Goldee’s Barbecue and the Pursuit of Excellence
What Goldee's, the #1 BBQ joint in Texas can teach us about being excellent.
Excellence is often recognized in sports, business, or the arts. But sometimes, you find it in unexpected places.
Like this small BBQ joint on a dusty road in Kennedale, Texas — 33 miles from Dallas — run by three friends who simply wanted to smoke good meat.
Why I Admire Texas Barbecue Pit Masters
On a recent trip to Austin, I was reminded why Texas barbecue is special. In Texas, pitmasters are legends. People like Ms. Tootsie of Snow’s BBQ or Roy of Kreuz Market have been at it for decades, turning simple meat and smoke into art.
Texas Monthly’s Top 50 BBQ list, published every four years, is the gold standard. Making that list is a life-changing moment for any restaurant.
In 2021, Goldee’s Barbecue, run by three young friends — Jalen, Lane, and Jonny — hit #1, just two years after opening. During COVID. In a humble building. With a simple mission: smoke good barbecue.
The Goldee’s Origin Story
After high school, the three friends moved to Austin and worked at the best joints in town — Franklin’s, Valentina’s, Micklethwait. They cooked on their days off, fine-tuning recipes, and dreaming of one day doing it their way.
In February 2020, they opened Goldee’s — right before COVID shut down the restaurant industry. Still, they pushed forward.
As co-founder Jalen Heard put it:
“We weren’t trying to get number one. We just wanted to cook the best barbecue we could.”
So how did they rise to the top so quickly? A few clear principles stand out.
1. Obsess Over Quality
In Texas, “brisket is king.” And the Goldee’s crew knew that. But they went beyond the brisket — obsessing over everything, even the bread.
“Usually bread is a throwaway item. We wanted to make our bread so good that people wouldn’t do that.”
Excellence, to them, meant refusing to cut corners.
2. Iron Sharpens Iron
Despite being named the best in Texas, they stayed hungry. Every week, they visited other pitmasters to trade ideas and sharpen their craft.
“We’re always trying to learn new things — even after getting #1 — just to see how we can make our food better.”
3. Do Hard Things With Joy
Smoking brisket in 115° heat is no joke. But these guys loved it.
They also brought childlike playfulness into the grind — playing Smash Bros in the down hours of smoking briskets. It wasn’t about the glamor. It was about doing difficult, disciplined work with people they love.
They Never Chased Recognition
Goldee’s primary aim was serving others:
“The best part is hearing someone say, ‘This is the best barbecue I’ve ever had.’ That makes it all worth it.”
Their focus was on the craft, and art of smoking meats. Any extrinsic validation was the cherry on top.
Conclusion
Texas Monthly’s next Top 50 list comes out soon. Maybe Goldee’s 2-peats. Maybe not.
Either way, they’ve already won. They’ve built something excellent, with love, alongside people who care.
I haven’t tried Goldee’s yet. But one day, I will.
And I already know what it’ll taste like: Excellence.
— Grant Varner