Why: Goldie’s BBQ is approaching five years of serving Clark County with traditional Texas-style barbecue.
In addition to gaining a larger customer base, the restaurant has acquired the space just next door to its strip mall location, which has doubled its footprint to accommodate more diners and expand its kitchen.
What I tried: I have tried and liked several of the barbecue items on previous visits, so on this trip, I gave the catfish and chips a try. My dining companion had the beef brisket lunch with a side of beans and corn bread. Both entrees came with grilled toast. For dessert, we had peach cobbler.
The catfish and chips entree came with two breaded filets, a large portion of fries and a few ounces of tarter sauce. The breading on the fish was coarse and firm, and it was deep fried to a golden brown. The fish filets were thin, and considering the ratio of fish to breading, which was 1 to 2, I found the meat overwhelmed by the breading. The filets had some gray meat on them, which made them taste fishier than I prefer. I removed half of the breading on each filet and scraped the gray meat off before I ate them. I could not help but be disappointed, as I thought of the catfish I have caught, measured in pounds, not ounces. I do not believe my expectations were too high; I did pay $14.99 for the dish.
I would revamp this dish to include larger filets, with the gray meat removed, and instead of small, crinkle-cut frozen fries, I would spend the effort to make fresh, hand-cut ones.
My dining companion was satisfied with the smoky, sweet flavor of the beef brisket. The meat was tender and moist, but there was a lot of fat to contend with. The beans were appetizing, and the corn bread — in muffin form — was moist, not too sweet and had a hint of smoky goodness in its crust.
Peach cobbler at Goldie’s is more akin to peach pie; it is served in a pie tin with a pie-crust bottom and lattice top. The filling is canned peaches in a cinnamon-rich syrup.
Menu highlights beyond what I tried: Smoked meats may be purchased by the quarter, half and full pound, and ribs by the half and full slab. Appetizers include fried okra and fried macaroni and cheese, a customer favorite. Burgers are available, in addition to barbecue menu items. Sweet potato pie is on the dessert menu.
Atmosphere: The restaurant has a lavender, purple and gold color scheme, and a guests are welcomed by a deliciously smoky aroma that promises good things to come. Large-screen televisions provide entertainment. The walls are decorated with an American flag, framed photos, news articles and inspirational messages, giving the restaurant a down-home atmosphere. Each table is set with a roll of paper towels to ensure diners partaking in messy barbecue items have enough much-needed napkins. Guests get condiments and plastic ware at the counter by the kitchen.
Other observations: I was pleased to find the service just as friendly and welcoming as I did on my previous visit.
Food is served in paper-lined baskets, plastic condiment cups and paper trays.
Goldie’s caters.
Cost: Most menu items are $6 to $15.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Where: 15640 N.E. Fourth Plain Blvd., Suite 100, Vancouver.
Telephone: 360-253-2836.
On the Web: on.fb.me/1u2Tl5a
Health score: Goldie’s BBQ received a health score of 10 on June 26. Zero is a perfect score, and Clark County Public Health closes restaurants with a score of 100 or higher. For information, call 360-397-8428.
