Long-awaited restaurant opening draws big crowds

By Donnie A. Lucas

Dallas resident Jason Harlow received a last-minute call in January from an Albany friend urging him to come out to eat and celebrate one last time at the famed Ft. Griffin General Merchandise Restaurant and Beehive Saloon before it closed.

He says he never could have dreamed where that visit would lead him.

That night, Harlow made a verbal agreement with restaurant owner Ali Esfandiary to purchase the building. With the paperwork completed just a couple of weeks later, Harlow began a six-month journey of remodeling the 40-year-old restaurant building and getting it ready to open to the public again.

Goodnight Steakhouse and Saloon officially opened its doors on Tuesday, Sept. 5 after a series of  “soft open” evenings last week to crowds reminiscent of those who came to enjoy one last meal at the “Beehive” before it was shuttered on Jan. 28.

“I had no plans of buying or owning a restaurant before I got that call to come eat at Ft. Griffin one last time,” cattle buyer and now restaurant entrepreneur Jason Harlow said. “There was a huge crowd there all enjoying themselves – it was like a big party, and I told Ali I wanted to buy the place.”

He says his goal was to preserve the legacy of the legendary restaurant, albeit without the same name or even the same menu, and after completing some needed repairs.

“The goal was to provide a great Texas steakhouse and saloon with outstanding service and atmosphere,” he said. “I didn’t want to see Albany lose a great place like that.”

Harlow didn’t purchase the business or the name since the Esfandiary brothers, Ali and Nariman, still own and operate a restaurant named the Beehive in Abilene.

Harlow, whose primary home is in Dallas, has spent a good deal of time in the Albany area, purchasing a home at Lake Hubbard. He is currently in the process of completing a new home at the lake and thinks he will spend even more time here with the opening of the restaurant.

A graduate of the TCU Ranch Management program, he has been a cattle buyer and trader for almost 30 years, often spending time in the Albany area the last 10 years or so. He said he has cattle on both grass and in feed lots in Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Kansas.

“I love the western code,” he said. “I’m a sixth generation Texan, and I want to see that heritage continue.”

He named the restaurant based on his respect for legendary cattleman Charles Goodnight and what he did for the area and the state.

“He invented the chuck wagon, had a cattle trail named for him, and saved the buffalo – he was definitely a man of vision,” Harlow said. “I wanted to honor his legacy.”

The response from those who have already visited the restaurant has been good, both in terms of the changes in the building, the food, and the atmosphere.

“We have had a lot of very positive comments, but there is still more work ahead,” Harlow said.

Harlow commended general contractor Jose Martinez, along with Brandon Alexander for their efforts in leading the remodel.

“Brandon rebuilt the bar and grill, and he quite literally put fires out for us,” Harlow said. “A couple of weeks ago the top of the chimney caught fire when we first got the grill going, and Brandon went on the roof with a water hose to fight it before the fire department got here.”

Goodnight’s also operates a private club saloon. Currently, guests must show a driver’s license to be scanned into the computer system to establish a membership. There is not a membership fee.

The remodeling includes a totally new kitchen, refurbished dining rooms, and the addition of what is being called the dance hall, along with a new outdoor patio area. Customers will enter the main door into the saloon area, where there is a long bar with seating, as well as high top tables.

A family booth that seats 12 is also available, along with the original Fort Griffin Dining Room, the Brand Dining Room, which has access at the main entrance.

Total capacity of the restaurant is now about 200.

Reservations can be made online at Toast Tables, with a link located on the restaurant’s Facebook page.

There is also a website: goodnightsteakhouse.com.

The new phone number is 325-225-0300.

Currently, plans are for the restaurant to be open Tuesday through Sunday from 5:00 until 9:00 p.m.

A limited menu including steaks, salads, appetizers, and sides is being offered while the staff is in training. The menu will be expanded  over the next few weeks, Harlow said.