Best Halal Restaurants in Houston: Pakistani, BBQ, Late-Night Eats
Date Published
You can eat halal from one end of Westheimer to the other. Start with Nashville hot chicken from a Montrose food truck that stays open until 4 a.m., stop for brisket smoked over post oak with an Aleppo pepper rub, and finish with a platter of chicken and rice in west Houston. Detour north for chicken tikka pizza, or southwest for grilled goat chops that are worth the drive.
This is our shortlist of halal restaurants in Houston: Pakistani dining rooms, Lebanese grills, halal Texas barbecue, and the late-night burger and fried chicken spots that fill the gap at midnight. It's organized by craving, so pick a section and go.
The quick list
- The Pakistani institution: Aga's Restaurant & Catering, serving a 100% zabiha halal menu since 2001.
- The plot twist: Tempura Halal Indo-Pak Grill, where Pakistani cooking gets a Japanese twist.
- The barbecue Houston didn't know it needed: Levant BBQ, certified halal Texas brisket with Levantine spices.
- The late-night run: Yummy's Hot Chicken and Just Smash in Montrose, open into the small hours most nights.
- The taco surprise: Halal Taco Company, home of halal quesabirria and tandoori chicken tacos.
- The origin story: Abu Omar Halal, which says it started in 2011 as Houston's first halal food truck.
How we chose
Every restaurant here says on its own official website that its food is halal, using words like "100% Zabiha Halal," "halal-certified," or "100% HALAL." We checked each site in October 2026 for a current address and posted hours. If a restaurant's site didn't state its halal status, it didn't make the main list, even if the community knows it well. Halal standards vary (some diners want zabiha, some want third-party certification, some care whether alcohol is served), so if that matters to you, ask the staff directly.
Hours change, so treat every schedule below as "typically" and check the restaurant's site before you go.
Pakistani and Indo-Pak
Aga's Restaurant & Catering
Southwest Houston, 11842 Wilcrest Dr · also in Katy · dine-in, takeout, catering
Aga's has been serving Indian and Pakistani food in Houston since 2001, and its menu is 100% zabiha halal, according to the restaurant. Our pick is the grilled goat chops. Round out the table with a biryani, a sizzling BBQ platter and one of the slow-cooked curries.
Insider tip: the kitchen closes 45 minutes before the posted closing time, so don't cut it fine on a late dinner.
Best for: a big family meal or the friend who has never had Pakistani food.
Tempura Halal Indo-Pak Grill
North Houston, 12228 Antoine Dr · lunch and dinner
The name is the giveaway. Tempura describes its cooking as traditional Pakistani with a Japanese twist, which is how you end up with chicken tikka pizza on the same menu as nihari, haleem, paya and bihari kabab. Order the fusion dish for the story and the nihari for the real thing.
Best for: north-side diners, and anyone who wants a dinner they'll be describing to friends the next day.
Karahi Boys
Sugar Land, 16535 Lexington Blvd
Karahi Boys is a halal Pakistani chain from Canada with a Sugar Land location. The house dish is karahi, which the restaurant explains is cooked in a thick, round, wok-like pan and served in that same pan with fresh naan. Get it with chicken or goat and share it family-style.
Best for: Fort Bend families. For more nearby, see our Sugar Land restaurant guide.
Middle Eastern and Mediterranean
Fadi's Mediterranean Grill
Several locations: Galleria (6365 Westheimer), Memorial (10403 Katy Fwy), Museum District (1801 Binz St), Dairy Ashford (12360 Westheimer), Sugar Land and Katy
Chef Fadi Dimassi, who grew up in Saida, Lebanon, and trained in his family's restaurant, opened Fadi's in Houston in 1996. The restaurant says it serves "100% premium halal meats" and makes everything fresh in-house. Build a plate from the grill, add falafel and plenty of hummus, and you're set.
Best for: a reliable weeknight dinner wherever you are in town. If you're near the Galleria, our Galleria/Uptown restaurant guide has more ideas.
Aladdin Mediterranean Cuisine
Montrose, 912 Westheimer Rd · also Garden Oaks, 1737 W 34th St
Aladdin has been serving Houston since 2006, and it puts "halal since 2006" right in its name on the web. The menu draws on Lebanese and Greek cooking, built around halal-certified meats and big, bright salads. The chicken shawarma plate with rice, hummus and salad is the order.
Best for: a healthy-feeling lunch that still fills you up.
Levant BBQ
Near the Galleria, 5884 Westheimer Rd · open daily
Here's the one to tell your barbecue-obsessed friends about. Founder Mohamad Kharboutli grew up cooking in Aleppo, Syria, and ran Mediterranean restaurants in Moscow, Jordan and Houston before deciding to build what he couldn't find: halal Texas barbecue. Levant is certified halal and smokes over post oak, seasoning with Aleppo pepper, cardamom and pomegranate molasses. The prime brisket gets an 18-hour smoke, and the menu also runs to beef ribs and lamb neck.
Insider tip: for a group of three or four, the Levant Feast platter covers brisket, turkey, chicken, sausage and four sides in one order.
Best for: anyone who has spent years watching friends eat brisket. Compare it with the classics in our best BBQ in Houston guide.
Halal street food, platters and wraps
Abu Omar Halal
Many locations, including downtown (1001 Texas Ave), 7925 Westheimer Rd, 7500 Almeda Rd, Katy, Pearland, Spring and Humble
Abu Omar says it began in Houston in 2011 as the city's first halal food truck. It now counts 25 locations across five states, and it's still a Houston original. Its food is "100% halal certified." Order the Chicken Shawarma Arabi, which the restaurant calls the classic Abu Omar experience, with extra of the creamy garlic sauce.
Best for: a fast, cheap lunch. Our downtown restaurant guide has sit-down options nearby.
The Halal Guys
3821 Farnham St · 11700 Westheimer Rd · 10111 Louetta Rd
The Halal Guys has been making its chicken, gyro and falafel platters since 1990, and its Houston locations give you the same platter-and-sauce routine. Get the combo platter and go easy on the red sauce until you know your limit.
Best for: late lunches and anyone who wants the familiar.
Halal burgers, fried chicken and tacos
Yummy's Hot Chicken
Montrose, 323 Westheimer Rd · food truck · open late
Yummy's is a family-run food truck that combines Nashville hot chicken with Middle Eastern spices and serves 100% halal chicken. Heat levels run from mild to "No Mercy." Its hours are the real draw: the truck typically stays open until 4 a.m. Monday through Saturday.
Best for: after a show or a late shift. Get the sandwich or the loaded fries.
Just Smash
Montrose · smash burgers and milkshakes · open late
Just Smash serves "100% halal fresh beef" smash burgers and milkshakes made from scratch. By its own telling, the burger began in the early days of Yummy's Hot Chicken before getting its own truck in the heart of Montrose. Hours typically run to 4 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Check its site for the current spot.
Best for: a halal cheeseburger at 2 a.m., which is not something every city can offer.
Halal Taco Company
6500 Southwest Fwy · 12039 Antoine Dr · Katy, 557 S Mason Rd
This is the one that surprises people. Halal Taco Company, a sister brand of Kabob Korner, puts halal meat into a Mexican menu: quesabirria tacos with consommé, beef barbacoa, a Texan steak taco and tandoori chicken tacos that make the most of both kitchens. Wash it down with a ginger mint lemonade.
Best for: Taco Tuesday with friends who keep halal. For the wider taco scene, see our best Mexican restaurants in Houston.
What about Afghan food?
Houston has Afghan kabob houses, including New Saffron Kabob House at 5711 Hillcroft St and Chopan Kabob at 13117 Westheimer Rd, serving bolani, mantoo dumplings, Kabuli palaw and charsi kabobs. Neither restaurant states its halal status on its official website, so we haven't included them in the list above. If you keep halal, call ahead and ask.
Save this: the Westheimer halal run
Westheimer is the easiest way to eat your way across halal Houston. Pick three stops:
- Yummy's Hot Chicken (323 Westheimer) for a hot chicken sandwich.
- Aladdin (912 Westheimer) for a shawarma plate.
- Levant BBQ (5884 Westheimer) for brisket by the pound.
- Fadi's Galleria (6365 Westheimer) for falafel and grilled meats.
- Abu Omar Halal (7925 Westheimer) for a shawarma wrap.
- The Halal Guys (11700 Westheimer) for a combo platter.
- Fadi's Dairy Ashford (12360 Westheimer) if you're still standing.
Before you go: a quick checklist
- Check the restaurant's own site for hours the day you go. Aga's kitchen closes 45 minutes before closing time, and the late-night trucks keep different hours on different nights.
- Need zabiha specifically? Aga's says its menu is 100% zabiha halal. Everywhere else, ask.
- Food trucks move. Confirm Yummy's and Just Smash locations on their sites before driving in.
- Feeding a crowd? Levant's Feast platter, Aga's catering and Fadi's banquet rooms are built for groups.
- Coming from the suburbs? Aga's, Fadi's, Abu Omar and Halal Taco Company all have Katy locations, and Karahi Boys and Fadi's are both in Sugar Land.
More places to eat in Houston
Want more international food? Start with our food crawler's guide to Houston's international districts, then try cheap eats in Houston for more fast lunches, our Katy restaurant guide and our Westchase restaurant guide. For the big picture, see our best restaurants in Houston.
Last verified: October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find halal restaurants in Houston?
All over town, and Westheimer Road is the easiest place to start. Yummy's Hot Chicken, Aladdin, Levant BBQ, Fadi's, Abu Omar Halal and The Halal Guys all have locations on Westheimer. Southwest Houston, north Houston, Katy and Sugar Land have more.
Is there halal barbecue in Houston?
Yes. Levant BBQ at 5884 Westheimer Rd is certified halal and smokes brisket over post oak with an Aleppo pepper rub. It also serves beef ribs and lamb neck.
Which Houston restaurants are fully zabiha halal?
Aga's Restaurant & Catering says its menu is 100% zabiha halal. Other restaurants on this list describe their meat as halal or halal-certified. If you need zabiha specifically, ask the staff.
Where can I get halal food late at night in Houston?
In Montrose. Yummy's Hot Chicken at 323 Westheimer typically stays open until 4 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and Just Smash serves halal smash burgers until 4 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Check their sites before you go.
What was Houston's first halal food truck?
Abu Omar Halal says it started in Houston in 2011 as the city's first halal food truck. It now has 25 locations across five states.