What makes Philly’s halal dining unlike any other city is the diversity of cuisines available. It’s what made dining so exciting for me when I moved to Philly in 2020. As a Muslim growing up in Tennessee, halal options — aside from chicken and rice and one barbecue hotspot — were hard to come by. From the moment I began eating my way through my new home, it was clear Philly’s robust dining scene offered a grander landscape of halal eats. Halal meat follows the tradition of zabihah, defining whether the animal has been fed and treated humanely before and during slaughter, blessed in the name of Allah, and drained of blood. The literal meaning of halal is “permissible,” which can be used to describe various parts of Muslims’ lifestyle, including dining habits. For example, rice and bread are halal, but alcohol and pork are haram — or prohibited. Most halal-serving restaurants will identify themselves as such on their website or menus but a simple ask also helps verify. Similar to kosher meat, halal certifications are available, but “if it’s a Muslim-owned restaurant and they are guaranteeing and promising you that it’s halal, then that’s really the only research that’s required,” said Toba Hoda, who runs the Instagram account @phillyhalalspots. Over the years, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite halal spots, from crispy Ethiopian fried chicken in West Philly to slow-cooked beef rendang in South Philly. Here are a handful of them that show the breadth of cuisines to try in Philly. — Hira Qureshi
Al-Baik Shawarma
Tucked into a commercial strip on the ever-busy Willits Road, Al-Baik Shawarma is one of the best Palestinian restaurants in Philadelphia. Hailing from Ramallah, chef-owner Sohaib Al-Haj and his family serve juicy cuts of chicken, beef, and lamb seasoned with aplomb. Nestle into one of the plush booths and order the mashawi mixed grill platter to savor it all: kufta, chicken and beef kebab skewers, and chicken wings alongside rice, salad, hummus, grilled onions, tomatoes, and fresh laffa bread. The Northeast restaurant also has some of the best falafel in the city. Here, you can sip on Palestine Colas and enjoy sweets like coconut basbousa and pistachio Nutella cookies from local bakers. At least, that’s what I do.
Black Dragon Takeout
In West Philly, chef Kurt Evans is serving an entire halal menu featuring Black American Chinese takeout. That means I’m walking in ready to order their crispy collard green egg rolls, saucy oxtail “lo-mane,” sweet and spicy General Roscoe's chicken, sweet potato chili wings, and jerk chicken skewers. With limited seating, it’s best to take your order home — although I usually sneak a bite inside and end up scarfing down the rest standing on the sidewalk.
Doro Bet
What if halal fried chicken was also gluten-free? At Doro Bet, sisters Mebruka Kane and Hayat Ali (who also own the nearby Alif Brew, which offers traditional Ethiopian coffee service with fresh-roasted beans, and Salam Cafe in Germantown) make those dreams a reality. The fast-casual West Philly hotspot — an Inquirer 76 pick two years in a row — serves crispy, teff-coated fried chicken spiced with either berbere or lemon turmeric. It’s just a few blocks west of Clark Park, perfectly located for a savory treat after my farmers’ market visits. The restaurant also has Ethiopian classics like doro wot and tibs, along with vegetarian options like falafel wraps and teff-flour fried mushrooms. And don’t sleep on the tiramisu, made with the richness of that same Ethiopian coffee.
Griddle & Rice
Philly’s new era of Indonesian cafés includes a South Philly spot that’s got a halal, pork-free menu. Griddle & Rice is all about dishes that marry Indonesian traditions with current Indonesian trends (along with American breakfast foods). Take the nasi uduk, a breakfast coconut rice platter packed with crispy fried marinated chicken, sweet chili egg and tofu, sweet soy tempe, crunchy veggie fritter, sambal terasi shrimp paste chili, and crackly garlic crackers; or the iga bakar platter with grilled, Indonesian-spiced braised beef ribs, white rice, fried egg, more sambal terasi, and a salad. I would recommend ordering one of the best bowls of congee — with halal curry chicken broth and shredded chicken breast — in the city. And don’t sleep on the drinks — I slurped up the es kopi gula aren, a smoky Indonesian palm sugar latte, and mango matcha with coconut water in one sitting.
Hardena
The beloved late Ena Widjojo’s family-run restaurant has been feeding South Philly for more than 20 years. These days it’s her daughter Maylia who runs the place, but they’ve stuck to the script — halal Indonesian classics. I love venturing to South Philly for their slow-cooked beef rendang, saté chicken (marinated in sweet soy and makrut lime juice, topped with peanut sauce), and crunchy Krupuk (garlic and tapioca chips). And I’m always reminded why the menu earned a semifinalist nod from the James Beard Foundation in 2018.
Korea Taqueria
Since its inception in 2023, Korea Taqueria has mostly operated with a non-halal menu, with halal chicken offerings on a if-you-know-you-know basis. But as of March, owners Alexander Sherack and Rene Lopez announced their shift to a fully halal menu. “We’d be getting DMs [about halal offerings] just about every month, so there was always this seed planted from day one,” Sherack said. “Once we found local suppliers we made the shift.” The Korean Mexican grub, located in South Philly, Fishtown, and West Philly, includes bulgogi beef birria tacos, gochujang wings, Kimchi cheese fries, Korean fried chicken sandwich, and more — consider ordering my go-to: the meal sampler for all of it one order. Wash it all down with horchata or watermelon agua fresca.
MAdness of MAsala
One of the 76 most vital restaurants in the Philly area sits in the middle of Montgomery County. The hour drive to Madness of Masala becomes a mandatory pilgrimage for those seeking halal goat pepper fry, malai paneer kabab, andhra shrimp curry, and other South Indian classics. The fiery tandoori spices tingle on my tongue as I devour stuffed mirchi bajji, kali mirch paneer, and goat ghee roast. I only need to order their syrupy gulab jamun and a Hyderabadi masala chai to cool down.
Saad’s Halal Restaurant
What makes this a West Philly institution? It’s owner Saad Alrayes’ chicken shish tawook — best known simply as the chicken maroosh. The first time I took a bite of the sandwich packed with juicy pieces of grilled chicken, tomato slices, sautéed onions, and snappy pickles, generously drizzled with creamy garlic sauce in a long hoagie roll — the namesake “maroosh way” — I understood. This was most definitely the best sandwich in the city.
Al-Baik Shawarma
Tucked into a commercial strip on the ever-busy Willits Road, Al-Baik Shawarma is one of the best Palestinian restaurants in Philadelphia. Hailing from Ramallah, chef-owner Sohaib Al-Haj and his family serve juicy cuts of chicken, beef, and lamb seasoned with aplomb. Nestle into one of the plush booths and order the mashawi mixed grill platter to savor it all: kufta, chicken and beef kebab skewers, and chicken wings alongside rice, salad, hummus, grilled onions, tomatoes, and fresh laffa bread. The Northeast restaurant also has some of the best falafel in the city. Here, you can sip on Palestine Colas and enjoy sweets like coconut basbousa and pistachio Nutella cookies from local bakers. At least, that’s what I do.
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Black Dragon Takeout
In West Philly, chef Kurt Evans is serving an entire halal menu featuring Black American Chinese takeout. That means I’m walking in ready to order their crispy collard green egg rolls, saucy oxtail “lo-mane,” sweet and spicy General Roscoe's chicken, sweet potato chili wings, and jerk chicken skewers. With limited seating, it’s best to take your order home — although I usually sneak a bite inside and end up scarfing down the rest standing on the sidewalk.
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Doro Bet
What if halal fried chicken was also gluten-free? At Doro Bet, sisters Mebruka Kane and Hayat Ali (who also own the nearby Alif Brew, which offers traditional Ethiopian coffee service with fresh-roasted beans, and Salam Cafe in Germantown) make those dreams a reality. The fast-casual West Philly hotspot — an Inquirer 76 pick two years in a row — serves crispy, teff-coated fried chicken spiced with either berbere or lemon turmeric. It’s just a few blocks west of Clark Park, perfectly located for a savory treat after my farmers’ market visits. The restaurant also has Ethiopian classics like doro wot and tibs, along with vegetarian options like falafel wraps and teff-flour fried mushrooms. And don’t sleep on the tiramisu, made with the richness of that same Ethiopian coffee.
Also appears in
Griddle & Rice
Philly’s new era of Indonesian cafés includes a South Philly spot that’s got a halal, pork-free menu. Griddle & Rice is all about dishes that marry Indonesian traditions with current Indonesian trends (along with American breakfast foods). Take the nasi uduk, a breakfast coconut rice platter packed with crispy fried marinated chicken, sweet chili egg and tofu, sweet soy tempe, crunchy veggie fritter, sambal terasi shrimp paste chili, and crackly garlic crackers; or the iga bakar platter with grilled, Indonesian-spiced braised beef ribs, white rice, fried egg, more sambal terasi, and a salad. I would recommend ordering one of the best bowls of congee — with halal curry chicken broth and shredded chicken breast — in the city. And don’t sleep on the drinks — I slurped up the es kopi gula aren, a smoky Indonesian palm sugar latte, and mango matcha with coconut water in one sitting.
Also appears in
Hardena
The beloved late Ena Widjojo’s family-run restaurant has been feeding South Philly for more than 20 years. These days it’s her daughter Maylia who runs the place, but they’ve stuck to the script — halal Indonesian classics. I love venturing to South Philly for their slow-cooked beef rendang, saté chicken (marinated in sweet soy and makrut lime juice, topped with peanut sauce), and crunchy Krupuk (garlic and tapioca chips). And I’m always reminded why the menu earned a semifinalist nod from the James Beard Foundation in 2018.
Korea Taqueria
Since its inception in 2023, Korea Taqueria has mostly operated with a non-halal menu, with halal chicken offerings on a if-you-know-you-know basis. But as of March, owners Alexander Sherack and Rene Lopez announced their shift to a fully halal menu. “We’d be getting DMs [about halal offerings] just about every month, so there was always this seed planted from day one,” Sherack said. “Once we found local suppliers we made the shift.” The Korean Mexican grub, located in South Philly, Fishtown, and West Philly, includes bulgogi beef birria tacos, gochujang wings, Kimchi cheese fries, Korean fried chicken sandwich, and more — consider ordering my go-to: the meal sampler for all of it one order. Wash it all down with horchata or watermelon agua fresca.
MAdness of MAsala
One of the 76 most vital restaurants in the Philly area sits in the middle of Montgomery County. The hour drive to Madness of Masala becomes a mandatory pilgrimage for those seeking halal goat pepper fry, malai paneer kabab, andhra shrimp curry, and other South Indian classics. The fiery tandoori spices tingle on my tongue as I devour stuffed mirchi bajji, kali mirch paneer, and goat ghee roast. I only need to order their syrupy gulab jamun and a Hyderabadi masala chai to cool down.
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Saad’s Halal Restaurant
What makes this a West Philly institution? It’s owner Saad Alrayes’ chicken shish tawook — best known simply as the chicken maroosh. The first time I took a bite of the sandwich packed with juicy pieces of grilled chicken, tomato slices, sautéed onions, and snappy pickles, generously drizzled with creamy garlic sauce in a long hoagie roll — the namesake “maroosh way” — I understood. This was most definitely the best sandwich in the city.
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