Toronto’s newest barbecue joint is already drawing crowds
Golden Horseshoe Barbecue went from a pop-up to a restaurant in less than two years
Name: Golden Horseshoe Barbecue
Contact: 657 Dupont St., goldenhorseshoebbq.com, @goldenhorseshoebbq
Neighbourhood: Seaton Village
Previously: Popeyes
Owners: Andrew Golden and Kris Hansen
Pitmaster: Andrew Golden
Executive chef: Kris Hansen
Accessibility: Accessible washroom on the main floor
Andrew Golden, the 24-year-old pitmaster and co-owner of Golden Horseshoe Barbecue, is having a surreal moment. He went from selling barbecue at breweries around the city to opening a brick-and-mortar operation in less than two years.
“I still feel like I’m having an out-of-body experience,” says Golden. “The timing was right, and we got lucky with finding the perfect spot. But doing the pop-ups with my mom, Doris, was so necessary. It was becoming tiring to hop around from brewery to brewery, though, as well as do catering. We’d be up at 3 a.m. to tend to the barbecue, then work 12-hour days, trekking all over the GTA.” He cherishes every moment, though—it was through those pop-ups that he got the exposure he needed, building a following of fans and making enough in sales to know that, if he opened a restaurant, it could prosper.
Related: This new King West snack bar is from the team behind a popular barbecue joint
Golden brought Kris Hansen, whom he’d trained under at the Carbon Bar, on board. “I think it’s just a natural evolution of my career in the industry,” says Hansen. “I started out as a dishwasher and worked all the way to executive chef and culinary director—so when Andrew told me what he was doing, I was more than happy to take that leap of faith with him.”
The two began scouting for a location last fall and soon came across the Seaton Village space. “We were both surprised that such a nice space was still available,” says Golden. The restaurant opened in mid-September with a staff that includes Brian Vo (co-pitmaster), Joey Aguilar (FOH manager) and—because Golden Horseshoe wouldn’t exist without her—Doris, who is in charge of the cornbread and desserts.
Related: Smoked and Smashed, a 500-square-foot barbecue spot in Vaughan
The Food
The menu centres the Texas-style barbecue Golden has become known for. “It should always include the holy trinity: brisket, ribs and sausage,” he says. At the new restaurant, they remain dedicated to the art of slow-cooking on offset wood-burning smokers. “The reason our barbecue is so good is the human element,” says Golden. “We don’t use anything automated or electric. We have to baby and nurture everything.”
All of the meat (which is sourced from Toronto’s Prime Meats) is sold by the pound or half pound and offered as part of pre-set platters. Eventually, there will be sandwiches (chopped brisket, pulled pork, a smoked-beef burger), but right now, they’re focusing on streamlining service—especially with lineups down the street an hour before they open.
They don’t want to tell you how to eat your food, but because crafting it is so labour-intensive, Hansen is compelled to offer the following advice: “Sauce or no sauce on barbecue has always been a divisive topic. But I personally think you should first taste the proteins on their own to get the flavour of the meat, because our barbecue has such a deep, rich flavour profile.” However, for those who like things on the saucier side, there are two house sauces on all the tables: Texas BBQ and Golden Mustard.
The Drinks
A liquor licence is in the works, so right now there’s a selection of sodas. “I love pop, so what we have is a reflection of that,” says Golden. There’s strawberry Fanta, pineapple pop, Dr. Pepper (a Texas staple), all kinds of Crush flavours, root beer and Ting.
Related: A “dirty soda” shop just opened at the Dufferin Mall
The Space
“Chris and I designed it,” says Golden of the 40-seat restaurant. “Initially, we looked at a few designers, but we ultimately did our own thing.” Seeking to recreate that Texas barbecue ambiance, they went with a simple and industrial design with some retro signage. Outside, a 2,000-square-foot patio offers picnic-table seating for when the weather allows.
Tiffany Leigh is an award-winning freelance journalist with degrees in business communications and education. She has a culinary background, is a recipient of the Clay Triplette James Beard Foundation scholarship award and has worked in restaurants such as Langdon Hall. In addition to Toronto Life, her pieces have been read in publications such as Forbes, Vogue, Eater, Dwell, Elle, Business Insider, Playboy, Food & Wine and Bon Appétit.
