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Goode Company
Founded in 1977 by native Houstonian Jim Goode, Goode Company is a family-owned business that has expanded from a 40 seat barbecue place near downtown Houston, to seven restaurants through out the Houston metropolitan area, a Commissary and a mail-order and retail business.
It all started when Jim decided to open the original BBQ location on Kirby Drive in the late 70's. A conversation with the owner of a failing BBQ joint ended with Jim offering to buy the building that would be become the first Goode Company BBQ a few days later. . Jim & his wife Liz started out with nothing but the help of their uncle Joe Dixie and a few employees leftover from the previous owner. The family baked their own breads and pies, made and smoked their own sausage, and made their sauces and spices. Serves Texas style mesquite smoked barbeque – including beef brisket, chicken, pork, turkey, and duck. Plates are served through a cafeteria style line that allows the customers to make their selections from the meats and side dishes. Additional outdoor patio seating was later added to accommodate the additional customers as popularity grew and the restaurant now seats over one hundred and fifty customers.
After the success of the BBQ restaurant on Kirby, Jim decided to open up a Hamburgers & Taqueria restaurant. Jim's grandmother was a Mexican immigrant, and he had grown up with food from both sides of the border, so he opened Goode Company Taqueria in 1983. Customers place their order with the cashier at the counter, and names are called when the food is ready. Breakfast is served 7 days a week.
Goode Company opened their original seafood location in 1986. Only in-season seafood is served. The first Seafood location’s dining room is set in a 1950’s train car with décor of historical fishing photos, antique rod-n-reels, and conservation-friendly fish mounts.
The second BBQ location was opened at 8911 Katy Freeway in 1989. Serving the same mesquite smoked meats as the original. The interior is a virtual old-west museum showcasing historical Texas artifacts and cowboy memorabilia. Borrowing from the first location, customers enter and walk through a cafeteria style line.
The second Seafood location, located at 10211 Katy Freeway was built with the atmosphere of a 1930’s in mind. On display are a 25,000 lb. steel propeller and a 1939 Chris Craft boat. Hung from the walls are framed coastal photographs from the ‘30’s.
In 2005, Goode Company opened Goode’s Armadillo Palace. Goode’s Armadillo Palace features live Texas music 4 nights a week, shuffleboard, a pool table, and comfort foods. Guests have included Robert Earl Keen,Gary P. Nunn, Lou Diamond Phillips, Bruce McGill, and Mark Rolston.
Most recently, the newest addition and 3rd BBQ location was opened in Cypress, Texas off of 290 just west of HWY 1960. giant Goode Co water tower/windmill out front. The inside of the new building is covered with antique reclaimed wood from old barns and houses across Texas.
Goode Company Commissary, which serves as the “hub” for food production for all Goode Company Restaurants is located at 2617 Westpark Drive. It was opened in 1988 to improve efficiencies and maintain quality control. Occupying over 10,000 square feet, the Commissary houses a food production kitchen, dessert kitchen, bakery, butchery, spice blending room and a test kitchen for recipe development. Deliveries are made by refrigerated Commissary trucks to each of the restaurants daily.
Another branch of Goode Company, The Goode Company Barbeque Hall of Flame originally opened up as a store front on Kirby Drive in 1993. Merchandise consisted of Goode Company branded products, barbeque pits, grilling & cooking tools, and Texas-themed gifts. In 2004 the company decided to focus all of retail efforts on e-commerce and used the existing space for what is now Goode’s Armadillo Palace. Hall of Flame have been featured in numerous articles and TV stations. In 2010 the company began to ship their smoked meats across the continental US. In Spring 2011, Williams-Sonoma started to sell Goode Company BBQ Sauce at 255 of their locations nationwide.