The Halal Guys

The staff here is friendly and they definitely are generous with their servings which I really appreciate. You walk in, tell them what you want, and they build your bowl for you.

Their sauces are delicious and flavorful. Their red sauce is definitely spicy. I recommend getting sauce on the side. Their beef was seasoned well and I definitely prefer it over the chicken. Everything combined together with the veggies and rice is a very tasty and filling combo. I wasn't able to finish it and it became a 2nd and a 3rd meal for me.

So it's obviously a mere shade of the real deal in NY. Food's decent but not the heaping plate you get from the food carts. Everything's meticulously measured out. Makes sense with the cost of food and labor in California. But there was nothing like waiting in line drunk and in the cold at 1 am for the Chicken Platter. I honestly think it adds to the experience that you had to suffer for a few minutes and then your patience gets rewarded by a piping hot plate of food cooked in that ancient Middle Eastern style of letting the pita soak up flavor from the steam. I'm glad I can relive those days by grabbing a bowl here but when I'm done eating, it's pretty anticlimactic. Who knew California's lovely weather could actually ruin something? lol.

Also, the team was less than professional. A lot of these guys were complaining about how they had to work and dropping "F" bombs every other word. I bet they didn't even realize. If I had brought kids I definitely would have raised the issue and gotten loud about it. I remember the cart workers being friendly, polite, happy to be working, and overall just happy in general. Just goes to show you can imitate but never duplicate.

Review long over due! Cesar's service and attitude is what made me check to see if I have reviewed this place and I had not. This is for Cesar who is a gem of an employee! This guy is patient, very patient, especially with kids who are fussy ( no tomatoes and just salad, other wanted more white sauce and a drop of red, never ending demands etc. etc.) and never did I see him even once show any disdain! I apologized profusely for their behavior and somehow he completely understanding!

Service: Awesome! We love this location because of the guys behind the counter especially Cesar make this a welcoming business.

Food: I am an OG for the Halal Guys. Yup, I frequented the NYC 6th Ave location next to the Hilton long before moving to the west coast and missing it for many years before they franchised and we had a West coast location!!! Still tastes exactly as I remembered. Rice could be a tad bit warmer, but other than that, love it! Sauces are magic and make a difference.

Ambiance: Not much seating area but then again, I remember those freezing nights in NYC eating this food in the open air has reminded me of how spoiled we are here. No issues with no seating, we eat in the park across it and enjoy it there, or sometimes home. The place is well managed and kept clean.

Conclusion: We will be back for the food and service. Thank you Cesar!

Went back to this location today to pickup some meals for my family. I ordered a falafel bowl for myself. I bit into a piece of falafel and ended up throwing all of them away. It tasted uncooked. I could taste the raw lentils in the falafel. I'm so disappointed and I hope this location works on their food quality.

I liked their food but my last experience soured this place for me.

I placed an order on the app on New year's day. The app took my order and payment. When I arrived at the location, I found that it was closed. No warning from the app. Order and payment still went through. The app even marked my order as completed even though the shop was closed!

The next day I called to ask for a refund. Manager said no problem and refunded me over the phone. After 1-2 days I did see the refund on my transactions. However, that refund was no longer there the next time I checked. Chase says refunds take 3-5 business days to post to the account. 7 business days later, the refund still does not appear on my transactions. It looks like they cancelled my refund! I tried calling again during business hours but they did not pick up. I have been properly refunded to this same credit card before and I know that the refund does not ever take that long to post either.

This, along with unsavory sanitary practices mentioned in many other reviews, deters me from returning again. Not to mention that they did not once even bother apologizing or offering anything to compensate for the wasted trip I took to NOT receive my order. Their feedback system is also a complete joke and will not try to resolve your issues at all. If I was willing to return, I would not feel comfortable using the app or paying with card.

This restaurant is pretty good, nothing like the food in NY but this chain is still good. It's the food food kind of Mediterranean good- nothing fancy but it is delicious!

Halal guys have been expanding in a lot of places, I like their combination plate, and it's my typical go to. Their service is always friendly, and it's a solid spot.

I recommend it if you haven't tried it yet!

It was lunchtime and we were hungry. Quick scan of the area and The Halal Guys popped up. I remember a buddy of mine raving about their truck in NY so decided to try it.

Menu pretty simple. Choose your style, meats, toppings, and sauces.

Platter (4): I felt this was a great deal. We got a few of these. Both with Combo of Beef Gyro and Chicken. Their meats were pretty good. Everyone was a fan of their Beef Gyro. It was nicely crispy and moist at the same time with great flavor. The chicken was somewhat shredded which I wasn't as much a fan of. It was still moist and tender though but I think I'd prefer the types of meats that come off the trompo. The meats sit on top of a bed of rice and lettuce. We got all the toppings on one which were jalapeño, onion, olives, and bell peppers. I felt it all complimented the entire dish. Their white sauce is really delicious and brought everything together. Also loved their hot sauce. It was pretty spicy though so be careful on how much you add. Amazing platter though!

Gyro Sandwich (4): This was pretty fantastic as well. It's a pita that is overstuffed with all of the above. You probably get more in a platter but if you like pita and eating it all together, then this is a fantastic option.

Overall we loved everything. The platter is pretty big and a great deal. I think I'll stick with the Beef Gyro meats next time or maybe try their falafel.

FIRST TIME!
I always wanted to try halal guys ever since yeaaaars ago buzzfeed people did that YouTube video loooong time ago in NYC halal guys food review thing. I don't think it was in California at the time. Anyway, the food was so DELICIOUS!

I had the chicken and beef plate. The amount of food was surprised me! They do not skimp out on the portions. I didn't know the plate was so big. You can definitely share for two.

I have pictures of my different stages from opening it then dressing it then mixed all together then finished! It was like a journey of emotions and flavors. The meat was tender and every vegetable tasted fresh!

I do have one downside that I did not like! It's a personal preference of mine but absolutely hate Taco Bell and all their foods. The lettuce and cheese in the halal guys food tasted EXACTLY like REPLICA of the lettuce and cheese taste from Taco Bell. People love Taco Bell so that's probs not a problem for you but Omgosh that tasted like Taco Bell lol I felt like I was eating Taco Bell

Mixed all together though it was less Taco Bell tasting especially with the hot sauce and white sauce! OMG that hot sauce was so spicy lol like wow but so delicious. Also the pita bread? Is that pita bread? I don't know but that was also sooooo goood like it was soft and fluffy and paired so well with the food.

I got the baklava and I was surprised it came in two pieces! I liked it!

I am definitely trying the other dishes soon! Whoever manages this place is doing a good job. Everything is consistent and taste good! So happy I live close to y'all!

I didn't even know we had one here lol

Decided to switch things up for lunch and come to Halal guys! My first experience was in the heart of New York at a halal guys stand and it was an amazing experience. Happy to see they are expanding and that there are locations nearby.

This place is located in the plant plaza and the parking can be convenient at times but my desire for some Mediterranean style food overcame that quickly. Last time I had Mediterranean style food was at kebab shack and unfortunately that did not do the job for me that day, hoping Halal guys would turn that around.

When I first walked in, we were greeted immediately. The place was empty and I noticed that it could use a little cleaning. The menu was very easy to follow - choose a wrap or platter, style of meat and add-ons. Simplicity makes it easier especially on days I am indecisive. I opted to get the combo platter with beef and chicken. I added onions, peppers, and jalapeños. I opted to get the sauce on the side.

They offer two sizes, small or regular, I decided to go with the regular since I was hungry :)

The platter was a good size and well presented. Let's start with the beef - very tasty, seasoned well and saltiness was balanced from the rice and lettuce. Chicken was also flavorful - tad bit on the dry side but that didn't bother me too much. The rice was absolutely delicious and the white sauce really put everything together. I was very satisfied after my meal and enjoyed the warm and toasted pita bread afterwards.

They also have very fair prices for their platters which is a big plus in this inflation heavy market!
Kudos to Halal guys, I will be back!

Their sauce packet said "we are different". I feel like most restaurants want to be different. Wanting to be different seems pretty ordinary. What would really make this place different is if their sauce packet said "we are ordinary". Being ordinary is underrated. I'd love to see a documentary on an ordinary person's life. The documentary about Michael Jordan's quest to six rings was incredible, but I want to see a documentary on a person's 9-5 job and their quest to retire at 60. That'd be the most different documentary. Anyway, the food was really good here.