The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Early last year, Longhorn opened its first branch in New Cairo as the first Texan BBQ and Authentic Smoke House to set up shop in Cairo. Their slow-cooked prime beef range is pure artistry, with many classic southern dishes offered on the side to set the Texan mood right. There’s truly no place like Texas when it comes to barbecue. You’ll find various styles of its signature slow-smoked cuts, but no plate of Texas barbecue is complete without brisket. 

After trying their first branch last March, we couldn’t resist trying their newly opened site at Sheikh Zayed’s Arkan extension. The vibe and Texan ambience are pretty much the same as their New Cairo branch, with horse saddle chairs, American flags, posters, and southern trinkets here and there. But the best thing about Longhorn is that there is no wait time; the food is already prepared, so we chose, paid, then took a seat – just perfect, right? We waited in line to choose our meats first as we were already familiar with the process. This time we opted for the Beef Ribs (579 LE) – two slow-cooked beef ribs, and two hot links (180 LE) – two homemade sausages each for 90 LE. Describing those ribs as heavenly would be an understatement; those fall off the bone ribs were meaty, fatty, and packed with flavour – simply phenomenal. The sausages were also amazingly delicious; they were adequately spiced and went great with the side sauces – especially the sweet mustard.

Since their menu was more or less the same, we tried to get different sides this time. We ordered the Hash Rice (49 LE) – fluffy Mexican rice with vegetables topped with chilli, and the Potato Salad (35 LE) – mayo potato salad with dill. The rice and chilli were an interesting mix and went great with the fatty ribs; however, the potato salad fell short on our flavour meter. The salad needed more seasoning and a more interesting American touch like cornichons or a pickled element to give it some pop.

Once again, our meal was more than enjoyable. Longhorn has made quite the name for itself in the Egyptian food scene, and even though it’s a bit pricey, we have to admit that it is well worth it. Beef brisket is the show star for Longhorn Texas BBQ, as brisket is an iconic cut of meat, and there aren’t many states that do it better. However, Longhorn has proved that it excels in more than just brisket; each item on its menu is made with precision and genuine love for great flavours.