American Muslims are giving Texas barbecue a halal makeover

Zain Shafi prepares to put briskets in the smoker at Goldee's BBQ in Fort Worth, Texas. Fiona André/Religion News Service hide caption

FORT WORTH, Texas (RNS) — At 9 a.m. on a scorching summer Saturday, nearly 100 people were already lined up outside Goldee's BBQ, a small, wooden-shack restaurant.

First in line was 30-year-old Thanh Huynh, who had been sitting in a lawn chair on the joint's rustic porch since 6:30 a.m.

"I have, like, a whole list, and I'm going to spend lots of money here. It'll be worth it," he said, laughing while rattling off a long order of meats and sides from his phone's Notes app as a sweet, smoky scent from nearby pits hung in the air.

Opened in 2020 by a group of his friends, the restaurant was named the No. 1 barbecue spot in the state by Texas Monthly a year later, and then won a Bib Gourmand award from the prestigious Michelin Guide, given for "great food at a great value."

The restaurant serves classic Texas barbecue like craft pork belly, sausage and ribs. But it also offers halal brisket, turkey and lamb — meat raised and butchered in accordance with Islamic guidelines.

Customers sit in lawn chairs waiting for Goldee's BBQ to open on a summer Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas. Fiona André/Religion News Services hide caption

At a time when Republican leaders are increasingly targeting the state's growing Muslim communities , barbecue joints like Goldee's that offer halal options are thriving in Texas. Across the state, Muslim pitmasters are gaining recognition for putting their own spin on one of Texas' most iconic culinary traditions.