Assalamwalekum!
To simplify things, I thought I’d make a list of all the restaurants in the Twin Cities I could find that serve halal food. First I list all the restaurants I’ve visited, classified as fully halal or partially halal. Next I list all the restaurants I have yet to visit. In the process I have discovered that there are many more halal food options than I thought!
Disclaimer: This list is very long, and I have not done a detailed check of all the restaurants, especially the ones I’ve not been to. Restaurants may close or open, or change their menu. I recommend calling ahead if you’re uncertain.
Restaurants I’ve been to
Fully Halal
| Restaurant | City | Cuisine | My Thoughts |
| Biryani Stop | Eden Prairie | Pakistani | Great Pakistani food. Used to be very inconsistent but has been very good the last few times I’ve gone. I would call ahead to make sure they’re serving, sometimes they close for catering |
| Holy Land | Minneapolis | Middle Eastern | The go to Minneapolis halal spot. Food is a little pricey but it is consistently very good. |
| Football Pizza | Minneapolis, Eden Prairie, Eagan | Afghan, American | Excellent and unique pizza, sometimes inconsistent but usually very good. They also do Afghani cuisine, which is decent but not as good as other places in the Twin Cities |
| Wally’s Falafel & Hummus | Minneapolis | Middle Eastern (Palestinian) | Consistently good shawarma, walking distance from UMN campus |
| BirdEz | Minneapolis (2) | American | Fried chicken, solid option and there’s now a good location near UMN campus |
| Sizzle | Minneapolis | American | Very good food but service is really bad |
| Slim’s | Blaine | American | There are better options around but it’s not bad |
| Habibi’s Halal | Blaine | American | Really good New York halal cart style fast food |
| Qamariah Yemeni Coffee | Little Canada, Blaine, Eden Prairie | Yemeni (cafe) | Not much to say here, everyone knows about this |
| Qahwah House | Minneapolis | Yemeni (cafe) | Similar to Qamaria |
| Sandwich King | Blaine | American | Great variety in their menu |
| Taste of East African/Baba Naji | Minneapolis | Somali, Yemeni | Confusing – used to be Somali but I think they’ve been acquired by a Yemeni chain recently. Regardless the food is very good, lots of flavor and tender |
| Afro Deli | Minneapolis (2), St. Paul | East African | Solid food, I really like anything with the Somali steak, but I think there are better options for Shawarma |
| Afghan Darbar | Bloomington | Afghan | Have not had good experiences here. The food tastes good but it got me sick once. The second time I went after a while for an iftar buffet, some of their food was undercooked and the space was too cramped with the buffet. |
| Zait & Za’atar | St. Paul | Middle Eastern, Indian | I liked their chai but the food isn’t so great |
| Mashawi | Blaine | Middle Eastern | I’ve only been once but I remember liking the food |
| Zakia Deli | Minneapolis | Lebanese | Great Lebanese food, a little different from other Arab spots |
| Spicy Feta | Minneapolis | Greek, Middle Eastern | This place is great, good location and the food has a lot of flavor. Baklava is also excellent |
| Wayback Burger | Woodbury | American | Great burgers, I think this might be my favorite of the local burger spots that I’ve tried. Unfortunately its an hour away from me :/ |
| Burger Press | Edina | American | Great burgers and sandwiches, unfortunately it’s a bit overpriced and can be a little over greasy |
| Urban Eats Halal | Minneapolis | American | Used to be a part of Urban Skillet. I had it before the split and the burger patties were a bit dry but the burgers weren’t bad. Other things on the menu are better. |
| Urban Cafe Riverside | Minneapolis | American | Used to be a part of Urban Skillet. I remember prefering this location to the other one (which is now Urban Eats Halal) but I have not been since the split. The patties were better at this one. |
| Filfillah | Fridley | Middle Eastern | It’s been a while since I’ve been here but I remember liking it. They have some really good bread. |
| Olive and Lamb | Minneapolis | Persian | A little more upscale, great food for the meat eaters. |
| Big Marina Grill & Deli | Columbia Heights | Middle Eastern | The main thing here is the buffet, I honestly haven’t been here since I was a kid but I used to like it haha |
| Tikka Masala Grill & Buffet | Columbia Heights | Indian | Solid Indian food, I believe they also serve some Pakistani stuff |
| New York Gyro | Minneapolis, Columbia Heights | American, Pakistani | The New York halal cart style food is great. The Pakistani food (which might only be at the Columbia Heights location) is really inconsistent and often bad. It’s great when catered though and the parathas are great |
| The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill | Maple Grove | Greek | Very good gyro, hidden gem in Arbor Lakes area |
| Golden Nuts | Columbia Heights Lakeville | Middle Eastern (Dessert) | So good! |
| 3 Guys Grill | Columbia Heights | American | Great American fast food style spot, solid burgers |
| Dave’s Hot Chicken | Minneapolis, St. Paul, Minnetonka, Rogers, Edina, Eden Prairie, Coon Rapids | American | Don’t have much to say here, you either love it or you don’t! |
| Nashville Coop | Minneapolis, St. Paul, Richfield | American | As far as I know, this is the OG Nashville style chicken spot in the Twin Cities. I like the Minneapolis location a bit more. Much more affordable than Dave’s and I find the food to be of similar quality, but everyone has their opinion! |
| Marhaba Mediterranean Grill | Minnapolis | Middle Eastern | I haven’t been here in ages, I don’t remember how it was |
| Ariana Kabob & Bistro | St. Louis Park | Persian | I went here too long ago, I don’t really remember my opinions on the food. |
| Mr. Shawarma Grill | Coon Rapids | Arab | Surprisingly good. Randomly found this in Coon Rapids. It’s sort of been a while since I went, but I remember thinking the chicken shawarma was really good and the beef/lamb was a bit dry. Or maybe it was the other way around…I guess you’ll have to try it yourself |
| Jawad Grill | Blaine | American/Middle Eastern | Hidden in a strip mall. The food here is pretty solid. The burgers are similar to the Burger King Whopper. |
| Atomic Wings | Edina | American | Solid wings spot, I don’t think we have another halal one like it in the area. |
| Sip of Silk | Minneapolis | Palestinian/Salvadoran | |
| Baba Saj | Blaine | Arab | I really like the saj wraps, they’re very simple but work well. |
| West Bank Diner | Minneapolis | Somali | Solid flavorful Somali food, very close to UMN campus! |
| El Greko + Shawarma | Bloomington | Greek, Mediterranean | This is in MOA, in the old food court, pretty standard Mediterranean food court food. Not bad. |
| Bussin’ Birria Tacos | Bloomington | Mexican | Not the best tacos, but its halal tacos. A lot of people seem to not like it. I think it’s fine, but there are better options. |
| India Palace | Minneapolis, Plymouth, Roseville, Eden Prairie, Burnsville, Woodbury | Indian | Solid Indian food, I’ve only been to one location but I’ve had catering from here at many events and it’s usually pretty good. |
| Baba’s Hummus | Minneapolis | Palestinian | Very good. Super unique hummus based dishes that work really well. |
| Falafel King | Brooklyn Center, Bloomington | Middle Eastern | Nothing special but not bad |
| India Bazaar | Plymouth, Eagan | Indian | Restaurant attached to the grocery store. The food is good, but the best thing is the samosas! |
| Karmel Mall | Minneapolis | Somali | Everything in the mall is halal. It’s too many vendors to list out individually, so I’m just putting the mall here! It’s crazy how many food vendors are here. |
| Nested North Cafe | Plymouth | American (cafe) | The owner said they have halal chicken sandwiches |
| Hashtag India | Plymouth | Indian | I’ve had Mandi from here and it was pretty good |
| Hello! Hyderabad | Minneapolis (2), Bloomington, Fridley, Coon Rapids, Rochester (not TC) | Indian | Had an awful experience at the North Loop one, but I don’t want to generalize the whole chain. People seem to like it |
| Gyro Grill | Eagan | Mediterranean | Mall food court, pretty standard |
| Greek Grill & Fry Company | Eden Prairie (2) | Greek, Mediterranean | Mall food court, what you’d expect |
Partially halal
| Restaurant | City | Cuisine | Halal Status | My Thoughts |
| Tea House | Minneapolis, Plymouth | Chinese | Halal chicken and lamb, checked on the phone and in person | One of my favorite restaurants in the Twin Cities! It is the best Chinese restaurant I’ve been to. |
| Haven Asian Eatery | Eden Prairie | Thai | Halal chicken and beef | Really good food if you go eat there in person, but I’ve had bad luck with the takeout |
| The King’s Thai Cuisine | Blaine | Thai | Halal chicken and beef, though management has changed, so I’d recommend double checking | Solid Thai food, Penang is great! |
| BB.Q Chicken | Minneapolis, St. Paul, Blaine, Maplewood, Eden Prairie | Korean | I believe only the boneless wings and the whole chicken are halal, not the wings. I’ve only been to the one in Minneapolis on Lake St, please check halal status for the others by calling ahead. | A little bit different than the typical halal fried chicken spots, the sauce are all unique and taste pretty good |
| Samarkand | Plymouth | Uzbek | Everything halal but they serve alcohol | Really unique spot, I’ve liked everything I’ve had here! |
| Bombay Pizza Kitchen | Eden Prairie Plymouth | Indian, American | Chicken and lamb is halal to my knowledge, but they serve alcohol (and maybe pork) | The better of the Indian fusion pizza spots in my opinion |
| La Michoacana | Blaine | Mexican | I believe everything is halal but they serve pork | I’ve only had one thing on their menu and it was okay, but people seem to like it overall. I need to go again! |
| Listo | Minneapolis | Mexican | Certain protein options are halal, it says which ones on the menu when you go | Pretty good, reminds me of Chipotle |
| Fogao Gaucho | Bloomington | Brazilian | They serve alcohol and pork but everything is halal. I recall them mentioning they are careful about cantimation when I visited. | If you want something fancy, this is it. All the beef cuts were incredible. |
| Fogo De Chao | Minneapolis | Brazilian | Only the lamb is halal, and some of the lamb cuts have alcohol. Call ahead to check if they have halal cuts of lamb | It’s good but you can only eat one thing on the menu! |
| Pizza Karma | Minneapolis | Indian, American | They serve pork, but I think everything else is halal | This is just okay in my opinion |
| Spitz | Minneapolis, Woodbury | Turkish, German | They serve alcohol but the food is halal (I only went to the Minneapolis location) | Very good doner kebab |
| Kumar’s Express Stadium Village | Minneapolis | Indian | This might be fully halal but I need to double check before I move it up | Solid Indian food, close to UMN campus! |
| World Street Kitchen | Minneapolis | Global | Halal chicken | The halal options are pretty unique and its a nice location |
| Babani’s | St. Paul | Kurdish | Serves alcohol | Very unique, great place to go if you want to try something you’ve never had before! |
| Ansari’s Mediterranean Grill | Eagan | Middle Eastern | Most of the menu is not halal, you have to ask for the halal menu | Halal part of their menu felt like an afterthought |
Restaurants I haven’t tried yet
Disclaimer: I am less confident about the halal status of many of these, but some have been confirmed on the phone. In general, if it’s a type of food that is not usually halal, I recommended double checking with a phone call.
Yet to Try
| Restaurant | City | Cuisine | Notes |
| Sambusa King/Baraka Grill | Hopkins | East African | |
| Lumi | Minneapolis | Turkish | Partially halal. Good option if you want something upscale |
| Central Pizza | Columbia Heights | American | |
| Darbar Indian Grill | Minneapolis | Indian | |
| Mama Safia’s Kitchen | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| Pizzaioli | Chanhassen | American | |
| Dumpling Eatery | Eden Prairie | Chinese | Halal chicken (confirmed on the phone) |
| Thaliwala Indian Kitchen | Chanhassen | Indian | |
| Barakallah Restaurant | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| Hamdi Restaurant | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| Masha’allah Restaurant | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| Moroccan Flavors | Minneapolis | Moroccan | |
| Kuubs Modern | Eden Prairie | Mediterranean | |
| India Spice House | Eden Prairie | Indian | |
| Himalayan Restaurant | Minneapolis | Nepalese | |
| Curry On Wheels | Rogers | Indian | |
| Barakaa Cafe | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| Quruxlow Restaurant | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| Sanaag Restaurant | Minneapolis Burnsville | Somali | |
| Baarakallah Restaurant | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| House of Sambus | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| Hamdi Restaurant | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| Hodan Cuisine | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| Hufan Restaurant & Cafe | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| Iftin Restaurant | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| New Cedar Restaurant | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| Wiilo Restaurant & Bakery | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| Tawakal Restaurant | Burnsville | Somali | |
| Lahore Zaika | Eagan | Pakistani | |
| Liido Restaurant | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| Hodma Restaurant | St. Paul | Somali | |
| Kismayo Cafe and Grill | St. Paul | Somali | |
| Kaah Restaurant | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| Mawadah Cafe | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| East Village Grill | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| Barwaako Grill | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| Harwanaag Restaurant | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| Quruxley Restaurant | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| Faida Restaurant | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| Olive Kitchen | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| Karibu Grocery & Deli | St. Paul | Somali | |
| Canabey Restaurant | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| Halwo Kismayo & Grill | Bloomington | Somali | |
| Gargaar Restaurant | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| Muhim’s Cafe | Minneapolis | Somali American (cafe) | |
| Zeytun | Minneapolis | Somali Fusion (cafe) | |
| Akwaaba Restaurant | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| Albi Kitchen | Minneapolis | Somali Fusion | |
| Soma Grill & Deli | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| Alle Aamin | Minneapolis | Somali | |
| Gedi Grill | Hopkins | East African | |
| Deg Deg Grill | Minneapolis (2) | Somali | |
| La Mama Restaurant | Minneapolis | Mediterranean | |
| Riwaaj Indian Cuisine | Edina | Indian | |
| Sugo Authentic Food | Burnsville | Somali | |
| Mandi House | Spring Lake Park | Yemeni | |
| Cairo Cafe | Blaine | Egyptian (cafe) | |
| Arya Cafe | Minneapolis | Ethiopian (cafe) | |
| Nur House Cafe | Minneapolis | Somali/American (cafe) | |
| MoZa Pizzeria | New Brighton | American | |
| Qahwah Zone | Minneapolis | Middle Eastern (cafe) | |
| Qahwah Cafe | Eagan | Mediterranean | |
| Ze’s Diner | Eagan | American | |
| India House | St. Paul | Indian | |
| Mad Chicken | Minneapolis | American | |
| Lisbeth’s | New Brighton | Global | I called and they said the gyro is halal |
| Hooks Fish & Chips | St. Paul Brooklyn Park | Website says partially halal menu | |
| Hook Fish & Chicken | Columbia Heights | American | Confirmed on the phone everything is halal, double check for other locations |
| JJ Fish & Chicken | Brooklyn Park Various | American | Call on the phone to check halal status, the Brooklyn Park location has halal chicken tenders |
| Ali Baba’s King of Gyros | St. Paul | Greek, Lebanese | |
| Gianni’s Steakhouse | Wayzata | Italian? | Some creekstone beefs |
| Darvish Mazza | Minneapolis | Turkish | Confirmed halal on the phone |
| Sofra Kitchen | St. Anthony | Middle Eastern | |
| Ali Baba Grill | St. Paul | Mediterranean | |
| Caspian Bistro | Minneapolis | Persian | |
| Nader Persian Bistro | Minneapolis | Persian | |
| Aaran Halal Grill | Bloomington | East African | |
| Mazidar Grill | Eagan | Afghan, Pakistani | Had catering from here at an event and it was VERY good |
| Palms Market | Coon Rapids | Middle Eastern | |
| Golden Fingers | Minneapolis | Middle Eastern | |
| Shish | St. Paul | Middle Eastern | |
| The Naughty Doner Co. | St. Paul | Turkish | |
| Bob’s Burger N’ Gyro | Minneapolis | Middle Eastern/American | |
| Saint Wich Burgers | St. Paul | American | |
| Jegol Ethiopian Cuisine | St. Paul | Ethiopian | Confirmed on the phone |
| Bole Ethiopian Cuisine | St. Paul Minneapolis Maple Grove | Ethiopian | Confirmed on the phone for St. Paul |
| Golden Restaurant & Pizza | Minneapolis | East African, American | |
| Chayhana N1 | Savage | Uzbek | |
| Oasis Mediterranean Grill | Minneapolis | Mediterranean | |
| Franklin Pizza | Minneapolis | American | Was told on the phone everything is halal, but I’m not sure they understood |
| Bullvino’s Steakhouse | St. Paul | American | Halal options, yet to verify |
| MasterChef | St. Paul | American | |
| Haraz Coffee House | Minneapolis | Yemeni (cafe) | |
| Emily’s Lebanese Deli | Minneapolis | Lebanese | Halal lamb |
| Sugo | Burnsville | Somali |