A barbecue restaurant with an unusual focus is coming to Irving: Kafi BBQ, which specializes in halal Wagyu beef, will open at 8140 N. MacArthur Blvd. #100, Valley Ranch, in the former Rafikiz Bar and Grill.

The new restaurant is owned by Salahodeen Abdul-Kafi, a Missouri-born tech engineer who developed an interest in BBQ when he moved to Dallas a few years ago.

“I’d invite friends regularly to my home as an amateur chef," Salahodeen says. "Barbeque really captivated me because it checks all the boxes that make me excited about food: the transformation of the different ingredients and creativity for flavors."

Earlier this year, during Ramadan (Islamic month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community), Salahodeen started bringing his BBQ to late-night Suhoor Fest events, where he would sell out very quickly. His first thought was a food truck — but then he found the space on MacArthur Boulevard, right next to his mosque, and decided it was the right place to turn his passion into a business.

Salahodden’s family is from Iraq and his upbringing influences the flavors he uses in his cooking, with spices that are indigenous to middle eastern cooking. For example, sumac, a wild, citrusy herb made from dried and ground edible berries. Sumac is typically used as a garnish in Arab cuisine. Salahodeen uses it in his spice mix for the bark, which creates an appealing darker color, and enhances the flavor of the meat.

“It is the combination of the spices, the wood that I use, and the way I cook it that bring out the flavors in such a unique way," he says.

Another unique step of his process is a 24-hour dry brine with kosher salt in already cut brisket. This allows the salt to permeate in the meat for a more homogenous flavor — as opposed to a salty bark and bland meat.

As a result of this brine, the rubs he developed don’t have any salt as this flavor is already in the meat.

Kafi BBQ will only use Halal wagyu beef, which they source from Wagyu-X in South Dallas and First Light Farms in New Zealand. To keep their prices competitive, they have a spacious freezer in the restaurant so they can order large quantities directly from these two farms and cut any middle-man costs.

Their menu will include Wagyu brisket, Dino Rib (brisket on a stick), Iraqi kebab-inspired sausage, and jalapeño-cheddar sausage. There'll be a $15 Wagyu brisket sandwich, combo plates, and sides including a made-from scratch cornbread, elote, French fries cooked in Wagyu fat, and BBQ-sauce baked beans, with occasional specials like smoked gouda mac & cheese.

Desserts will include some wonderfully authentic items including basbousa — a sweet, syrup-soaked semolina cake from his mom's recipe; a cardamom-infused banana pudding; and housemade ice cream with cardamom and caramelized banana.

The space is welcoming, with a combination of concrete floors, wood walls, Gabion stone, and warm, inviting red and orange accents. There will be a mural designed by Moataz Ahmed. The space will also feature a more intimate area with Arabic seating, and unblocked afar views of the Dallas skyline.

“I want for the space to be comforting, elegant," Salahodeen says.

Kafi BBQ is planning to be to open by late November, and will start with weekend hours, Saturday-Sunday 11 am-5 pm, as their cooking requires prep time the day before, then expand their days and hours in the future.