Valerie Phillips, Special to the Standard-Examiner

Good barbecue needs smoke. Good smoke needs good wood. Hence, the name Goodwood Barbecue Co., which in September marks 25 years of smoked ribs, brisket, pulled pork and other favorites.

The first Goodwood location was opened in 1999 in Boise by restaurateurs Steve Cooper and Mike Mantooth. The Riverdale location opened in 2007, and Goodwood also has two other locations — Meridian, Idaho; and Draper.

Today, barbecue is a familiar part of Utah’s dining landscape. But this old-school Southern cooking style wasn’t as well-known in Utah when Goodwood first opened. Cooper and Mantooth, who both grew up in West Texas, came up with a concept to blend two different dining experiences.

“We’re trying to blend barbecue with a more upscale atmosphere and great service,” said Jake Hayes, the company’s district manager. “You don’t see that a lot with barbecue.”

Typical barbecue joints have a casual, down-home feeling — ordering at a front counter, help-yourself service and picnic table seating. But Goodwood has a “polished-casual” ambiance — similar to a nice steakhouse — with tableside service.

Valerie Phillips, Special to the Standard-Examiner

That’s a reason why Goodwood is the site of many business lunches as well as family meals or casual get-togethers.

“The quality of our food is No. 1 for us,” Hayes said. “We are a made-from-scratch kitchen.”

The meats are slow-smoked over apple wood, and some of the restaurant’s recipes came from Mantooth’s family, said Hayes. That includes Mom’s Potato Salad, creamy with bits of sweet pickle. (Since Mantooth passed away from cancer in 2021, corporate chef Jered Couch oversees the culinary side of the business, Hayes said.)

Rib lovers have a variety to choose from — St. Louis-style spare ribs, baby back ribs and West Texas-style beef ribs.

All the usual barbecue-style meats are offered — smoky pulled pork and thin-sliced Texas-style beef brisket, burnt-ends brisket, smoked chicken thigh meat as well as German-style sausage. The smoked turkey is popular year-round and is a huge Thanksgiving takeout item.

Valerie Phillips, Special to the Standard-Examiner

“Our turkey breast is phenomenal,” said Lance Gallegos, general manager at the Riverdale location. He noted that roast turkey is often dry, “But anything smoked over low and slow heat is going to be tender and moist. Many people like to order a smoked turkey sandwich.”

The popular jumbo onion rings are buttermilk-battered for a crispy crunch and arranged in a tower with ranch dipping sauce.

Idaho potato skins, adorned with cheddar, bacon bits, chives and sour cream, are an example of smart use of ingredients to avoid food waste.

“We bake the potatoes fresh, and use the insides for our potato salads,” said Gallegos. “Then we used the potato skins for a great appetizer, and they’re very popular.”

The smoked prime rib is a signature item that’s only served after 4 p.m.

Valerie Phillips, Special to the Standard-Examiner

“Most restaurants offer prime rib that’s oven-roasted. But ours has a beautiful, deep smoke ring and it’s very good,” Hayes said. “It’s a limited item, and we run out of it almost every night. People will call and ask if we can hold it for them, but we can’t.”

The smoked prime rib is also used in a Philly sandwich with grilled onion and Monterey Jack cheese.

Considering it’s a barbecue restaurant, Goodwood offers a pretty wide selection of salads, including Southwest chicken; Caesar salad; strawberry/apple/pecan and spinach; crispy chicken; sliced brisket; Cobb; and a bacon blue wedge.

The Southwest chicken salad features shredded, smoky ranchero-sauced chicken over mixed greens and pico de gallo, corn, roasted bell pepper, red onion, cheddar, confetti-like tortilla strips and ranch dressing.

The chicken wrap is Hayes’ menu favorite. Marinated and grilled chicken is stuffed in a soft warm tortilla with herbed mayo, lettuce, diced tomatoes, and melted jack and cheddar cheeses.

Although it’s not barbecue, the oven-roasted salmon filet is one of Gallegos’ favorites, topped with caper-dill sauce.

Another non-barbecue item is the Honey Stung chicken sandwich — crispy fried chicken tenders drenched in a spicy honey glaze.

Goodwood strives for “genuine hospitality, which seems to be a dying art these days,” Hayes said. “We do a good job of hiring and training people.”

That’s one reason why Ralph and Cheri Boulden of Ogden have been regulars for 14 years.

“We keep coming back because they treat us right,” Ralph Boulden said as the couple enjoyed their salads during a recent visit.

Some longtime staffers consider Goodwood as family — and many of them are family. Gallegos, who has been with Goodwood 13 years, and Hayes, a 14-year employee, both met their wives on the job. Gallegos’ younger brother, Troy, is the Riverdale location’s kitchen manager.

“It’s a great place to work, a good community,” Lance Gallegos said.

IF YOU GO

Goodwood Barbecue Co.

Location: 4237 S. Riverdale Road, Riverdale

Contact: 801-393-0426 or goodwoodbbq.com

Prices: Salads and sandwiches, $12.99 to $16.99; entrée platters, ribs and steaks, $17-$35

Hours: 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday

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