Halal restaurants are a rarity in most places around the world. This makes it difficult for practising Muslims to enjoy a dinner outside. There are many restaurants that serve cuisines from Muslim cultures across the globe, especially cuisines of the Middle East and Turkey, but most might not use meat that is halal certified. San Diego, California, like any cosmopolitan place in the world, is the home to many cultures and religions and thus you can find halal restaurants here. The food served across these restaurants varies from Middle Eastern to Indian, from Turkish to the Mediterranean to East African. Thus, the options are many. Here are the 10 best halal restaurants in San Diego to choose from.
1. Khyber Pass Restaurant
This restaurant serves Afghani dishes that are made from fresh produce grown locally. This means the dishes are made with naturally harvested fish, natural beef, lambs raised in pasture and chickens that are bred in a farm in the open. The meat is halal certified thus the dishes can be consumed by practising Muslims without a qualm. The menu consists of appetizers, salads, soups, rice items, qormah, curry dishes, specials of the restaurant and non-alcoholic beverages. The food is authentic Afghani with dishes like Qabuli, kofta, kebab, Shorewaah gracing the menu.
Khyber Pass Restaurant
Address: 523 University Ave ,San Diego, CA 92103
Website: Khyber Pass Restaurant
Opening hours: Sun - Thu: 11:30am - 9pm; Fri - Sat: 11:30am - 10pm
2. Tandoori Hut
Tandoori Hut aims to preserve the Indian culinary culture by serving dishes that taste like the food that is so beloved in the Indian Subcontinent. Not only do they want to represent Indian cuisine and introduce it to other cultures but also provide Indian emigrants with a taste of home in foreign soil. The menu consists of typical Indian fare like samosas, naan, tandoori platter, kababs, biryani, curries, salads, paneer dishes, parathas, roti, daal and so on. The meat is halal certified thus this restaurant is favourable for practising Muslims.
Tandoori Hut
Address: 3890 5th Ave ,San Diego, CA 92103
Website: Tandoori Hut
Opening hours: 11am - 9pm (daily)
3. Baba’z Grill Mediterranean
Baba'z Grill is a multi-cuisine restaurant that serves Mediterranean, Mexican, Tex-Mex and American dishes. The menu contains the popular dishes of these cuisines like Caesar Salad, Chicken Fajita Salad, tacos, wraps, steak and cheese, pizza, pasta, calzone and so on. This restaurant ensures that you get to eat some delicious and classic fare while enjoying a dine out with your friends and family. Moreover, the meat served here is halal certified so practising Muslims can enjoy the dishes here too.
Baba'z Grill Mediterranean
Address: 4672 University Ave Ste D San Diego, CA 92105
Website: Baba'z Grill Mediterranean
Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 11am - 9pm, Fri - Sat: 3pm - 2am
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4. Fatuma's Restaurant
Fatuma restaurant is a cosy eatery with a homely atmosphere that serves Somali food. The food is extremely delicious and flavourful. The homely atmosphere coupled with the delectable Somali cuisine makes this restaurant a must visit for all. Their Wasla plate, Soor and goat dishes are heavenly. Besides, the meat used in this restaurant is halal certified so practising Muslims can eat here.
Fatuma's Restaurant
Address: 4869 University Ave ,San Diego, CA 92105
Website: Fatuma’s Restaurant
Opening hours: 10am - 10pm (daily)
5. Alforon Mediterranean
This restaurant specialises in Mediterranean and Lebanese cuisine and strives to give the diners a taste and feel of Old Lebanon or precisely 19th century Lebanon. Their primary attraction is their flatbreads that are baked fresh every day with quality local and imported ingredients. They fuse innovation and style in their food but does not compromise the original flavours in the process. The menu consists of typical Lebanese dishes like Sayyadieh, Mjadarra, Shish Barak and many more. The meat used in the restaurant is halal certified thus practising Muslims can eat here without offending their belief.
Alforon Mediterranean
Address: 5965 El Cajon Blvd ,San Diego, CA 92115
Website: Alforon Mediterranean
Opening hours: Tue - Sat: 10:30am - 9pm; Sun: 10:30am - 7pm (closed on Mon)
6. Kroran Uyghur Cuisine
This restaurant serves food of the Uyghur culture and classic Chinese dishes are given a modern interpretation and prepared with fresh and quality ingredients to enhance the flavour of them. The restaurant is famous for not only serving delicious fare but also for its homely atmosphere and amiable staff. The menu consists of appetizers, entrees, stir-fried items that are cooked on a wok which traditional Chinese skillet, and drinks. Under appetizers, you get salads, nan and Pumpkin Manti. Entrees consist of Seekh Kabab, Pearl Noodle, Laghman, chicken stew, noodle soups among many others. Wok items are Kong Pao Chicken, cabbage noodles meat, stir-fried string bean and so on. Drinks are non-alcoholic and include soft drinks and tea.
Kroran Uyghur Cuisine
Address: 4310 Genesee Ave ,Unit 105 ,San Diego, CA 92117
Website: Kroran Uyghur Cuisine
Opening hours: Tue - Thu: 11am - 3pm, 5pm - 9pm; Fri - Sun: 11am - 4pm, 5pm - 9:30pm (closed on Mon)
7. Cafe Royale
Cafe Royale is a restaurant that serves Somali-Mediterranean delicacies. The spices and sauces are prepared in-house and that helps enhance the flavour of the dishes even more. You can find traditional East African food like Sambusa, goat meat, Mandazi, pasta, rice, Suquaar to name a few, and fusion dishes like steaks, shanks, kababs, chicken wings, sandwiches, wraps and burgers. All meat used is halal certified. Besides, this place is also known for its aromatic and authentic coffee.
Cafe Royale
Address: 6511 University Ave ,San Diego, CA 92115
Website: Cafe Royale
Opening hours: 11am - 10pm (daily)
8. Cafe Istanbul
Cafe Istanbul serves Turkish and American dishes, and also fusion cuisine. The menu consists of Turkish tea, coffee, ayraan, a variety of shawarmas, menemen, baklava, pancakes, chicken and steak salad and many more. Diners can avail a combo menu in case they want to try a variety of dishes. The restaurant’s winner though is its breakfast menu that has a plethora of Turkish traditional dishes. They have a Turkish breakfast plate, breakfast sandwich, Turkish sausage and eggs, melted cheese and cornmeal and many more such Turkish delicacies. The meat used in this restaurant is halal certified.
Cafe Istanbul
Address: 921 6th Ave ,San Diego, CA 92101
Website: Cafe Istanbul
Opening hours: Sun - Thu: 9am - 12am; Fri - Sat: 9am - 3am
9. Sufi Mediterranean Cuisine
This restaurant serves authentic Persian food. The decor and atmosphere are also set in such a way that diners not only get to experience Persian cuisine but also its culture. Traditional Persian instrumental music is played softly in the background as you dine and the wall is resplendent with paintings depicting the arts and culture of the Persian people. Coming to the menu, the restaurant serves a selection of appetizers consisting of either lamb, beef or poultry dishes, homemade stews and special rice plates. It also serves seafood items, combo platters, dishes from regional Persian cuisine, salads, beverages and desserts. Besides, it has a kids’ menu and prepares its own bread and soup. Also, the meat served in this restaurant is halal certified.
Sufi Mediterranean Cuisine
Address: 5915 Balboa Ave ,San Diego, CA 92111
Website: Sufi Mediterranean Cuisine
Opening hours: Sun - Thu: 11:30am - 9pm; Fri - Sat: 11:30am - 11:30pm
10. Doner Mediterranean Grill
Doner is the other name of the popular dish shawarma and this restaurant specialises in that. It serves mouthwatering doner meat in a variety of styles like in a box, between two burger buns, as a wrap, with pita or in a platter. The doners come with fresh vegetable sides, hummus and the sauces are made in-house to ensure the original taste of the dishes. The meat used to prepare the doners are beef and chicken, halal certified. Besides the delectable doners, the restaurant serves other Mediterranean dishes like Falafel, Baklava, Tabbouleh, Fatoosh, Greek and Mediterranean Salad, Chicken Cream Chop and a variety of rice.
Doner Mediterranean Grill
Address: 823 5th Ave ,San Diego, CA 92101
Website: Doner Mediterranean Grill
Opening hours: Sun - Wed: 11am - 11pm; Thu - Sat: 11am - 3am
Delicious and permissible
Practising Muslims find it pretty troublesome to find restaurants that serve halal-certified meat. Their religion denotes that eat meat that is halal or permissible but such is not available everywhere. Visit these 10 restaurants in San Diego that use halal-certified meat.