When we met Andrew Golden last year, he was 24 and just opening Golden Horseshoe BBQ with his mom, Doris, hoping people would become as obsessed with barbecue as he was. One year later, that hobby-turned-restaurant has earned a Bib Gourmand — and Golden has been named a Michelin Young Chef Award winner at just 25. Here’s the story of how it all started.
What started as a hobby project for Andrew Golden and his sous chef mom has officially become a brick-and-mortar restaurant. Golden Horseshoe BBQ, a Texas-style barbecue eatery, is officially opening its doors this weekend.
When Doris Golden brought home a pellet barbecue during the pandemic, Andrew — who wasn’t in school and didn’t have much else to do at the time — began messing around with it. And he fell in love. His hobby took off, and he began offering his Texas-style smoked meats at pop-ups at breweries. But he wanted more.
Now, the mother-and-son duo is opening up an official Golden Horseshoe BBQ restaurant space at 657 Dupont Street, and Andrew — who will serve as the pitmaster at an impressive 24 years old — says the space will be outfitted to ensure he’s offering his visitors the best meat possible.
“All the barbecue we’re doing is going to be completely wood-fired, no gas, no electric — unprecedented in the city,” he says. “And all of our smokers have been custom-built, which is super exciting for a barbecue nerd like myself.”
The menu boasts tried-and-true favourites like brisket, ribs and sausage and a smoker that allows them to specifically cook whole pigs will be fired up on occasion.
“The vibe is going to be relatively quick service, that authentic Texas feel,” Golden says. “You’ll be able to watch your meat get sliced and plated — the kitchen will be open.”
Construction on the space officially began at the end of March, and the opening is currently set for this summer. As the grand unveiling approaches, Golden is feeling a flurry of emotions.
“I’m super excited to be able to do this after thinking about it for a while,” he says. “It’s going to be very cool to be working with my mom everyday! But I’m very nervous – I just hope people want to obsess over barbecue like I do.”