What is Halal food?
The Arabic word Halal means lawful or permitted. Generally speaking, all food in Islam is deemed Halal unless restricted
explicitly by the Hadith or the Q’uran. Officially, Halal foods do not contain any element that Muslims cannot consume according to Islamic law.
They must be produced, manufactured, and stored using tools that have been appropriately cleaned.
How Halal restaurants work:
The term Halal is used by restaurants to show that the food served is acceptable for Muslim customers. There can be no blurred lines here, the food must either be Halal (lawful), or it is considered to be Mashbooh (an Arabic word meaning suspicious). Luckily, there is a wide variety of Halal restaurants in LA serving innovative dishes.
5 Creative restaurants serving Halal food in LA:
786 Degrees Wood Fired Pizza Co.
8879 Laurel Canyon Blvd unit # A, Sun Valley, CA 91352
This restaurant serves 100% Zabibah Halal pizzas. The owner Ali Haider is an expert in Neapolitan pizza, and this locale even has an Italian-made oven, straight from Naples. 786 Degrees pizzas take you on an international tour, and the ingredients used represent different countries. Their fresh Halal toppings are the crown jewel in combinations like the award-winning Korean Bulgogi Gangnam style pizza, with marinated beef and surprise ingredients, like pears and apples. Visit Marrakesh and sample the Moroccan pizza with a myriad of flavourful vegetables like mint, corn, and carrots.
BiG Al’s Pizzeria
6044 Atlantic Blvd, Maywood, CA 90270
At BiG Al’s Pizzeria, they’re plating up delectable meats and pizza toppings that are certified Zabihah Halal. Take a flavor journey and delve into their delicious and award-winning Halal wings, and turn up the heat with punchy baked flavors like Red Dragon, Spicy Call’em, and Habanero.
Esquire magazine voted BiG Al’s wings the Best Wings in California. This restaurant also serves barbecue, featuring a BBQ Brisket sub, and their brisket is smoked with a homemade rub that will make you smack your lips. BiG Al’s menu also offers their flavor-packed brisket on the Smoked Beef Brisket pizza, combined with Call’em BBQ sauce, mozzarella cheese and red onion.
HiHo Cheeseburger
1320 2nd Street Ste. B Santa Monica, CA 90401
Situated in downtown Santa Monica, HiHo Cheeseburger boasts classic burgers that come with grass-fed wagyu Halal beef patties, both decadent and sustainably sourced. HiHo Cheeseburger uses beef from First Light Farms, a farm collective whose meat is not only Halal; it doesn’t contain any antibiotics or hormones. Try out the Classic Cheeseburger for a timeless combination, and add pastrami to give it a twist.
Pura Vida Mexican Cafe
238 W Carson St, Carson, CA 90745
Pura Vida is a taqueria in South Los Angeles serving authentic Mexican Halal food. They are a family-owned restaurant
focused on preparing traditional dishes such as fajitas and enchiladas. Their irresistible menu also includes experimental
plates like the Chile Negro fries that feature a black chile mole or the Chile Relleno omelet with Ortega chile strips and salsa roja. Pura Vida offers catering so you can share their delicious Halal food with all of your guests. The catering menu doesn’t skimp on options, and they’ve got star dishes like Pozole Verde chicken stew, their loaded Super Nachos, and Sopes that are fried corn cakes filled with fresh ingredients.
Paratta
The Los Angeles Arts District
You could say that Paratta is on the move because they’re based out of a colorful and inviting food truck that serves up South Asian Halal street food.
They use Halal-certified meat along with a wide variety of original Desi ingredients. Some of their unique creations include
the Wagyu Beef Samosa, a fried pastry filled with Halal beef and Desi spices, the Kabab plates with options like Paneer Tikka smoked cheese or Bihari kabab, which is Halal wagyu beef. Paratta also offers catering for many types of events and can typically be seen parked in the LA Arts District.
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Halal food is an integral part of Muslim communities around the world and it is only growing in popularity in the restaurant scene in LA. Whether you’re just now discovering Halal food, or it’s one of your go-to cuisines, be sure to frequent your local Los Angeles Halal restaurants.