Sabar BBQ — Restaurant in Fort Worth

“Sabar BBQ: Where the lamb ribs made me want to high five a stranger.”

TL;DR: Get there early, order the Sichuan Lamb Ribs, let Zain carve you a plate of happiness, and prepare to have your taste buds do a Texas two-step with Pakistani spices. Worth every minute of the wait. This one’s climbing my top 50 list faster than a brisket disappears at a family reunion.

After one failed mission to Sabar BBQ, where I showed up too late and found an empty pit (and an emptier stomach), I came back like a man on a barbecue pilgrimage. The sun was blazing, the line was growing, and I wasn’t about to be left holding nothing but a napkin this time.

Pitmaster Zain Shafi runs this blue trailer like a flavor command center. The smell hit me halfway through the line and had me grinning like a kid at the state fair. I made my move when it was my turn, and if you know me, you know lamb is my kryptonite. I ordered the Sichuan Lamb Ribs, then couldn’t stop myself from adding brisket and Tandoori Turkey. The sides? Kachumber Salad and Daal Chawaal, because even Uncle Sean needs balance in life. Zain loaded everything up, tossed it all on top of some naan for good measure, and sent me to my table like a champion headed to the winner’s circle.

The first bite of lamb ribs nearly had me proposing to the pit. Spicy, tender, smoky perfection with a bark that made my heart sing. The brisket was rich and juicy, the turkey came with that tandoori kick that slapped me awake in the best way possible. The sauces just tied the whole thing together like a big barbecue hug. The yogurt mint cilantro sauce was made to cool and lift the brisket and turkey to a whole new level. The red sauce packed a punch and paired with the lamb like it was born for the job.

I boxed up some leftovers for my wife, the Side Dish Queen herself, because a man who doesn’t bring home naan from Sabar BBQ is a man sleeping on the couch. She confirmed what I already knew: this was next-level barbecue, the kind that earns legends and long lines.

Sabar BBQ is only open on weekends, and only fools show up late. I won’t make that mistake again. This was stop number 15 on my Texas Monthly Top 50 journey, leaving me with 35 more glorious BBQ pilgrimages ahead before the passport is full and my belt officially waves the white flag.

If loving these lamb ribs is wrong, I don’t wanna...

Was psyched to try this spot since I found out about it. So, I finally made the drive out to Fort Worth (from Dallas). A very unassuming establishment, a small little blue food truck. Parking was easy as it was located in a parking lot. Before ordering my meal, Zain the owner of Sabar gave me a quick rundown of the meats and sides as he was slicing away at the smoked meats in my direct line of sight! Luckily for me I was given a sample of the Brisket to try by Zain as he continued breaking down the menu for me! That Brisket sample was heavenly! So after ordering and settling down. I tried their Sichuan lamb rib which was smoky, meaty, fatty, and full of flavor! Loved the fusion of smoked meats with asian/middle eastern herbs and spices. Of course had to order some Brisket after that sample, and when I tell you that was some of the most tender, moist and flavorful brisket I’ve ever had if not the most. Last but not least ordered the Tandoori Turkey which was the most tender, flavorful, and juiciest turkey I’ve ever had at any BBQ joint or period! Didn’t get a chance to try their Burnt End's Nihari as they had sold out already or their Seekh Kebab Sausage which they didn’t make that week. But, I plan on trying it on my next visit here! As far as the sides they were excellent! The Daal Chawal (lentils with rice) were full of flavor and pair perfectly with the meats. Make sure you try the Kachumber salad too, for something light and refreshing (but still packed with flavor) to balance out the meal. Keep in mind each plate has a piece of naan bread hiding under the meat which is perfect because it just mops up all the meat juices! None of the meats really need any sauces but their chili crisp BBQ sauce pairs nicely with the lamb ribs and their mint cilantro Raita (yoghurt sauce) goes well with the Brisket. Lastly their sole dessert Gajrela, which is a type of pudding made from carrots, and topped with a variety of nuts, is the perfect closer to an excellent meal. My meal: 3 meats, 2...

We heard of the place when a friend shared an interview from YouTube with me. I am an amateur pit master and since I won Kansas City Kosher BBQ championship a few years ago, my friends keep asking me to open up a restaurant and there sent me this video. I came for a physicians meeting to Dallas and one of the main thing I wanted to do was to visit Sabar BBQ. I wanted ru get there earlier but anyway as it was our day we were flying back to Cincinnati I got there at 12:55 pm. I still feel so lucky that when I got there Zain (the Pit master and owner) told me that they have only half a lb of Brisket left and some shredded beef with their Nihari sauce. I was glad that I got to taste it. The bark was perfect on the sliced brisket. It was thick enough but still soft and not burnt. The shredded brisket with Nihari sauce was perfectly balanced. I was skeptical about Nihari sauce as I don’t particularly a fond to spicy Nihari. However the shredded brisket was perfectly balanced. They were all out of the sides, no bread, no rice otherwise it would probably test even “more” perfect. Anyway it was good enough that I bought the last 3 lbs of the meat to take with me to Ohio. Zain was so nice that didn’t even charge me for the 1/2 lb brisket saying that it is not exactly 1/2 lb. Food was great, but Zain Shafi seems to be an amazing person. We exchanged numbers, and hopefully he will visit Ohio and may be will open a food truck here. Otherwise I will visit Fort Worth specially to get in line before 11:00 am. May his hands be blessed, his taste bring more joy to his patrons and increase blessing for his family...