Goldee’s Bar-B-Q
Five friends opened a barbecue joint on a rural road outside Fort Worth two weeks before COVID shut everything down. A year later, Texas Monthly called it the best barbecue in the state — out of 411 places they visited. Now people line up before sunrise for a shot at the brisket.
Goldee’s is named after Goldee, the old Ford F-250 that founders Jalen Heard, Lane Milne and Jonny White used to tow their first smoker. The three friends, joined by Nupohn Inthanousay and Dylan Taylor, learned the barbecue trade in Austin before coming home to Fort Worth and opening in a converted building on a rural stretch of Dick Price Road — previously home to Kenneth’s Pit Barbecue — on February 15, 2020. They were selling four to six briskets a day. Two weeks later, COVID shut down dine-in service entirely.
They survived on takeout, reopened for dine-in in spring 2021, and that October, Texas Monthly named Goldee’s the #1 barbecue joint in Texas — out of 411 restaurants the magazine visited for its Top 50 list. The write-up praised “a confident restraint that belies the pitmasters’ youth.” Since then: a James Beard Award semifinalist nod (2023), a rib-focused spinoff called Ribbee’s (2023), a spot on Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs list (2024), and a cookbook from University of Texas Press (2025). The lines, if anything, have only gotten longer.
Should you get in line — and when?
Drag the slider to a planned arrival time. The estimate below is built from commonly reported line-growth and sellout patterns at Goldee’s — not an official queue feed — but it’ll get you in the right ballpark.
Model assumptions: doors open 11:00 a.m.; the line typically starts forming 4–5 hours early on weekends; brisket is a limited daily batch and is the first item to run out, usually within the first 60–90 minutes of service on busy days.
Recent chapters
Ribbee’s opens
A rib-focused food stand spinoff, also in Fort Worth.
James Beard nod
Named a James Beard Foundation Award semifinalist.
Best New Chefs
Founders named to Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs list.
The cookbook
Goldee’s Bar-B-Q: A Cookbook, published by UT Press.
Goldee’s — FAQ
Why does Goldee’s have such long lines?
What time should I arrive?
How is the meat priced?
Does Goldee’s take reservations?
What should I order?
Who owns Goldee’s?
Hours, location & directions
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Friday – Sunday | 11 a.m.–3 p.m., or until sellout |
| Monday – Thursday | Closed |
No reservations. Brisket is limited and typically sells out first, often within 60-90 minutes of opening on busy weekends. Cash and card both accepted.
Goldee’s Bar-B-Q
4645 Dick Price Rd, Fort Worth, TX 76140
Southeast Fort Worth, near Kennedale
Phone: (817) 480-4131 · Web: goldeesbbq.com

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