Restaurant Review: Food Truck Review: KG BBQ

Don’t skip the ribs at KG BBQ (Photo by Rod Machen)

The style of barbecue practiced in Texas stands on its own, but the beauty of this cuisine is that it can also meld with other flavors and cultures to create new, amazing creations. KG BBQ has done just that.

Owner Kareem El-Ghayesh, who was nominated for a Beard Award earlier this year, brings the flavors of his home country to bear, as he has constructed a menu that blends the best of Egypt with the most iconic Central Texas foodways. Alongside stalwarts like brisket and pork ribs, visitors to KG BBQ's trailer outside Oddwood Brewing will find lamb, pita, and pomegranate, and it all works.

Let's start with the most unusual protein offering, but one that makes complete sense in context: lamb. This flavorful meat loves slow cooking, and KG BBQ knows exactly how to do it. Take the lamb bacon ribs. This is smoked lamb belly that's essentially ribless ribs. They're tender with the perfect top layer of fat. The lamb chops are small but mighty. Available in a half or full rack or just as a single, these little beauties don't hide their lamb flavor. The sumac-and-cinnamon-rubbed lamb shoulder is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from tender pot roast. Its simplicity is its strength.

As one should expect from any good barbecue restaurant in this part of the world, the brisket is exceptional. It's a dish most like other offerings in town, but that's not a knock as it holds its own in the category. Pork is represented as well. The ribs are glazed with pomegranate molasses and dry-rubbed with a blend of Egyptian spices including coriander, fenugreek, and oregano, and might be the best sweet ribs in a town that doesn't have a lot of them. Nontraditional goodness.

The sides have some home runs. The Mediterranean rice is turmeric-yellow, moist, and topped with cinnamon-candied nuts and pomegranate seeds (which can be removed to accommodate nut allergies). While I didn't try any of the rice bowls (topped with brisket, kofta, chicken, or lamb), they are assuredly satisfying with this base and those quality meats. The potato salad is a pretty picture, tinged bright pink from roasted beet puree, and a lighter complement to the heaviness of most of the rest of the menu.

Shawarma pita wraps are available as well. The chicken made for a nice filler, and the condiment concoction of tahini, onions, and sauce makes this a next-level sandwich. A good to-go option is the bread pudding. Cooked right there at the time of ordering, this dessert is piping hot and fall-apart creamy.

Like all good barbecue restaurants, the cost of materials makes this a not-cheap option, and the half-pound minimum on meats means the bill can really get up there. But in the case of KG BBQ, you get your money's worth with lots of great food that marries two cultures, separated by thousands of miles but brought together by a love of smoke and meat. It's a beautiful thing.

KG BBQ