Fire heavily damages Slow Hand Barbeque in Pleasant Hill

PLEASANT HILL, Calif. - The owners of a beloved East Bay barbecue restaurant are picking up the pieces after a fast-moving overnight fire tore through Slow Hand Barbeque, gutting the kitchen and forcing the restaurant to close indefinitely.

Alarm bells ring

The fire started around 10:30 p.m. Sunday inside the restaurant’s smoker, according to Contra Costa Fire Protection District officials. Flames spread quickly into the hood and duct system, then outward, causing extensive damage to the restaurant and affecting several neighboring businesses.

Slow Hand Barbeque was closed when someone reported seeing flames glowing through the windows. 

"We were getting texts from staff, getting calls from our alarm company," said co-owner Daniel Frengs.

Firefighters say no one was inside the restaurant at the time, and that the cause of the fire appears to be accidental. Frengs and his family rushed to the restaurant as firefighters worked to contain the blaze. Crews initially believed the fire was extinguished, but it flared back up early Monday morning, worsening the damage.

"We stayed here until about 3 in the morning," said Frengs. "They thought the fire was out, but then this morning it turned out that it wasn’t out. There was some more going, so everything just got exponentially worse."

Heavily damaged

Most of the restaurant’s inventory was lost, and the remainder of the space sustained heavy smoke and water damage.

Frengs said the situation has been overwhelming.

"We’re just processing," he said through tears. "It’s hurting right now, so we’ll figure it out. We’ll come back, but man, it’s just brutal."

Slow Hand Barbeque has been a fixture in Pleasant Hill since opening in 2012, known for its brisket and ribs.

Despite the devastation, the owners expressed gratitude that no one was injured and praised their staff for rallying around them in the aftermath.

"They’re just like our heart and soul," said co-owner Maureen Bullotta. "They’re the whole reason we do this."

The family’s Martinez location, which will re-open later this week, will help keep the business running while plans for rebuilding move forward.