Halal standards are hard to keep up with in America. These are the conversations that occupy WhatsApp threads with aunties and uncles wondering if certain restaurants are truly adhering to code. While some rumors are quickly quashed, as the holy month of Ramadan approaches (this year it begins on the evening of Wednesday, March 22) some message threads will fire up again with Muslims looking for proper halal meals.
Not every restaurant opts to pay for halal accreditation — it’s either too expensive or some restaurants feel odd at paying with a third party to be declared holy. Still, restaurants provide convenience for those who cannot make food at home or just want a change of pace. Halal certifications can be confusing. Some mandate meat to be hand cut versus cut by a machine. For example, Halal Guys chain uses a mix of both types of meat, which has led some Muslims to stop eating there. Halal Guys maintains it adheres to halal standards. There are multiple third parties that certify restaurants using different rules. There’s also worry about so-called halal fraud, something that Creekstone Farms in Kansas had to address.
Listed below are 16 restaurants that serve halal food for suhoor, the pre-dawn meal before the daily fast, and iftar, the meal to break fast at sunset. Some of these places will have special Ramadan hours, which will be announced closer to the start of the month.
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