The Most Exciting BBQ Joint in Texas Is Egyptian
In a state where barbecue is both religion and identity, few places manage to feel truly new. Yet on a stretch of Manor Road in East Austin, a food truck parked beside Oddwood Brewing has done exactly that. KG BBQ, the creation of Egyptian-born pitmaster Kareem El-Ghayesh, has earned a reputation as one of the most exciting barbecue operations in Texas by marrying the slow, oak-smoked traditions of Central Texas with the bright, aromatic flavors of the Middle East.
El-Ghayesh’s story begins far from the smokers of Texas. Raised in Cairo, he built a career in corporate finance while cooking for friends and family on the side. In 2012 he visited the United States for the first time, stopping in Austin to see an Egyptian friend. A casual meal at Rudy’s Bar-B-Q left him stunned. Watching pit workers slice brisket to order on wooden blocks, he later recalled, felt almost hypnotic. The simplicity of salt, pepper, smoke, and time captured him completely. He returned to Egypt determined to recreate that experience, searching markets for the right cut of brisket and experimenting with whatever smokers he could find.
The pull proved stronger than a stable career. El-Ghayesh eventually left finance, moved to Texas, and immersed himself in the craft. He worked unpaid or for low wages under established pitmasters, studied techniques at places including Valentina’s Tex-Mex BBQ and Interstellar Barbecue, and enrolled in culinary school to strengthen his foundation. Along the way he began hosting underground supper clubs and pop-ups that mixed Egyptian home cooking with the smoked meats he was learning to master. The pandemic briefly derailed progress—he lost restaurant work and drove for delivery services—but he kept refining the idea. In October 2022 he opened KG BBQ as a permanent food truck at Oddwood Brewing. Within months the operation was drawing national attention.
What sets the truck apart is not novelty for its own sake but a thoughtful dialogue between two food cultures. The brisket remains classic Central Texas: post oak smoke, a simple salt-and-pepper rub, and careful temperature control. El-Ghayesh has said he keeps the cut traditional out of respect for the meat that first inspired him to cross continents. Nearly everything else on the menu carries Egyptian or broader Middle Eastern accents. Pork ribs receive a dry rub of coriander, fenugreek, oregano and other spices, then a glossy glaze of pomegranate molasses finished with za’atar and bright pomegranate seeds. Lamb, a relative rarity on Texas trays, appears in multiple forms: rich “lamb bacon” ribs cut from the belly, chops seasoned and smoked to medium-rare with mint chimichurri, and pulled shoulder rubbed with cinnamon and sumac.
Chicken kebabs are marinated in sumac, garlic, thyme and honey before smoking, then served with a cool yogurt sauce. The brisket shawarma pita has become a signature: thinly sliced smoked brisket tucked into warm pocket pita with a fresh Egyptian-style garden salad of tomato, cucumber and onion, finished with tahini. Rice bowls build on Mediterranean rice or turmeric-tinted grains, topped with brisket or other meats, salad, tahini, candied nuts and more pomegranate seeds. Sides include the bright baladi salad that El-Ghayesh says tastes closest to what he ate growing up, a vivid pink beet-enriched potato salad, and sauces that range from salty-sour yogurt to sesame-forward tahini. Dessert is a cardamom-pistachio rice pudding crowned with mascarpone whipped cream—an unexpected but welcome close to a smoky meal.
The smokers themselves carry symbolic weight; one is named King Tut, a playful nod to the pitmaster’s heritage. El-Ghayesh has described his approach as fusing “the bright and fresh and crisp flavors of the Middle East with this old tradition of Texas barbecue.” The result feels less like forced fusion and more like a natural conversation between cuisines that both prize fire, spice and generosity.
Recognition arrived quickly. In early 2023, only months after the truck opened, El-Ghayesh was named a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: Texas. The Michelin Guide awarded KG BBQ a Bib Gourmand, later renewing the distinction. Texas Monthly included the truck in its influential 2025 Top 50 BBQ Joints list. El-Ghayesh competed on the third season of Netflix’s Barbecue Showdown, appeared in a widely viewed Bon Appétit documentary, and hosted visits from chefs and media figures including Brad Leone. Locals and visitors alike have noted that the truck often sells out or builds long lines, yet wait times remain more manageable than at many legendary Austin pits.
The setting adds to the appeal. Customers order at the truck and can claim picnic tables on the deck or carry trays into Oddwood Brewing next door. The brewery’s outdoor space and casual atmosphere make the experience feel communal rather than rushed. Hours are limited—typically Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., or until sold out—which only heightens the sense of occasion.
El-Ghayesh has spoken of broader ambitions. He has discussed plans for a second trailer in Houston and a future brick-and-mortar location in Austin that could serve as a gathering place for Egyptians and other Middle Eastern communities while continuing to welcome barbecue pilgrims of every background. In interviews he frames the work as cultural exchange as much as commerce: bringing the flavors of home to Texas while fully participating in one of the state’s most cherished traditions.
Texas barbecue has never been static. German and Czech immigrants shaped its early meat markets. Later waves of cooks introduced new techniques and seasonings. Places like KG BBQ continue that evolution without discarding the core values of patience, quality meat and wood smoke. El-Ghayesh’s story—from Cairo finance offices to Austin smokers—adds a vivid chapter. One bite of pomegranate-glazed ribs or a brisket shawarma pita makes the case clear: the most exciting barbecue in Texas right now carries the stamp of Egypt, filtered through years of apprenticeship and genuine affection for the craft.
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