A barbecue restaurant with an unusual focus is coming to Irving: Kafi BBQ, which specializes in halal Wagyu beef, is opening 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 technical engineer who developed an interest in BBQ when he moved to Dallas a few years ago.
“I would regularly invite friends to my home as an amateur cook,” says Salahodeen. “The grill really captured me because it checks all the boxes that make me excited about food: the transformation of the different ingredients and creativity for flavor.”
Earlier this year, during Ramadan (the Islamic month of fasting, prayer, reflection and fellowship), Salahodeen began bringing his grill 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 native 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 Arabic cuisine. Salahodeen uses it in its seasoning mix for the bark, which creates an appealing darker color and enhances the flavor of the meat.
“It’s the combination of the spices, the wood I use and the way I cook it that brings out the flavor in such a unique way,” he says.
Another unique step in his process is a 24-hour dry brine with kosher salt in already cut brisket. This allows the salt to penetrate the meat for a more homogeneous flavor – as opposed to a salty crust and bland meat.
As a result of this brine, the rubs he developed have no salt since this flavor is already in the meat.
Kafi BBQ will use only Halal wagyu beef, sourced 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 reduce any middleman costs.
Their menu will include Wagyu brisket, Dino Rib (breast on a stick), Iraqi kebab-inspired sausage and jalapeño cheddar sausage. There will be a $15 Wagyu brisket sandwich, combo plates and sides, including cornbread from scratch, elote, 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 mother’s recipe; a cardamom-infused banana pudding; and homemade ice cream with cardamom and caramelized banana.
The space is welcoming with a combination of concrete floors, wooden walls, gabion stones 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 unobstructed views of the Dallas skyline.
“I want the space to be comforting, elegant,” says Salahodeen.
Kafi BBQ plans to open in late November and will start with weekend hours, Saturday-Sunday 11-17, as their cooking requires prep time the day before, and then expand their days and hours in the future.