Halal Guys Enter Austin, Serving NYC-Inspired Mediterranean Fare

Update: Less than a year after this story was originally written in August 2017, this restaurant closed. A spacious building adjacent to the space that housed a vintage shop once that once was a place that sold DVDs also closed. Both buildings remain vacant as of April 2019.

From Aug. 1, 2017:

AUSTIN, TX — The restaurateurs behind the famed Halal Guys food truck in New York City have opened a brick-and-mortar location in Austin, marking the second Texas market entry for the firm.

At nearly 2,000 square feet, the newly opened Mediterranean food diner at 2915 Guadalupe St. is certainly bigger than a food truck but also bigger in size than its three Houston counterparts, and bigger than the typical 1,500- to 1,600-square-foot size of its 52 stores found elsewhere throughout the U.S.

During an interview with Patch, co-owner Rizwan Maredia said the company was drawn to Austin for its young demographics. Nestled in a corner of a building that once housed a video store, the eatery abuts the I Luv Vintage thrift store on Guadalupe between 29th and 30th streets.

"We’ve always felt our customers are young and vibrant, always open to trying different cuisine, Maredia said. "It’s not just a college town, the demographics re younger than most of Texas. It was a no-brainer," he said of the entry into the Austin market. "It's such a good fit for the brand."

A Houston resident, Maredia said the first Texas Halal Guys stores were built there given his knowledge of the city. He's tapped Adil Maknojia, a family friend, with looking over the local store, he said. Maknojia operates the nearby Dobie Market near the University of Texas at Austin, and is very familiar with the local market, Maredia noted.

"He's our local expert," he said of his local partner. Born in India, Maredi is also eminently qualified to run the enterprise, having earned a master's degree in business administration from Clark University Worcester, Mass,

The Halal Guys first came to prominence in New York City in what began as a hot dog cart in 1990 parked at the corner of West 53rd and 6th Avenue. Its owners gradually came to realize there was a demand among Muslim cabbies for a halal food meal, prompting the addition of the now-popular platter consisting of chicken and gyro over rice. With added dashes of its famous white and red sauces, a legend was born.

The exotic offerings are now popular not only among cab drivers that served as muse, but among executives, but other white-collar and blue-collar workers in New York City needing a quick, filling meal, Maredia said. Police officers also are a part of the clientele, drawn to the tasty offerings, he added.

From those humble beginnings, the Halal Guys franchise grew to five carts, two New York City restaurants and millions of customers served, according to a narrative on their website. Visitors to NYC can attest to the food trucks' popularity given the long lines of customers eager to sample the wares.

Maredia said the idea of the Austin store is to bring a taste of that experience to Austin. So far, a steady clientele in just the few days since its July 15 opening has encouraged its owners.

"We are pretty happy so far, especially at the grand opening," Maredia said. Despite the intense Texas heat, patrons eager to dine at the new venue lined up on opening day while restaurant workers passed out bottled waters to keep them cool. "Overall, the kind of response has been really encouraging," Maredia added.

But the real test will be when the majority of UT-Austin students return from their summer break, he noted. The restaurant has relied primarily on social media to get the word out on their new location. It should be noted that the Halal Guys eatery is not affiliated with Halal Bros. at 2712 Guadalupe Street, just up the street on West Campus, a competitor viewed as having appropriated the name to capitalize on the Halal Guys success.

But Maredia didn't seem to fazed by the imitators, saying that once people realize the Halal Guys are now in town, they'll gravitate to the new place. By Sept. 1, plans call for the extension of hours of operation until 3 a.m. to cater to the late-night crowd, he said.

"There's still that confusion that lingers in the minds of people," Maredia acknowledged about the similarly named rivals. "But we've been in the business for 27 years now, and perfected our recipes and food."

The most popular dish at the eatery has proved to be its combo platter of chicken and beef atop a bed of rice, served with lettuce and tomato. The price range for Halal Guys offerings are reasonable with platters ranging from $7.50 to $8.50, and sandwiches (or wraps) priced at $6.99.

"Our menu is small, and we try to keep it really simple," Maredia said, adding the company's informal motto is to "Do a few things and do them well."

The hours of operation are from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day of the week.

>>> Photo of storefront at 2915 Guadalupe St. by Tony Cantú