American Muslims are giving Texas barbecue a halal makeover

The story is getting national attention partly because of Goldee's BBQ, a small wooden-shack restaurant in Fort Worth that opened in 2020. Within a year, Texas Monthly named it the top barbecue spot in the state. The Michelin Guide followed with a Bib Gourmand award. By 9 a.m. On a recent summer Saturday, nearly 100 people were already lined up outside, one of them having planted himself in a lawn chair on the porch since 6:30 a.m.

That kind of pull matters here in Lubbock, where halal options have historically been scattered and hard to find. When a Muslim-owned spot earns the top ranking in a tradition that carries serious cultural weight in this state, it forces a broader conversation about who gets to own that tradition and how it evolves.

For folks in Lubbock who are Muslim, or who have friends and family looking for halal smoked meat, the Goldee's story is a proof of concept. Good barbecue pulls a crowd regardless of who is behind the pit.

Texas Monthly has been ranking barbecue joints in this state since 1973, and a halal spot just topped the list.