Everyone loves a rags to riches story and that of the Halal Guys is an impressive one. Just over 30 years ago, it was hard being a Muslim taxi driver in Manhattan. If you wanted to eat halal food when you were downtown, options were few and far between. Fortuitously, however, the three Egyptian founders behind what is now the Halal Guys franchise came to the rescue, opening a dedicated hotdog cart. Wind the clock forward to 2021 and their outlets can now be found across 17 US states as well as in five other countries around the world. Their ambition seemingly knows no limits, with over 400 new outlets apparently in development, per the company’s website.
Your intrepid reviewer decided to see what all the fuss was about. Even better, there was no need to get on an aeroplane, since London is graced with two outlets. Full disclosure: Gourmand Gunno lives near the Edgware Road – which boasts the largest Middle Eastern community in London – and so has eaten a lot of kebabs and similar food. Expectations were therefore high heading to the Halal Guys, several miles west, in Earl’s Court. They were not disappointed and based on my experience, there should be plenty more outlets to come.
The positioning of the franchise is somewhere slightly above a typical fast food chain such as McDonalds or KFC, but below the likes of a Gourmet Burger Company or Honest Burgers outlet. Much of the business done by the Halal Guys is take-away (perhaps a sign of just-emerged-from-lockdown times), but the venue my comrade and I visited can seat around 50 covers over two floors. The place was spotlessly clean and the pictures of Manhattan on the venue’s walls made me long not only for New York but also served as a reminder of the business’ roots and evident success.
Onto the food and we were assured that the best way to experience Halal Guys was to go for their ‘combo platter.’ This seemed like a sensible choice since it allows diners to sample a bit of everything. It is also, apparently, their most popular (at least in London). Said platter – pictured – was a delight of colour, flavour and texture. The starting point is to take grilled meat and then to add sauces. Both the options provided are proprietary recipes – a tahini (sesame paste)-based offering and a chilli one. The latter had an immensely fiery hit to it and may not to be everyone’s taste, but I revelled in its mouth-tinglingness - and it is, of course, optional. There’s also the perhaps more standard Middle Eastern fare of hummus and falafel. Everything we ate was executed competently and was comfortably comparable to that on show at the more family-run ventures on the Edgware Road, which speaks to the quality of what the Halal Guys are doing. We also had the opportunity to sample their vegan kebab – made from aubergine – which was a pleasant success; almost disarmingly meaty, and yet enhanced by the accompanying tzatziki dip. The only marginal fail – and this may be a function of personal preference – was the baklava dessert, which I found overpoweringly sweet and sticky, even if that is partly the point of the dish. Watch this space and expect to see Halal Guys being a bigger part of the London dining scene.