I’m a naturalized U.S. citizen, an immigrant and a person of color. Thus, I’m a little sensitive to the criticism of things like immigration, multiculturalism and diversity. But I don’t think people would say those things if they had this sandwich.
On a sunny Tuesday morning, I took a trip to Levant BBQ at Westheimer Road and Fountain View Drive. Mohamad Kharboutli opened the halal barbecue joint in 2024. It marries Central Texas-style barbecue with the cuisine of the Levant, a subregion that encompasses present-day Syria and several other countries.
For months now, I’ve been wanting to try Levant BBQ’s brisket shawarma, which I guess is so self-explanatory that they don’t even put a description of what’s in it on the menu. From what I saw, it’s chopped brisket with a spread of hummus, possibly toum, pickles, red onion and jalapeños. All of that is wrapped up in what looks like a paper-thin tortilla that’s panini-pressed and seared.
Levant BBQ certainly knows how to do smoke. It was true of my last visit there when I had a two-meat plate with a leg of lamb, and it was true with this shawarma. I knew even before I tasted it: the bark on the brisket they used was thick with a luster I’d typically use to describe obsidian…