Whenever I get halal from one of the food trucks on campus, I have to think about where I can actually sit down and eat it. Next to WilCaf? Not sure if there would be an empty table. Mark’s Cafe? I'd have to hide the food in my backpack when I pass the security checkpoint. A bench in College Green? Ugh, I kind of want a table.
Worry no more. The Halal Guys, the pioneer brand of American halal food, will be opening at 39th and Chestnut Street this summer. The restaurant will offer a mix of Middle Eastern–style chicken, beef, and vegetable dishes served both over rice in platters and as foil–wrapped pita sandwiches. Their signature sauces are loved around the world, and they’re coming right to Penn.
Of course, you might already have tried The Halal Guys from any of the 200+ locations across the globe. The most famous one is the original on West 53rd and 6th Avenue in New York City. Have you ever walked past the Museum of Modern Art and seen a food truck? The one with red–and–yellow umbrellas and the longest line for a food truck you’d ever seen? Yup, that’s them.
This new location will be owned and operated by Jung Ahn, who is also the proprietor of the Chinatown brick–and–mortar location, and marks the franchise's first foray into West Philadelphia. As of now, there are three locations in the Philadelphia area: Chinatown, King of Prussia, and Northeast Philadelphia.
The three founding partners first opened up a hot dog cart there but soon recognized a big demand for halal food from Muslim cab drivers, and the rest is history. Now, The Halal Guys is the #1 most Yelped business in New York City.
And now it's just around the corner. Get excited, and get hungry.
