After winning nearly every accolade possible as the co-founder of Goldee’s BBQ, Jonny White is starting a new venture far from the BBQ capital of Texas — Brooklyn.
FORT WORTH, Texas — From the back roads of Tarrant County to Brooklyn, one of North Texas’ most acclaimed pitmasters is starting a new venture.
Jonny White, one of the founders of Goldee’s Barbecue, is teaming up with Chuck Charnichart of Barbs B Q in Lockhart to open Kirbee’s in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Eater New York reported.
Goldee’s, and by extension White, has received numerous accolades for its innovative takes on barbecue, including topping Texas Monthly’s list of best BBQ joints, a spot on Food & Wine’s list of best new chefs, and a recommendation from the Michelin Guide.
Charnichart has his own share of awards, including being named a James Beard finalist in 2024 and winning Michelin’s Young Chef award in 2025.
Both chefs are known for putting a unique flair on Texas barbecue, which they will no doubt bring to Brooklyn.
White told Eater the menu will be split into Barb’s and Goldee’s plates and teased a mash-up of the two restaurants’ desserts: Barb’s chocolate pudding and Goldee’s banana pudding. The name of the restaurant is a double reference to the name of White’s dog and the pink video game character, Eater reported.
The Brooklyn spot will operate as a true Texas barbecue restaurant with cafeteria-style ordering and limited hours. Kirbee’s will be open for lunch on Fridays through Sundays, according to Eater.
To get the authentic flavor of the Texas prairie in the concrete jungle, White said they will use smoker ovens, as opposed to the offset smokers used commonly in Texas.
“It’ll taste exactly like Texas, it’s just going to be one of those things where the purists are going to be upset,” White told Eater. But “our food here should be more consistent,” he added.
White recently sold his stake in Goldee’s to an alum of the restaurant, Zain Shafi who previously ran a highly awarded Pakistani barbecue truck, Sabar BBQ, in Fort Worth