Family-owned barbecue restaurant near Fort Worth loses pitmaster, pioneer

Prolific North Texas barbecue pitmaster Terry Massey, 71, of Joshua died Friday.

Massey founded his own barbecue restaurants in Joshua and rural Johnson County, then joined family members to help open Massey’s BBQ locations across North Texas, including a restaurant in Alvarado, another opening soon in Glen Rose and a stand inside Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth.

Todd Massey, a brother, and his son Dakota started the first Massey’s, 201 N. Parkway in Alvarado, in 2018 with Terry Massey as pitmaster,

“From ‘A’ to ‘Z,’ everything we do is the Terry Massey way,” Todd Massey said Saturday, preparing to open as usual for lunch. The restaurants expect to keep regular daily hours in Massey’s honor, Todd Massey said.

Terry Massey and his wife, Belinda, traveled the country winning barbecue and chili cookoffs before opening a Joshua stand, Lazy S&M BBQ, Todd Massey said.

Terry Massey often joked about the high-falutin’ new Texas barbecue trends.

“Terry was basic — it was all his rub, his sauce,” Todd Massey said.

Dakota and Todd Massey were thinking about opening a fried chicken restaurant when they decided to serve Terry Massey’s barbecue instead, he said.

Besides the Alvarado and Cowtown Coliseum locations, Massey’s also operates a Cleburne stand in the 3800 block of North Main Street.

Massey’s is weeks from openng a new showcase restaurant north of Glen Rose in a former catfish landmark at 2192 Texas 144 North. on the state highway to Granbury.

On Facebook, Massey’s BBQ posted: “Terry was and is the reason there is a “Massey’s BBQ”. He was the one to teach us, the one to give advice and the one helping us be where we are today.”