Born in Syria. Raised on Smoke.
"Two cultures. One pit. Infinite flavor."
Mohamad Kharboutli didn't come to Texas to make barbecue. He came to feed people — the way he always had. Growing up in Aleppo, food wasn't a business. It was the language his family spoke. It was how you said welcome. How you said I love you. How you said stay a little longer.
He spent years running Mediterranean restaurants across Moscow, Jordan, and Houston's Galleria neighborhood. He knew the Levantine table better than anyone. But something was missing.
"No one was doing halal barbecue with the depth of a Texas pit and the soul of the Levant. So he built it himself."
Every dish at Levant is cooked over post oak — the same wood that fuels the great Texas pits. But then Mohamad does something no pit master in Houston was doing. He seasons with cardamom, Aleppo pepper, and pomegranate molasses. He slow-smokes lamb neck until it falls apart like a memory. He brines his turkey in Levantine spices and lets the smoke do the rest.
Texas barbecue is about patience. Levantine cooking is about soul. At Levant, you don't have to choose.
"Lamb and Beef Rule at This Halal Barbecue Joint in Houston"
"Levant is his way of bringing Texas barbecue culture to a different audience while keeping it familiar enough for established fans."Read Full Article →
What We Believe
Halal. Always.
Every cut, every smoke, every side. Certified halal, not as a feature — as a foundation. This is who we are.
Smoke is the Spice.
Post oak for 18 hours. Cardamom in the rub. Aleppo on the bark. Two traditions, one fire.
Two Cultures. One Table.
Syria taught us generosity. Texas taught us patience. Levant is what happens when neither one backs down.
"Come hungry. Leave family."
LEVANT BBQ · HOUSTON, TEXAS · EST. 2024