KG BBQ pitmaster Kareem El-Ghayesh gave special praise to the San Antonio outpost.

A renowned barbecue expert in Central Texas dished on the business of smoked meats and food culture at South by Southwest. KG BBQ pitmaster Kareem El-Ghayesh explained his tips and tricks for success in the ever-changing Texas barbecue industry on Sunday, March 15.

MySA sat down with El-Ghayesh in one of his 15-minute mentor sessions for SXSW badgeholders where he shared his story and discussed topics like entrepreneurship, food/agriculture technology, product management and development. During the session, El-Ghayesh gave advice to up-and-coming entrepreneurs, revealed his plans for expansion to Houston and his "Mount Rushmore" of barbecue restaurants in Central Texas.

El-Ghayesh

Here's everything we learned from our Q&A with El-Ghayesh at SXSW:

"I feel like, what makes me stand out is my story. It's an American dream. It's a story that people get just naturally attracted to, and it's barbecue, right? We all love barbecue. Texans love barbecue," El-Ghayesh said. "The second part is that I kind of played on this niche. You know, that's the business part. I saw a need in the market. There is not enough diversity in barbecue."

El-Ghayesh left behind a corporate finance career in Cairo, Egypt to pursue his passion for barbecue and smoked meats in Texas. He started introducing Egyptian flavors to his foods for pop-ups in 2017 while working at various Austin barbecue restaurants like Interstellar. During the COVID-19 pandemic he opened an exclusive high-end Egyptian Supper Club and in 2022, he opened KG BBQ as a food truck, which quickly became a hit.

Interstellar During the COVID-19

"My plan was to open up shop in Egypt, bring Texas barbecue to Egypt, and I moved here, and I started working for pitmasters, and then I fell in love with the city..." El-Ghayesh said. "When things started opening back up, I did another pop-up, and I had my first line, which was a big moment. I had my first line of like Texans. I'm an Egyptian guy cooking barbecue, and there's all these, like, Texans lined up waiting to eat my barbecue. This was a moment I would never forget."

Over the years, El-Ghayesh has received high praises for his unique take on Texas barbecue including recognition in the state's first Michelin Guide, Texas Monthly and as part of Netflix's Barbecue Showdown in 2023. He added that fusing his Egyptian culture with barbecue is another reason behind all his success.

"There's not a lot of diversity and freshness [in the industry], and that's really kind of what I bring to the people," El-Ghayesh said. "There's a lot of fresh ingredients, a lot of herbs, a lot of vegetables, citrus, vinegars, fruits, nuts, like all of these spices, sumac, cinnamon, cumin, all these spices you don't except expect to see in a barbecue tray."

Michelin Guide Texas Monthly

"Pay your dues to Texas barbecue," El-Ghayesh said. "Make sure you spend time learning from pitmasters. You're not going to ever survive in the city if you don't perfect how to cook a great brisket. You'll be crushed by competition. So, you gotta learn the basics. You gotta pay your dues to this craft."

"I recommend infusing brighter flavors with barbecue because barbecue can be rich and heavy," he added. "And make sure you're authentic and true to yourself and your community. Whatever dishes that you cook, don't take it as a business, don't try to make sure dishes because you're going to please other people. Please cook for yourself first before you cook for others."

El-Ghayesh said his "Mount Rushmore" of barbecue restaurants in Central Texas are Austin's Interstellar Barbecue, Terry Black's Barbecue, LeRoy and Lewis, Curry Boys in San Antonio and Truth Barbecue in Houston.

Antonio and Truth Barbecue

El-Ghayesh concluded by saying he's planning to open another KG food trailer in Houston, which would be his first venture outside of Austin. He hopes to transform his Austin location into a brick-and-mortar that he described will be a "hub for Egyptians and Middle Easterns." His biggest dream is to also have his own barbecue travel show one day in the future.

I feel like, what makes me stand out is my story. It's an American dream. It's a story that people get just naturally attracted to, and it's barbecue, right? We all love barbecue. Texans love barbecue.

Why this lands now

For diners, the question that matters is rarely whether somewhere is new, but whether it will still be worth the trip a year from now.

What to remember

  • "I feel like, what makes me stand out is my story
  • "My plan was to open up shop in Egypt, bring Texas barbecue to Egypt
  • Over the years, El-Ghayesh has received high praises for his unique take on Texas barbecue including recognition in the state's first Michelin Guide, Texas Monthly and as part of Netflix's Barbecue Showdown in 2023
  • "I recommend infusing brighter flavors with barbecue because barbecue can be rich and heavy," he added
  • El-Ghayesh said his "Mount Rushmore" of barbecue restaurants in Central Texas are Austin's Interstellar Barbecue, Terry Black's Barbecue, LeRoy and Lewis, Curry Boys in San Antonio and Truth Barbecue in Houston

Figures worth noting

  • He started introducing Egyptian flavors to his foods for pop-ups in 2017 while working at various Austin barbecue restaurants like Interstellar
  • During the COVID-19 pandemic he opened an exclusive high-end Egyptian Supper Club and in 2022, he opened KG BBQ as a food truck, which quickly became a hit

The questions it raises

What should you know about El-Ghayesh?

KG BBQ pitmaster Kareem El-Ghayesh gave special praise to the San Antonio outpost.

Why does it matter?

Whatever dishes that you cook, don't take it as a business, don't try to make sure dishes because you're going to please other people.

What happens next?

During the session, El-Ghayesh gave advice to up-and-coming entrepreneurs, revealed his plans for expansion to Houston and his "Mount Rushmore" of barbecue restaurants in Central Texas.

All told

As always in the dining room, the gap between what gets announced and what actually reaches people is where the real story will be decided.