Rana Rastegari reviews one of the most popular Texas-style barbecue spots in east London

As someone who grew up in a family who took their barbecues very seriously, I don’t just want to try any barbecued meat on the street.
So I was pleased to find an unpretentious new halal eatery serving Texas style barbecue meat in a chic rustic setting nestled under the arches of Leyton Midland Road Station.
Burnt Smokehouse was started by Sufia Khan and her husband Abidur Tarafder in 2023. Speaking to me, Sufia says that being “an avid foodie” she had travelled “far and wide” and subsequently noticed that there were no halal Texas barbecue restaurants in London.
She says: “We wanted our place to be a place where anyone and everyone could come in and enjoy authentic Texas barbecue. We wanted it to have a rustic edge and feel to and to keep it true to how barber is served in Texas, where people don’t have to feel like they can’t go in because they’re wearing shorts or sandals.”
Wanting to see for myself what the likes of Guardian food critic Jay Rayner and TikTok food accounts have been raving about, I made my way over there on a balmy August early evening where I found a queue of about a dozen people waiting for Burnt to open.
Greeted by the hostess Humaira, I could already smell the crackling barbecue heat and smoke as I walked in. Only accepting walk-ins, the restaurant is lined with wooden tables and benches with a walk-way leading to the counter. The walls are decorated with vintage metal garage posters with apt jokes like “Dinner’s ready when the smoke alarm goes off”, while a large blackboard with the menu written in white chalk adds a simple charm to the place.
Meat orders can be placed by the gram, starting at 100g. The menu consists of brisket beef, chicken, lamb, pulled beef, sausages and burgers. Vegetarians shouldn’t be alarmed, for this isn’t a complete no-go zone; the menu also includes a celeriac sandwich and sides like fennel salad, and corn tortillas.
I decided to opt for a platter to sample all the dishes I’d seen on TikTok, including the beef brisket and the Texas Smashburger, which looked mouthwatering. Looking around the restaurant I noticed that there wasn’t a single empty table around me (which explained the line outside) with each diner having a lush presentation of meat in front of them.
As I turn back around, I hear my order number called out and I am greeted by a metal tray filled with meat. The Ribwich, a signature pulled beef sandwich between two slices of bread alongside the legendary smash burger made for a heavenly start to the meal.

The burger was fluffy on the outside and juicy on the inside with two patties, cheese, onion and pickles. The Ribwich was made with pickled red cabbage which balanced out the flavours of the beef and bread slices.
I also ordered two sides to share; the potato salad and the corn ribs. The potato salad was creamy and flavourful and I found myself turning to it between bites of lamb and beef. The simply magnificent corn ribs were coated in a delicious sauce and full of flavour.
Burnt Smokehouse has certainly earned its name as a charming gem in Leyton that caters to meat lovers all over London. As Sufia herself said, coming here is “almost like you’re going to your friend’s house for a barbecue”. I’ll absolutely be back for seconds.
Burnt Smokehouse, 161a Midland Road, Leyton, E10 6JT. Walk-ins only.
Check their Instagram here
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