Why the ‘Fort Worth barbecue scene’ is gaining steam with lines in Arlington and near Kennedale
Is the Fort Worth area the ‘new Austin’ for barbecue?
Hey, Bud! You write a lot about “Fort Worth-area” barbecue but Hurtado and Goldee’s are in Arlington. Can you put Arlington in the headline?
—10 irate Arlingtonians on Facebook or Twitter
No. Hurtado Barbecue is great, but it’s the only new craft barbecue restaurant in Arlington. Goldee’s is the real find, on Dick Price Road in rural Tarrant County south of Kennedale and with a Fort Worth address. (There’s also Zavala’s is in Grand Prairie.) The statewide BBQ talk is about how the Fort Worth area is the “new Austin” for barbecue, with restaurants all around the region, such as 407BBQ in Argyle.
And what’s ‘craft’ barbecue, anyway?
Hey, Bud! You write a lot about “craft” barbecue. What’s that?
—Reader who still loves Railhead Smokehouse and Angelo’s
Craft barbecue is smoked in small batches by a pitmaster, usually featuring prime or choice meats and distinctive side dishes. The restaurant smokes a small amount of meat, and when that day’s barbecue is gone, the restaurant closes early. The term is meant to differ from large-scale commercial barbecue. (Heim Barbecue started as a small stand but is now a successful large-scale operator.)
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