Best of New BBQ

One DFW restaurant makes the cut on Southern Living's best new BBQ list

Kafi BBQs halal Wagyu beef earned it a spot on a prestigious Best Of list.

Photo by Kathy Tran

Every two years, lifestyle magazine Southern Living picks its best new barbecue joints in the South, and one Dallas-Fort Worth spot has made the brand-new edition of the list: Irving's Kafi BBQ, known for its halal Wagyu, ranks No. 7.

It's joined by three other Texas barbecue joints (all in Austin) on the list of 16: Two Goose Market & Barbecue (No. 2), Churchrow Tejas BBQ (No. 4), and Parish Barbecue (No. 8).

Contributing barbecue editor Robert F. Moss determined Southern Living's rankings and wrote a paragraph introducing each spot. Even though Southern Living represents the entire South, Moss pointed out in his introduction that Texas-style barbecue is "blurring" the lines between other regional styles.

"These days, offset smokers have become standard equipment at new restaurants in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas," wrote Moss. "Slow-smoked brisket and house-made sausage links have gone native, appearing side-by-side with chopped pork, mustard or vinegar sauces, and regional specialties like red slaw, Brunswick stew, and hash and rice."

At Kafi BBQ in Irving, halal Wagyu beef is king. Halal — meaning meat raised and butchered cleanly and humanely, in accordance with Islamic guidelines — is a growing trend in Texas, where at least a dozen barbecue spots now serve halal meats. At Kafi, Moss appreciated touches like pomegranate-glazed beef belly burnt ends, lamb spareribs, and Iraqi spices. "Of equal note are the crisp, thick-cut French fries, which are cooked in beef tallow (Wagyu, of course)," he writes, "and you can finish things off with cardamom-scented banana pudding or the basbousa, a rich rosewater-laced coconut semolina cake."

At Two Goose Market & Barbecue, Moss specifically praised the breakfast tacos, describing them as "compact bites of soft, pliant flour tortillas bursting with the smoky flavor of brisket (or sausage or bacon) along with eggs, soft home-fried potatoes, and gooey melted Cheddar." He also liked the more traditional side of the menu, and gave credit for departures like a pork belly banh mi and a cheesesteak.

Another spot that blends Texan and Mexican traditions, Churchrow Tejas BBQ, caught the writer's attention for its expansive menu with "almost too many tempting options." Instead of reviewing any one menu item, he laid out a selection of options, including meat by the pound, smoked mollejas (beef sweetbreads), brisket queso, La Valentina brisket taco, and La Tejanita with chopped chicken thighs and roasted poblano, plus a full bar with local beers.

Parish Barbecue is the standout in Austin in terms of unexpected flavors, since everything it does is touched by Cajun cooking. Moss especially liked the pulled dug legs, which he recommended pairing with "zippy remoulade-vinegar slaw and herb-laced Creole tomato salad." He also commended the boudin, which comes in rotating flavors.

If Texans are willing to take a trip based on advice from Southern Living, they should head to Elliott’s BBQ Lounge in Florence, South Carolina, which took the No. 1 spot. Pork is a big deal at Elliott's, including a whole-hog barbecue that Moss calls "superlative."

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Boots & Booze

New Deep Ellum venue vows to win hearts with food, fun, and wedding chapel

Photo by Kathy Tran

The Window at Boots & Booze will serve Deep Ellum early morning through late night.

A new all-day hangout will soon bring comfort food and cocktails, a dog-friendly courtyard, live music stage, and even a whimsical wedding chapel to Dallas' Deep Ellum. Boots & Booze, a new concept from Dallas-based Wush Hospitality Group, will debut its first phase on Friday, October 23 at 3014 Main St., across the street from Terry Black's Barbecue.

The first phase includes The Window, a walk-up kitchen; The Courtyard, an outdoor bar and gathering space; and its signature Shotgun Wedding Chapel.

“This is meant to be a place where you can grab breakfast or coffee before work, bring your dog for the afternoon, meet friends for a drink, catch live entertainment or celebrate something completely unexpected,” Sherry Hazrati, co-founder of Wush Hospitality Group, says in a release. “You don’t need a special occasion to come here. We want people to feel welcome the minute they walk in.”

The Window will serve coffee and breakfast starting at 6:30 am on weekdays, with brunch beginning at 11 am on weekends. The menu, developed by Hazrati and the group's culinary team, changes throughout the day.

Breakfast options include the Crispy Potato and Egg Sandwich and Quick Shift Meals. Lunch brings the Golden Honey Chicken Breast Sandwich, Double Onion Chopped Beef Sandwich, Main Street Philly, and Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese. Dinner offerings include Hearty Chicken, Crispy Potatoes, and After Hours Potatoes.

Weekend brunch features Hot Honey Chicken French Toast and shareable brunch boards, along with lighter and gluten-free options.

The beverage menu includes coffee drinks, sodas, cocktails, wine, and beer, including a gluten-free option. One signature drink is the Cold Fashioned, a frozen take on the Old Fashioned made with Still Austin Whiskey.

Guests can grab to-go meals or settle into The Courtyard, which has a bar, stage, and flexible seating for everything from game-day gatherings to live entertainment and community events.

The Shotgun Wedding Chapel is a "playful” element, says the press release, which is not to say it isn’t a functional wedding venue for couples eager to tie the knot. The team expects ceremonies and other pageantry year-round inside Shotgun.

Sherry Hazrati Boots & Booze Sherry Hazrati and her Wush Hospitality Group are behind Deep Ellum's new Boots & Booze venue.Photo by Kathy Tran

Hazrati says the goal is to make guests feel welcome and give them a reason to return.

“We want people to leave remembering how we made them feel and come back because they feel like they belong," she says.

Hazrati, who has more than 20 years of experience developing and consulting on entertainment spaces, is joined by Wush Hospitality Group COO Noor Jehangir, whose experience includes overseeing the openings of Hyde and The Pinky Ring at Las Vegas' Bellagio. Co-founder David Alex Owusu has a background in video production and technology and owns a production company.

The group plans to expand the concept with Boots & Booze Scratch Kitchen, a full-service restaurant led by executive chef José Luis Rodriguez Perez, former owner of Dallas restaurant Mixtitos Kitchen. Details and an opening date have not been announced.

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