This famous halal food chain has opened its first Triangle restaurant
A fast-casual restaurant born in the streets of New York City has landed in the Triangle.
The Halal Guys, which specializes in American halal food, opened a new location in Cary.
This store is the first for the Triangle and the second for North Carolina, following the location that opened in Charlotte last year.
“We are thrilled to bring The Halal Guys to Cary and introduce our famous halal platters and gyros to this vibrant community,” Margaret Carrera, chief development officer of The Halal Guys, said in a news release.
The Cary location is at 2000 Boulderstone Way in the Stone Creek Village shopping center, which also houses Jimmy John’s, Red Bowl Asian Bistro, Kilwins, Tazza Kitchen, Harris Teeter, Walgreens and Chick-Fil-A, among other retailers.
The restaurant’s design reflects the brand’s origins in New York City, featuring subway tiles, manhole covers and polished concrete floors.
New York restaurants nearby
The Triangle has welcomed a few New York-inspired eateries recently.
For example, H&H Bagels, one of the most well-known brands in a city well-known for bagels, is planning to open five locations here. And the newest dining concept at Raleigh Union Station, at 510 W. Martin St., is a New York-inspired deli, Union Station Deli and Catering.
The Halal Guys menu
The Halal Guys serves a variety of sandwiches and platters available with beef gyro, chicken, chicken wings, spicy barbecue chicken or falafel — or a combination.
Meals are topped with the customer’s choice of sauces, including white, hot, smoky barbecue or hot chili sauces, hummus and items such as onions, green peppers, olives and jalapenos.
For dessert, diners can choose from chocolate chip cookies, baklava, baklava cheesecake and chocolate baklava cheesecake.
What does halal mean?
“Halal” is an Arabic word that means “allowed,” “lawful” or “permitted,” the American Halal Foundation says.
The word is often used when talking about food and drinks, though it “refers to much more than just Islamic dietary practices,” the foundation says.
Halal meat and poultry refers to animals that have been slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law and as humanely as possible.
The meat and poultry also must not come into contact with pork, alcohol or other “haram” (unlawful) products during processing, storage or transportation.
Meat isn’t the only food that can be halal. Other products can include fish and seafood, breads, pastries and desserts, coffee and tea, fruits, honey and jam, the foundation says.
Is The Halal Guys halal?
Yes, The Halal Guys uses halal-certified meats in their dishes, the restaurant’s website says.
Meat gyros have halal certifications from:
- Halal Food Council U.S.A.
- Islamic Society of North America
- Halal Monitoring Board
- Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of Canada
This story was originally published April 29, 2025 at 10:15 AM with the headline "This famous halal food chain has opened its first Triangle restaurant."
