Buckhorn BBQ & Grill, 1460 Ary Lane, has officially opened its newest restaurant in Dixon, bringing its California-style barbecue and tri-tip-focused menu to the city’s growing dining scene. Photo by Nicolas Brown

DIXON, CA (MPG) - Buckhorn BBQ & Grill has officially opened its newest restaurant in Dixon, bringing its California-style barbecue and tri-tip-focused menu to the city’s growing dining scene.

Located at 1460 Ary Lane, the restaurant held a soft opening on June 5 and is currently continuing staff training as it prepares for full operations, according to General Manager Josh Webb.

“We did a soft opening June 5,” said Webb. “We’re still in our soft opening, still getting our staff trained.”

The Dixon restaurant features a spacious dining area with wooden booths and bar seating, as well as a patio for outdoor dining. Guests can choose from approximately nine beers on tap, including selections from local breweries, along with a full bar serving cocktails and wine. The location also offers takeout service through a dedicated pickup window. Customers can access online ordering and loyalty rewards through the Buckhorn mobile app.

Buckhorn’s roots trace back to Napa, where thousands of tri-tip sandwiches were sold at the Chef’s Market on Friday nights. The success of those sales inspired the creation of the first Buckhorn Grill, which opened in San Francisco’s Metreon in 1999. The company later expanded from its original Buckhorn Steakhouse concept into several restaurant brands, including Buckhorn BBQ & Grill.

Webb said Dixon was a natural choice for expansion.

“Dixon needs more restaurants for its community, and our food quality and general style are a natural fit,” he said. “You’ve got a lot of classic Americana out here and, I mean, we serve meat and beer — who doesn’t love that?”

The restaurant currently employs about 40 people between front-of-house and kitchen operations. Webb said many of those employees are local residents.

“Most of our hiring pool is Dixonites,” he said. “We wanted to bring jobs to the area as well as a good dining experience.”

The menu emphasizes tri-tip, a cut of beef commonly associated with California barbecue traditions.

“I would say the tri-tip is something we focus heavily on,” said Webb. “We consider ourselves California BBQ and focus on the tri-tip. Everything is a labor of love to get this product where it needs to be.”

Future menu additions are under consideration, including steak offerings currently available at the company’s Vacaville location, steak bites and potentially prime rib on Sundays.

While no Dixon-specific promotions have been announced, the restaurant offers a weekday happy hour from 2 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

According to Webb, community support during the restaurant’s first weeks of operation has exceeded expectations.

“Amazing,” he said when asked about the response. “I couldn’t be more blessed with the way the community has come out for us. It’s been very busy right off the bat, and everyone has been very patient with the hiccups that come with new staff and a new restaurant.”

The company also plans to become involved in the community through partnerships with local schools and organizations once operations are fully established.

“…Anything we can be a part of once we get to the point where we’re settled,” said Webb.

For its first year in Dixon, Webb said the restaurant’s focus will remain on customer service and consistency.

“Right now, our only goal is to provide a great experience for the community,” he said. “I think you provide a good product, a good experience, and the sales will follow.”

For first-time visitors, Webb recommends the restaurant’s family feasts and platters, which are designed to serve larger groups at a reasonable price. He also highlighted the restaurant’s protein-focused menu options.

He said the restaurant aims to provide residents with another local dining choice without requiring travel to neighboring communities.

“People in Dixon have to commute all over for work or different dining experiences,” said Webb. “We want to offer something where people don’t have to travel 15 to 20 minutes for a good meal; it’s just good to have more options in town.”

Buckhorn BBQ & Grill is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. As of press time, the restaurant is still in the training and prep phase, and hours may vary weekly.

For more information, visit buckhorngrill.com/locations/dixon/ or call 707-635-7140.