs on the window related to a lawsuit for ADA violations, which was brought by Albert Dytch, who has filed hundreds of such cases and was profiled by The New York Times in 2021.

The closure comes after Horn’s other venture, Horn Barbecue, faced multiple legal and financial hurdles before it shuttered following a fire that the Oakland Fire Department investigated as arson. Horn then rebranded his Old Town Oakland restaurant Matty’s Old Fashioned as Horn Barbecue. In December, a second location of Horn Barbecue opened in Lafayette. Kowbird was located at 1733 Peralta St. in Oakland.