“Halal” means meat raised and butchered in accordance with Islamic guidelines. It refers to the method in which the animals are slaughtered, one that focuses on humane treatment, cleanliness, and acknowledging the value of life \u2014 similar in concept to kosher food in Judaism. <\/p>\n
A growing number of halal places have opened around Fort Worth in recent years, and there are also non-halal restaurants that use halal beef, such as burger institution Kincaid’s, the new Burger Vault<\/a> in Keller, and the forthcoming Tick Tock Taco<\/a> in Colleyville.<\/p>\n Growing Texas trend<\/strong> At least a dozen barbecue spots now serve halal meats, including Yearby\u2019s Barbecue & Waterice, run by Black Muslim couple CJ and Sabrina Henley, soon-to-be in Plano<\/a>; and Levant Mediterranean BBQ, a restaurant with locations in Houston and Frisco<\/a> and whose all-beef menu includes a brisket shawarma sandwich.<\/p>\n \u201cNow there are so many options, and for us to have highly rated barbecue, it\u2019s a blessing,\u201d said Haris Ghaffar, who drove an hour from Celina and stood in 90-degree weather for nearly two hours with a friend for the halal options at Goldee\u2019s.<\/p>\n Growing up in the 1990s, Ghaffar said a McDonald\u2019s Filet-O-Fish sandwich was one of the few halal meals he could eat while dining out. Back then, halal food was seen as serving a small community. Today, it\u2019s a multibillion-dollar industry that\u2019s part of the American culinary mainstream, said James Beard Award\u2011winning food writer Farhan Mustafa, who wrote about the rise of American halal barbecue<\/a> for Bon App\u00e9tit<\/a> magazine in 2025.<\/p>\n \u201cHalal food is American food,\u201d said Mustafa, who is based in Seattle. \u201cIt belongs on your plate. It belongs in the casual chat. It belongs in hip hop tracks. It\u2019s the most American thing there is.\u201d<\/p>\n Mustafa said Muslims are part of a growing list of communities putting their stamp on Texas barbecue. \u201cWhether they\u2019re first, second or third-generation Muslims or Muslim Americans or just Americans, they\u2019re bringing what they know and what excites them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n More than salt and pepper<\/strong> Zain Shafi, a pitmaster and co-owner of Goldee\u2019s, previously ran Sabar Barbecue<\/a>, a food truck that offered Pakistani-infused halal dishes, such as brisket with rub that included spices like bay leaf and coriander.<\/p>\n Sabar was nominated for Best BBQ<\/a> in CultureMap’s 2025 Tastemaker Awards, and made the list<\/a> of Texas Monthly’s Top 50 Barbecue Restaurants of 2025. The restaurant was also featured<\/a> in a recently published BBQ book Texas BBQ: The Art of Low and Slow. He closed<\/a> Sabar in December 2025 after two years.<\/p>\n Shafi brought tandoori smoked turkey to Goldee\u2019s menu. And sourcing halal cuts, he said, was a natural choice because they are \u201cthe highest quality\u201d meats.<\/p>\n Goldee\u2019s chef and part owner Nupohn Inthanousay also blends his Laotian heritage, serving a smoked Lao \u201csai oua\u201d sausage with sticky rice and a fiery, tangy dipping sauce.<\/p>\n
At a time when Republican leaders are increasingly targeting the state\u2019s growing Muslim communities<\/a>, halal barbecue joints like Goldee\u2019s are thriving in Texas. Across the state, Muslim pitmasters are gaining recognition for putting their own spin on one of Texas\u2019 most iconic culinary traditions.<\/p>\n![\"Goldee's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/goldee-s-barbecue.jpg\")
Texas barbecue is typically defined by salt-and-pepper brisket and pork ribs, but this new crop of halal pitmasters are adding inventive twists, often based on their own family heritages.<\/p>\n![\"Sabar](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1787338400_978_sabar-bbq.jpg\")
![\"Kafi](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1787338401_630_kafi-bbq.jpg\")
Meat at Kafi BBQ in Irving. Kafi BBQ <\/p>\n