It’s only fitting that the first Fort Worth-area restaurant to receive a Michelin star is Goldee’s Bar-B-Q, announced via press release this morning in the 2026 Texas Michelin Guide.
Goldee’s was opened in 2020 by former junior high school classmates Jonny White, Jalen Heard and Lane Milne. Then a year later, it was named No. 1 on Texas Monthly’s Barbecue list. The co-founders were also listed among “new best chefs” in Food & Wine magazine.
In 2024 and 2025, the joint won Michelin “Bib Gourmand” awards for good food at an affordable price. Now, it is the first restaurant in the Fort Worth area with a Michelin star.
Goldee’s, at 4645 Dick Price Road, is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays, recently expanding hours from its former Friday-Sunday schedule.
A sign for Goldee’s BBQ sits outside its smokehouse on Friday, October 15, 2021, in south Tarrant County near Fort Worth and Kennedale. Amanda McCoy amccoy@star-telegram.com
Stars are only awarded to an excellent few restaurants who exemplify high-quality cooking. A common misconception is that only formal restaurants receive stars; however, the guide awards the honor based on quality of the ingredients used, mastery of flavor and cooking techniques, the personality of the chef in the cuisine, harmony of flavors, and consistency between visits.
It’s the third year that the Michelin Guide has traveled around the Lone Star State to determine which restaurants and hotels are worthy of their prestigious list. Texas paid $2.7 million in public money for a three-year contract. It’s uncertain whether the guide will return next year.
For a third year in a row, Birrieria y Taqueria Cortez, Panther City BBQ and Smoke’N Ash in Arlington were listed under the recommended portion of the guide.
Nupohn Inthanousay, one of the co-owners of Goldee’s Barbecue, speaks with Chris Dupree, Matt Mueller, Jeff McDonald, and Lindsay Dupree as they eat their tray of barbecue in the Goldee’s dining room near Fort Worth on Friday, June 28, 2024. Chris Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com
This story was originally published October 8, 2026 at 10:11 AM.
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Ella Gonzales is a service journalism reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions and write about life in North Texas. Ella mainly writes about local restaurants and where to find good deals around town.