The Halal Guys Bring New Restaurant to Downtown Boston

A growing chain of halal restaurants with New York City roots will soon open a new location in the Boston community.

The Boston Restaurant Talk blog announced that the Halal Guys are planning to set up shop at 241 Washington St. in Boston, a space on the northern edge of Downtown Crossing south of State Street and Court Street. Upon its opening, the new Halal Guys location will join its other locations in the city's Theater District and existing outlets in Fenway, South Bay, and Cambridge's Porter Square. The Halal Guys also operate a location in Shrewsbury.

According to its website, The Halal Guys concept began its life in 1990 as a hot dog cart in New York City. The original “Halal Guys” — Egyptian immigrants Mohamed Abouelenein, Ahmed Elsaka, and Abdelbaset Elsayed — are the founding members who decided to move beyond selling hot dogs to selling halal food to Muslim taxi drivers who had few places to go to find authentic halal food in the city's five boroughs.

Word spread about the restaurant's dynamic American-style halal food, which began appealing to a larger, diverse demographic of American consumers who wanted to experience new tastes, textures, and flavors.

Today, customer favorites include chicken and gyros over rice, falafel sandwiches, and "crave-able sauces."