According to a flyer, KG’s pop-up at 1517 Alabama St. will feature a mechanical bull, step dance lessons, live music and, of course, Kareem El-Ghayesh’s signature Egyptian-Texas-style barbecue. The food is available from noon until they’re all sold out. The free entertainment starts at 8 p.m. and ends when Axelrad closes.
KG’s menu for the Axelrad event includes classic Central Texas-style smoked brisket ($19); lamb chops served medium rare with a mint chimichurri ($9.50); and a brisket rice bowl with Mediterranean rice, smoked brisket, baladi salad, tahini, candied nuts and pomegranate seeds ($18.50). All are available for pre-order.
El-Ghayesh primarily operates KG BBQ in Austin, but his pop-ups have shown up in some interesting places. A year or so ago, my cousin took a vacation to the Cayman Islands and asked if she should go to one of his pop-ups there (I said yes, she should).
A native of Cairo, El-Ghayesh made waves in the Texas barbecue scene by hosting pop-ups, starting in the 2010s. He opened KG BBQ as a permanent fixture at Oddwood Brewing in Austin in 2022. Since, he’s racked up national media attention and accolades, including a James Beard Foundation semifinalist nod for Best Chef: Texas in 2023. He got a Michelin Bib Gourmand a year later.
Many barbecue experts have praised El-Ghayesh’s faithful interpretation of Central Texas-style cooking, along with his incorporation of Egyptian and Mediterranean culinary traditions. There aren’t many places around that do smoked kofta, za’atar and pomegranate glazed pork ribs with a pita on the side.
More broadly, KG BBQ is another example of the continuing fusion that goes on in Texas cuisine, particularly with immigrants and their children who’ve grown up here. Blood Bros. BBQ in Houston and Smoke’n’Ash BBQ in Arlington are among countless other examples.