The Halal Guys Is Trying Its Hand At A Middle Eastern Classic

The Halal Guys, the largest halal food chain, per RestaurantNews.com, started as a humble hot dog cart in New York City before quickly pivoting to serve authentic halal food to Muslim cab drivers around the city, via The Halal Guys. It didn't take long for their popularity to spread and their 24-hour food carts became a hit throughout the city.

Now, the fast-casual chain has over 100 franchises, a dozen more opening before the end of 2022, and a goal of reaching 400 locations nationwide, via Nation's Restaurant News. They also have locations operating in Canada, the U.K., Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Korea, per The Halal Guys.

The regular menu features classic halal platters with beef, chicken, and falafel over rice, tomatoes, and lettuce. They also offer sandwiches filled with the same proteins (or falafel) and sauces, all wrapped in a warm pita. 

But could the popular halal food chain's new limited-time release — chicken shawarma — compete for the top spot?

According to The Mediterranean Dish, chicken shawarma is chicken that has been heavily marinated and is often cooked on a spit. The slow roasting process allows the meat to become juicy and tender as it cooks in its own fat.

The Halal Guys' chicken shawarma comes in their classic varieties — either as a platter or a sandwich, via QSR. It can also be combined with beef or falafel for a combination platter or sandwich as well. Sandwiches start at $11.49 while platters start at $12.99.

In a tweet on December 21, The Halal Guys recommend pairing your platter with their fries. Meanwhile, multiple other tweets on their page feature enthusiastic eaters diving into the giant sandwich slathered with sauce.

The Halal Guys say the new menu item is available as long as supplies last. If it's as legendary as Insider claims the chicken and gyro platter is, that might not be long at all.