Fikscue Craft BBQ

"In a crowded national arena of barbecue greats, Bay Area couple Fik and Reka Saleh carved out a space all their own with Alameda’s Fikscue. Indonesian cooking and Texas-style halal barbecue converge in the modest shop, where self-taught pitmaster Fik Saleh cuts slices of tender, wobbly brisket for customers after a 21-hour process of trimming, seasoning, and smoking. A brick wall that runs the length of the room holds a neon sign that reads, “This must be the place,” a nod to the Talking Heads classic. Indeed, many trek across the Bay Bridge from nearby San Francisco and wait up to two hours for mouthfuls of colossal beef dino ribs cut thick to order and sliced brisket prepared in a Texas-made 500-gallon smoker. There’s smoked chicken, too, and curls of beef sausages peppered with flecks of pickled jalapeño and pepper jack cheese. Reka Saleh steers the Indonesian comfort food offerings, like a brisket-laden rendang curry with kale; nasi goreng, or Indonesian fried rice, flavored with kecap manis and corned beef; and warming North Sumatran beef noodle soup, soto padang, that shakes up the well-worn barbecue genre and moves it out of its usual lane. Halal meat remains central to the restaurant, which sticks to a pork-free lineup befitting the owners’ Muslim identity (the couple’s home nation houses the world’s largest Muslim population). And after easily winning over barbecue snobs and early skeptics, Fikscue is already on track to open a second restaurant across the bay in San Francisco. The Fikscue phenomenon dazzles in a region known more for its coastal bites than its wood-fired meats. As the Talking Heads say, it’s where you want to be. — Dianne de Guzman, Eater SF deputy editor" - Eater Staff

"The Bay Area isn’t nationally recognized for its BBQ. We’re secretly OK with that—if it means we get to keep places like Fikscue to ourselves. This tiny, part-Texas-style BBQ, part-Indonesian restaurant in Alameda is a smoked meat paradise, full of beef back ribs and peppery brisket by the pound as well as smoked sausage filled with cheese. The lines that form on Saturday and Sunday mornings (they’re open weekends only) should not deter you from the Indonesian specials, like the nasi goreng, bowls of soto padang, and brisket rendang rice plates with coconut milk-soaked greens. Arrive well before 12pm when they open, since they will sell out." - julia chen 1, lani conway

"The Bay Area isn’t nationally recognized for its BBQ. We’re secretly OK with that—if it means we get to keep gems like Fikscue to ourselves. But of course, we’re going to stand on an apple crate and shout about this tiny, part-Texas-style BBQ, part-Indonesian restaurant in Alameda. It’s a smoked meat paradise, full of beef back ribs and peppery brisket by the pound as well as smoked sausage filled with cheese. The Indonesian specials, like the nasi goreng, bowls of soto padang, and brisket rendang rice plates with coconut milk-soaked greens, are worth the wait in the line that forms on Saturday and Sunday mornings (they're open weekends only). Arrive early since they will sell out." - julia chen 1, lani conway, ricky rodriguez

"Come early and come hungry for some of the Bay’s best barbecue. Fikscue’s menu is as much Texas-style barbecue as it is Indonesian favorites. Fatty brisket and beef ribs are served alongside sides like potato salad, plus nasi goreng and pineapple peanut butter slaw. Opt for plates of rendang or belado, or a steaming bowl of soto padang noodle soup. Just make sure you stake your spot in line early. Fikscue regularly sells out by early afternoon." - Meleyna Nomura

"Fikscue Craft BBQ is a casual Texas-style barbecue restaurant in Alameda with an Indonesian twist. You’ll find things like smoked brisket, smoked fried chicken legs, and beef back ribs, which will feature alongside dishes like soto padang, Indonesian fried rice, and barbecued chicken legs braised with West Sumatran spices." - Ricky Rodriguez