Heim Barbecue — Restaurant in Fort Worth

A few weeks ago I finally got the chance to make a long-anticipated visit to Heim Barbecue in Fort Worth. Lemme tell ya – it was totally worth the drive from the east side of the DFW Metroplex to enjoy their food. Holy cow that place is amazing! The owners – Travis and Emma Heim – are a phenomenal team, and the group they have working the place are all exceptional. They opened their brick-and-mortar restaurant on Magnolia Ave. in Fort Worth back in 2016. They have just continued to grow, recently opening another branch not too far away on the west side of Ft Worth near the Trinity River. I’ve read about Heim for a few years now – and was anxious especially to try their bacon burnt ends. Yes – bacon burnt ends. And I can tell you, they match up to the hype and then some.

If I hadn’t already heard all about how good their ‘cue was, the line that was out the door at noontime in the middle of the week would have been a pretty good indicator. Knowing that it will likely be a very long time before I get a chance to go back, I had to load up with a three-meat plate. I went with some fatty brisket, their house-made jalapeño cheddar sausage, and of course I could not pass up the bacon burnt ends.

Bacon burnt ends – On the sign behind the counter the sign for the bacon burnt ends reads “Wonderful, mystical”. And I would have to agree. These little nuggets of bacon heaven were incredibly flavorful. The combination of fattiness, meatiness, saltiness and a little sweetness were just amazing. I think the picture in the dictionary next to the word “unctuous” should be these bacon burnt ends. Honestly, it would be worth driving there from Houston just to enjoy these things. Wow! Just wow!!

Brisket – They use only certified Angus beef at Heim. And the result demonstrates both the quality of meat and their smoking methods. The fatty brisket was outstanding. It had an excellent bark and perfectly-rendered fat, with a solid smoke ring and a great smoky flavor.

Jalapeño cheddar sausage – Their house-made jalapeño cheddar sausage was excellent. It had a very nice grind. There was a great snap to the casing. And the flavor was delicious.

As much as I loved Heim’s smoked meats, I was equally impressed with their sides. At their recommendation, I went with the green chile mac-n-cheese and the twice baked potato salad. I was not disappointed.

Green chile mac-n-cheese – Holy cow that stuff was amazing!! It had a delicious cheesy/creamy sauce and a great green chile flavor without overpowering the dish. This side is absolutely fantastic!

Twice baked potato salad – This is an amazingly delicious side as well! They have an incredible recipe here. The potato chunks are not too big or too small. The bacon, green onions, sour cream and who-knows-what-else were a great combination. They obviously use high-quality ingredients. The resulting flavor is just wonderful.

Their house-made barbecue sauce was a very nice complement to the meats – not that the sauce was needed by any means. But it was excellent. Next time I go I will have to save room for their homemade banana pudding. From everything I have read, it is amazing as well.

The barbecue game in Fort Worth is definitely strong. If you are in the Ft Worth area especially, but even if you anywhere in the DFW Metroplex, it is worth the drive to go enjoy the incredible Texas barbecue they are serving up at Heim. You...

Birthday Dinner at Heim BBQ

For my birthday, my wife—true to form—wanted to take me somewhere we had never been before. Over the years, I’d heard about a BBQ spot in Fort Worth and passed by it countless times. That place? HEIM.

We decided to check out the Magnolia location, just on the southern outskirts of downtown Fort Worth.

Arriving right around dinner time, we were pleasantly surprised to find that Heim wasn’t too crowded, and there was plenty of parking available around back.

Service That Stands Out

From the moment we stepped inside, we were greeted twice—once by the bartender and then by someone we later learned was Jeff, a member of the owning family. Jeff’s warmth and enthusiasm immediately made us feel welcome.

Without us even asking, Jeff started recommending menu items once he found out we were first-time visitors. What stood out was that many of his suggestions were dishes we had already heard about from other reviewers—a good sign!

Jeff also took the time to highlight his employees, including the Employee of the Month, CeCe (I hope I got that right—way to go, CeCe!). It’s not every day that an owner makes it a point to recognize their staff so openly, and that spoke volumes about the culture at Heim.

The Feast

My wife and I shared a three-meat plate with a side of bacon-wrapped burnt ends, potato salad, 1849 onion rings (there's a story behind the name), and fried okra. We capped it all off with banana pudding, which was a sweet way to end the meal.

As we ate, we noticed Jeff and his team constantly checking in on guests. It wasn’t just us—every table received that same level of attention. Now that’s what I call great service!

The Food

Honestly, there’s no such thing as a “bad” item on Heim’s menu. Choosing a favorite was tough!

If I had to make recommendations, the sausage, brisket, smoked chicken, potato salad, fried okra, and onion rings all scored a solid 9 out of 10 in my book.

But here’s the kicker—before we left, Jeff gave me a birthday surprise: a tour of the smokers! That’s when I saw the pulled pork and brisket cooking low and slow—and all I can say is, OMG. Next visit, I’m making sure to try that! Huge shoutout to Orlando, the master behind those smokers!

Confidence in Their Craft

One of the most memorable moments of the night was when Jeff stopped by to chat with us about BBQ. Not only did he talk about Heim’s offerings, but he wasn’t afraid to compliment the competition. That’s rare in the restaurant world, but when your product is as solid as Heim’s, you can afford to have that level of confidence.

Final Thoughts

If you’re in the Fort Worth area and craving top-tier BBQ, make a stop at Heim. The food is fantastic, the prices are fair, the atmosphere is laid-back, and the service is truly exceptional.

Thank you, Jeff and the Heim team, for an unforgettable birthday...

I actually ate here twice while I was visiting Ft Worth on travel so this review is pretty thorough. Just some background info on me, I'm from FL & I'm a BBQ connoisseur & a grill master in my own right, so I'm well qualified to speak on all aspects of BBQ.

First the meats: I had the smoked German sausage, brisket, ribs & smoked turkey. None of the meats were hot just lukewarm. This was true both times I went. I'm sure that the taste of the meats would be a lot better if it were hot off the smoker.

The brisket was tender and I saw an authentic smoke ring, & the ribs were fall of the bone tender & good. Smoked turkey was tender but I didn't taste any smokiness like it hadn't been smoked on the pit. I can't explain that one.

The sides: The fresh cut fries were great. That was a bright spot. The coleslaw is always hit or miss in any restaurant. This was a slight miss. I saw what they were trying to do with a new take on slaw but it didn't work for me. You're not in Wisconsin you're in TX, so stop trying to be fancy & stick w/traditional slaw. The slaw had a high vinegar taste & didn't seem seasoned, so it didn't work for me or the people I was with. They had some other sides like beans but they didn't look like anything I wanted to try. I didn't see any BBQ beans but I came to learn from eating @ other bbq spots that TX bbq doesn't seem to include bbq baked beans that would be cooked with bbq sauce. That's a shame too.

The sauce is their own original sauce and it was pretty descent. It was more on the vinegar side of the spectrum. I'd like to taste more smokiness to balance it out but it is what it is.

I had one of the beers on tap which was a bright spot. The bartender there was friendly & helpful in picking out a beer.

I didn't try any desserts because I didn't see any dessert that I would want. The people I went with tried the banana pudding but they didn't like it. They described it as tasting artificial & too sweet.

I wish could give this place 3.5 stars but unfortunately Google reviews doesn't have that option, so I'll have to assign a solid 3. This place has good meats (not great) that are tender but the sides are lil lacking. I think its a good spot to grab a beer with bbq. It's worth trying once, but there are better BBQ places in FT Worth/Dallas area that are not...