Philadelphia's halal restaurants with cuisines from Pakistan, Türkiye, and Afghanistan
Philadelphia boasts restaurants that cater to halal diets, featuring dishes from Pakistan, Türkiye, the Mediterranean, and East Africa.
You can try falafel at a casual Lebanese restaurant on the west side of town, Samarkand plov at one of the few Uzbek restaurants in the region, and beef rendang curry in South Philadelphia.
Halal restaurants in the United States may have certification from an organization or declare that they only use certain halal ingredients. Therefore, it's advisable to check with each establishment beforehand to ensure their menu meets your specific needs.
In South Philly, Diana and Maylia Widjojo's buffet offers a rotating menu of halal Southeast Asian cuisine, featuring sweet and sour fried chicken and slow-cooked rendang beef curry. On South Street, Isot serves kebabs, lamb chops, and a generous selection of mezze.
Marrakech, on Society Hill, is one of the city's most affordable places to eat halal: for $25 per person, diners can enjoy pita bread, salad, slow-roasted harissa chicken, lamb tagine, and more. Sansom Kebab House, in the south of the city, serves pulao, grilled kebabs, and vegetable stews with crispy naan.
Paprica Grill is a Turkish restaurant known for its spicy flavors, featuring unusual cuts of meat such as beef liver marinated in garlic and parsley, suçuk sausage with warm flatbread, and beyti, adana, and doner kebabs. Desi Chaat House serves chaat samosas filled with potato, lamb dishes, and other Pakistani cuisine, with gluten-free and vegan options available.
In West Philly, Saad's halal restaurant serves Lebanese cuisine, with the cheesesteak and chicken shish tawook sandwich being recommended. Manakeesh, in University City, has a Lebanese charcoal grill with manakeesh cheesesteak and shawarma, and fresh hummus and baba ghanoush for vegans.
Hadramout, in West Philly, serves lamb fahsah and flatbread, and cooks its main dishes in a clay pot at very high temperatures. Kabobeesh, also in West Philly, is famous for its spicy kebabs and curries. Kaffa Crossroads, in University City, cooks spiced beef tibs with butter, served with fluffy injera. Pera, in Northern Liberties, offers lamb-filled manti smothered in yogurt and chili oil, and its Istanbul-style kebabs, though it doesn't take reservations. Alamodok, in North Philly, features grilled lamb chops, hummus with minced meat, and eggplant sandwiches, and also operates as a shisha bar.
In the northeast, the Samarkand steakhouse serves beef Stroganoff stew, panko-breaded kyiv chicken, and plov, some of the highlights of its extensive menu.
