Goldee's Bar-B-Q

The Drive Is Part of the Brisket

4 of 5

Goldee's opens Thursday through Sunday, eleven to three, or sold out. Dallas people have a complicated relationship with driving to Fort Worth for food. For this place they get over it.

The brisket is Black Angus, smoked low and slow over local post oak, and Michelin describes it as meltingly tender with a rich, clean flavor. The turkey is juicy, which should not be a notable thing and yet is. The jalapeno-cheddar sausage snaps and has pockets of melted Tillamook cheese. Round it out with old-school potato salad, beans studded with brisket and a banana pudding with buttery house-made vanilla wafer crumbs. A youthful team runs the show, and it shows in how hard they cook.

Pre-orders go through preorder.goldeesbbq.com, which is how people who value their Saturdays get fed. Walk-ups wait, sometimes for hours. Michelin gave it a Bib Gourmand and Dallasites has called it the number one joint in Texas. Take both with a pinch of salt and a pickle slice. Then eat the brisket and decide for yourself, because that is the only ranking that has ever mattered. Pack water, a folding chair and some patience, and the day turns into a small adventure. Eat it the same day if you can, since smoked meat does not improve in a car.

Order this: Black Angus brisket, Turkey, Jalapeno-cheddar sausage, Banana pudding
The damage: $$
Go: Thursday to Sunday, early, ideally having pre-ordered
Find it: 4645 Dick Price Rd, Fort Worth, TX 76140