Don Sha BBQ: Muslim-owned hawker stall in Timbre+ with BBQ beef ribs & cheesy loaded nachos

Looking for somewhere to stave off your Western food cravings when you’re in the far East? Check out Don Sha BBQ, a Muslim-owned Tex-Mex stall within Timbre+ Eastside.

Don Sha BBQ offers a range of delectable dishes from Southern Texas, such as BBQ ribs, pastas and cheesy sides.

I was intrigued by the various exciting menu items, such as BBQ Buffalo Spicy Wings with Blue Cheese (S$10), Bangers and Mash (S$12), Pan Seared Fish in Cajun Cream Sauce (S$12) and even Mardi Gras Pasta w/ Prawn or Sausage (S$14)!

What I tried at Don Sha BBQ

Don Sha BBQ’s most well-known dish is their Braised BBQ Beef Ribs (S$22), which came with a generous amount of beef rib pieces doused in BBQ sauce. It also contained a side of mashed potatoes and coleslaw.

One of the concerns I have when I order ribs is that most of the dish will consist of bones as opposed to meat. Don Sha BBQ’s Braised BBQ Beef Ribs did not disappoint me in this aspect, though, for the ribs had thick amounts of meat clinging on to the small bones.

I liked how the sweet and tangy BBQ sauce coated the meat and gave it a pop of flavour, though I thought that the beef was a tad dry and tough.

The mashed potato on the side was smooth and creamy, with there being some chunks of skin-on potatoes. I loved the silky texture of the potatoes, which reminded me of potato mousse.

The coleslaw was fairy average, with a creamy texture and satisfying light milkiness and tartness. It was a refreshing addition to the dish, and paired well with the heavier flavours of the beef ribs and BBQ sauce.

Don Sha BBQ’s Braised BBQ Lamb Shank (S$20) wow-ed me with its size — the lamb shank was huge, with chunks of meat clinging on to the large bone. Like the Braised BBQ Beef Ribs, this dish came with a side of mashed potatoes and coleslaw.

The lamb shank was significantly more tender than the beef ribs, and had a strong gamey taste permeating throughout, perfect for those who enjoy the rich and meaty taste of lamb.

The sides were similarly refreshing and complemented the main protein well. Between the Braised BBQ Beef Ribs and Braised BBQ Lamb Shank, I found the Braised BBQ Lamb Shank to be more worth getting, with its huge portion size and tender meat.

Aside from having BBQ meats on its menu, Don Sha BBQ also has a variety of pasta dishes, like the Mac ‘N’ Cheese (S$14), which came with chopped broccoli and sausages.

Compared to other mac & cheese dishes, Don Sha BBQ’s version was much more watery and less thick or creamy. The sauce reminded me of nacho cheese, with a rich savoury flavour and mild milky taste. I loved the generosity of the cheese sauce, as it coated every macaroni evenly, giving the dish tons of cheesy flavour.

Though the Mac ‘N’ Cheese tasted a little more one dimensional compared to more high brow variations from restaurants, I loved how comforting and homely it tasted.

One of the sides we tried was Don Sha BBQ’s BBQ Beef Nachos (S$10), a plate of nachos topped with nacho cheese, BBQ sauce and pieces of ground beef. Like the cheese in the Mac ‘N’ Cheese, the nacho cheese had a runny texture, though it was slightly thicker.

The smokey BBQ sauce gave the nachos a sweet and tangy flavour, and combined well with the creamy, savoury nacho cheese. The minced beef gave the chips an extra meaty profile, which I loved.

I would have liked for the BBQ Beef Nachos to include more toppings like chopped chives, just to spruce it up a bit more. Definitely consume this dish fast, though, as the moisture of the cheese made it lose its crisp after a while.

Final thoughts

Don Sha BBQ’s dishes were comforting with a homely element to them, and I liked the generous portions of each dish. If you find yourself constantly craving the creamy, savouriness of cheese, their Mac ‘N’ Cheese and BBQ Beef Nachos are the way to go.

Their mains are pretty reasonably priced too, given the large portion sizes. My only gripe would be that the meat was a little tougher than I’d like, but I was still left satisfied.

Expected damage: S$10 – S$22 per pax

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