Red Eye Barbecue Opens at Santa Rosa Epicenter
Chef Bob Costarella brings scratch-made barbecue to the 130,000-square-foot Epicenter complex.
Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in Barbecue
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In Q3 2026, chef Bob Costarella launched Red Eye Barbecue at the Epicenter complex in Santa Rosa. The restaurant occupies the former Victory House space and features a 250-seat dining area.
Why it matters
The restaurant provides a permanent location for Costarella following his successful pop-up run in Roseland. Epicenter owners recruited the chef after his positive Yelp reviews prompted them to seek a transition to high-quality, scratch-made dining.
Red Eye Barbecue operates within a 130,000-square-foot complex and features a 250-seat capacity. Daily smoking operations begin at 6 a.m. using oak and applewood to produce scratch-made items.
The players
Bob Costarella
He is the executive chef of Red Eye Barbecue who completed a one-year apprenticeship at Stiles Switch BBQ in Austin, Texas.
Epicenter
This 130,000-square-foot entertainment complex in Santa Rosa recruited Costarella to anchor its dining offerings.
The details
Executive chef Bob Costarella overhauled the former Victory House menu, replacing frozen and prepackaged products with house-smoked selections. The kitchen serves beef and pork ribs, beef cheeks, sausage, turkey, wings, and burgers.
Timeline
Late 2025: Bob Costarella arrived on the Sonoma County barbecue scene.
Spring 2026: Costarella concluded his Roseland pop-up run.
June 2026: Epicenter owners approached Costarella to take over the restaurant space.
Q3 2026: Red Eye Barbecue opened its doors at 3215 Coffey Lane.
Culture Shift
The move from pop-up to permanent dining space reflects a broader trend of independent chefs formalizing local culinary brands. This shift capitalizes on the growing consumer demand for authentic, scratch-made options within large-scale entertainment venues.
Residents can now access high-end smoked meats, such as beef cheeks and pork ribs, at the Epicenter complex. The menu offers a price range from $10 for banana pudding to $48 for a full rack of pork ribs.
The takeaway
The transformation from pop-up to restaurant highlights the importance of consistent quality and customer reputation in the local hospitality sector. Diners should anticipate seasonal changes as the kitchen moves toward more ambitious menu specials.
Further reading
Learn more about the local food scene in our Santa Rosa Barbecue section.
More information
View the complete menu and operating hours at the Red Eye Barbecue official website.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Sonoma Magazine.
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