Kafi BBQ, Irving 6/28/26

 

https://www.kafibbq.com/

sampled 6/28/26 about 11:15 am

After seeing a story about this joint online and seeing some rave reviews I asked Scott if he would like to check it out.  He was down, and off we went on a Sunday morning.  I got there a little later than him and found a line of about 6 people behind Scott.  The doors opened promptly at 11 am.  Be aware they do not accept cash, cards only.  

This is a halal BBQ joint with no pork on the menu or in the building.  They do have chicken and lamb, but most of the offerings are beef.  Because of the special halal processing, the prices are through the roof.  To paraphrase Hubert Green, "Good stuff ain't cheap and cheap stuff ain't good."  I wanted to try a bit of everything and the tray above cost me $161, plus tip.  That's the most I have ever spent on a tray of BBQ, by far.

The brisket was moist and tender but I did not detect any smoke flavor.  The beef back rib was excellent as were the lamb ribs.  The brisket burnt ends were also moist and tender and the pomegranate sauce was very good.  The twinkies were a bit different.  These just had brisket inside and the pepper was wrapped in beef bacon.  Very tasty.  They had 3 different beef sausage links to try and I asked for the Iraqi sausage and the jalapeno cheese.  I think there was a mix up because there was no cheese or jalapeno in either sausage.  I think I got their specialty sausage instead, which was ok because both sausages were excellent.  The Iraqi sausage had a nice spicey zing and the other was an excellent beef sausage.  If I had to pick a favorite for the meal, it would be the Iraqi sausage.

The steep prices may discourage some folks and that is too bad.  There is some pretty good BBQ here.  In fact, I suspect they will make top 10 in the next Texas Monthly listing.  The lamb ribs are very good but the requirement of buying half a rack may keep folks from trying them.  I wish more BBQ joints would experiment with lamb and goat.  With the price of beef skyrocketing, that might just happen.  

Mail Order BBQ!

 

https://www.kreuzmarket.com/

sampled 6/24/26

So I asked my Mrs for just one thing for my birthday.  I asked for enough freezer room for 100 crappie fillets.  I got my wish, but my crappie guide has gone soft in his old age and no longer fishes in the Summer heat.  Drat.  So I decided to pivot and ordered 50 jalapeno cheddar sausages from Kreuz Market down in Lockhart.  They were shipped Tuesday and arrived on my doorstep Wednesday around 7:15 pm.  As you can see above, they arrived plenty cold, even though the styrofoam shipping box split down the sides during shipment.  With the 2 day shipping it came to around $5/link.  They even threw in a Lockhart postcard.

Yes, it's still my all time favorite sausage.  My freezer is full, my belly is full, and all is right with the world again!

Railhead Smokehouse, Fort Worth 6/3/26

 

https://railheadsmokehouse.com/

sampled 6/3/26 about 11:30 am

A friend of a friend has been raving about this place every time we see him.  The same guy said he found Dayne's "disappointing".  I ate at Railhead long ago (they have been open for 40 years) but have not been back in a long time.  I just needed an excuse to drive over there.  Scott said he wanted to try it so off we went.

We got there about 11:30 and found no line, but a mostly full parking lot and plenty of folks dining inside.  Scott had noticed their prices on the website and I was sure they just hadn't updated their website.  Nope, the prices were still pre-pandemic.  $22/lb for brisket and $19.50 for ribs.  That's almost half of what we pay at the craft BBQ joints.  Well, you get what you pay for.  The brisket was dry and almost crumbly with zero smoke flavor.  The ribs were good, but a bit dry, and the sausage was average.  My bill for the tray above was just $24.65.  These days, even for average BBQ, that's a deal.  That would barely get you a half pound of brisket at Roy Hutchins in Trophy Club ($38/lb).  The tangy tomato sauce helped a lot.  I can see why this is a long time Fort Worth favorite along with Angelo's, but I believe I will keep on driving to Dayne's or Panther City, where I've never been disappointed.

When we left they had a long line to the door, proof that there is a market for all kinds of BBQ and a tribute to their many successful years in operation.

Dayne's Craft Barbecue, Aledo 4/30/26

 

https://daynescraftbarbecue.com/

sampled 4/30/26 about 11 am

I had a couple of buddies who had never been to Dayne's and I'm always looking for an excuse to go back.  Today was the day.  I-30 is even more screwed up than usual due to construction.   A light rain had the construction stopped, which helped a bit.  I got there just before 11 am and found my friends waiting inside.

I recommended the Texas Trinity Platter for them to share, and I got a Trinity plus some bacon brisket and no sides.  Everything was as impressive as ever.  One of my friends loved the sausage and even got a package to go.  The other loved the ribs.  Both were mighty impressed and said it was well worth the 100 mile round trip from Big D in the rain.

I still miss the chocolate lasagna, but I would go again tomorrow.  Just give me an excuse!

Jambo's BBQ, Cockrell Hill 4/25/26

 

https://jambosbbq.com/

sampled 4/25/26 about 4 pm

This is a joint that has been on my list to try for awhile.  Unfortunately, I have to pass Hurtado's in Arlington to get there so I have not made it yet.  We were out at a small concert at the Stevie Ray Vaughan Park in Cockrell Hill, Texas.  When they listed the vendors on the video screen, I saw the Jambo's name pass by.   Well alright!  They brought the mountain to Mohammed, sort of.

I was hoping for a standard 3 meat plate, but they were operating out of a pop up tent and had a limited menu.  

I opted for the chopped brisket sliders and the stuffed jalapenos.

The chop brisket was a bit dry with no smoke flavor and the poppers were small but tasty.  It was pretty good finger food for a concert and I went back for a second round.  I really do need to get down to their restaurant and give them a real try and shall do so soon.

The Original Roy Hutchins BBQ, Arlington 4/15/26

https://www.royhutchinsbbq.com/

Visited about 2 pm

Finally got a chance to visit the new Roy Hutchins location in Arlington.  Same great BBQ, no elevator.

 

Coming soon!

 

https://www.royhutchinsbbq.com/

The Original Roy Hutchins BBQ, Trophy Club 3/9/26

 

https://www.royhutchinsbbq.com/

Our buddy John was back in town and he always "requires" a visit to Roy's for some ribs and pork belly burnt ends.  We always like it when John visits.

Smoke Sessions Barbecue , Royse City, Texas 1/22/26

https://www.smokesessionsbbq.com/

sampled around 11:45 am

This was our second stop on our mini-BBQ tour and it was just 8 minutes away from the first.  This spot got an honorable mention on the latest Texas Monthly Top 50 list.  I chose the trinity again and picked the garlic/pepper jack sausage.   The brisket and sausage were average to my taste with the brisket being a bit mushy with no smoke flavor.  The casing on the house made sausage was very tough and I opted to peel most of it off after the first few pieces.  The ribs were excellent, leaving a perfect bite mark, and were full of flavor.  Once again, very friendly folks in a good joint in small town Texas.

Smoak Town BBQ, Fate, Texas 1/22/26

https://www.smoaktownbbq.com/

 sampled around 11 am

Scott had a hankering for some Q before the winter weather clobbers us, so off we went to sample a couple of joints just east of Dallas.  First up was Smoak Town BBQ in Fate.  This food truck made the top 50 on Texas Monthly's last list.  We were first in line at 11 am but there were quickly 7 or 8 folks lined up behind us.  I grabbed a Texas trinity plus some pork belly burnt ends.  I passed on the sides and they made up for that with a very generous helping of smoked meats.  I thought the brisket and burnt ends were average, with lots of coarse pepper bark.  The ribs were a bit overdone.  The bark was tough and chewy and the meat fell off the bone.  The highlight for me was the house made sausage with a coarse beef grind with good jalapeno and cheese flavor.  I'd make another trip east just for that sausage.

Overall, a good joint with friendly folks.  Lucky Fate!