Chef Kareem El-Ghayesh + Obra
The city of Austin & the international food-scene are indebted to Chef Kareem El-Ghayesh, owner & pitmaster of KG BBQ, for altering his life in search of brisket. As the legendary story goes, Kareem, The Egyptian Cowboy™, walked away from a conventional life in Cairo, Egypt working in corporate finance, to pursue his culinary destiny to reshape Texas BBQ. Kareem & his team blend classic Texas BBQ with fresh Egyptian & Middle Eastern flavors & ingredients. The outcome has caught the attention of innumerable happy customers & propelled Kareem (Austin’s Lambassador) to share his passion for BBQ & his story with countless fans via Ted Talk, Netflix’s “Barbecue Showdown”, podcasts, and more. He has garnered various national & international awards, among them include James Beard semifinalist (Best Chef: Texas, 2023), a 2025 Top 50 BBQ Joint on Texas Monthly’s iconic list, Michelin Bib Gourmand 2024 & 2025, and the 2025 Fume BBQ Festival's Best Pitmaster award (London).
You must try the whole menu at KG BBQ, and follow their Instagram account for upcoming events, including Brisket 101 with Kareem to learn directly from The Egyptian Cowboy himself. For those located outside of Texas, keep an eye out for Kareem’s frequent collaborations with chefs around the country.
@kgbbq
Although the world knows Kareem as a trailblazer on the BBQ scene, he has also made a name for himself as one of the best two-step country dancers in Central Texas. Yep, a legend on the smoker and at the honky tonk. This is where Sammy from Obra first met Kareem, and we’ve all been rooting for Kareem’s continued success since. Obra Fam knows firsthand that Kareem’s achievements can be attributed to his obsession with his craft, his charismatic leadership & teaching style, and his passion to serve others & share meals.
Before his iconic food truck, Kareem hosted private, tasting menu supperclub meals at his home with friends & new fans. At the time, it was a great way to showcase his breadth of cooking, connect with his audience, and grow grassroots excitement for his forthcoming food truck. Obra Fam approached Kareem with the idea to build him a custom Obra Elements Kitchen Island worthy of those foundational supperclub experiences.
Kareem embraced the challenge to customize his Obra Elements Kitchen Island to his exact needs. Key focal points of The Egyptian Cowboy’s island include:
Bar Extension: AKA “Kareem’s Kounter”, this additional feature was inspired directly by Kareem’s passion of hosting private dining events in his home. He needs a tall bar for guests to dine & watch him prepare & serve food - a true chef’s counter experience. Obra featured the same beautiful Maya Nut wood in two distinct styles: edge (bar extension) & butcher (main countertop).
BBQ-Prep Drawer: Kareem needed a drawer organized for his go-to equipment, including parchment paper, gloves & aluminum foil. Obra loves the challenge of creating purpose-built storage - we built a custom drawer-insert to perfectly fit these items.
Colors: Rather than perfectly match Kareem’s existing blue cabinets, we worked with light wood (Maya Nut) and Fossil Beige to create an intentional centerpiece in Kareem’s kitchen.
We installed Kareem’s island on the same day he was hosting an employee-appreciation gathering. We enjoyed meeting several of the talented folks who support KG BBQ’s continued success. Obra Fam is honored to collaborate with a leader who takes such good care of his team and treats those in his orbit as family.
We returned a few months later to check on Kareem’s experience with his island, and he cooked us his iconic lamb rack. See the cooking & download Kareem’s recipe by clicking the button below.
Another fantastic collaboration with a trendsetter in his space. Obra Fam thanks Chef Kareem for the opportunity, partnership, and friendship!
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Project Búho
A project that invites the outdoors in by infusing the space with a contemporary blend of rich wood textures, natural stone and a dynamic color, inspired by lichen.
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Project Este
A project focused on daily rituals and the Obra process. We leveraged natural light, color, & materials to complement the industrial roots of this contemporary loft.
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Project Casa Pancha
In this bustling hostel, we created a warm space for world-travelers, artists, and professionals to find home while exploring La Colonia Hipódromo Condesa CDMX.
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Project Nicolás San Juan
This project is the result of heavy collaboration between Obra and the clients to find the perfect design and color. We are proud of the results and the strong connection between the client & their space.
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Project Sombrerete
The driving force of this project was to highlight the integrity & beauty of the focal material: Tzalam wood.
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Project Tepoztlán
One of our most challenging and satisfying projects. We paid homage to the original home by maintaining the essence of the traditional kitchen, and introducing modern function & contemporary design.
