A variety of items that can be found on AnA Shawarma’s menu. Credit: Courtesy of AnA Shawarma
Columbus’ emerging halal food scene offers something for everyone who adheres to a halal diet, whether it’s traditional Arab dishes, fusion cuisines or a classic cheesesteak.
Halal food, which refers to meat prepared in a manner that abides by Islamic law, is available at a variety of Columbus-based restaurants. Though halal meals are offered and eaten throughout the year, Ramadan marks a time when many Muslim students may be especially in search of nearby halal foods and drinks.
Ramadan is the Muslim holy month, marked by daily fasting from dawn to sunset and ending with the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr.
AnA Shawarma
AnA Shawarma, located in High Street Kitchens at 2864 N. High St., serves shawarma platters, cheesesteaks, chopped cheese, wings, burgers, fried fish and more.
The restaurant started as a food truck in Atlanta where owner Azeemullah Raghbat learned most of his food-service skills from his father. After visiting Columbus to see his parents-in-law, Raghbat said he knew he wanted to contribute his expertise to the bustling local food truck culture, leading him to open the Columbus location in January 2023.
In just eight months, the business experienced enough success to move into a ghost kitchen, or a storefront that houses several restaurants in one building. Though the location itself may have drastically changed, Raghbat said the eatery’s core characteristic has remained the same: everything is 100% halal.
“We have American food, which [no halal restaurants] here [have],” Raghbat said. “My objective for Columbus is to bring as much variety for that kind of food as possible, so hopefully that means more than one AnA Shawarma location.”
AnA Shawarma is open weekdays until 11 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays until 1 a.m., and Sundays until midnight, which Raghbat said is intended for Muslim students on campus to have a convenient, late-night halal option. The restaurant’s hours during Ramadan, which began March 10 and ends April 9, can be found on its Instagram page.
This January, Raghbat opened Little Moon Cafe and Tea across from the ghost kitchen, where customers can enjoy boba drinks while playing board games, socializing and studying.
“I want this place to be the spot for OSU students,” Raghbat said. “For any Muslim, young crowd to come and hang out and feel in a safe space, a very cozy, homey, kind of place where you don’t feel uncomfortable.”
Raghbat said he hopes to be able to open the cafe and restaurant during the typical hours of suhoor — the pre-dawn meal right before Ramadan’s daily fast begins — throughout the Muslim holy month to further cater to the Muslim crowd at Ohio State.
Halal New York Gyro
Owner Tahir Mehmood opened his first Halal New York Gyro food truck in 2017, and has since expanded to feature four mobile eateries across Columbus, with the nearest located in North Linden at 3196 Cleveland Ave. The truck offers a simple menu of chicken and lamb over rice in either a salad or gyro wrap.
The menu is inspired by New York-style halal street food with a touch of Pakistani flavors, Mehmood said. He said the chicken resembles that of Tandoori style, while the rice is a simple Pashtun-style pulao, or rice cooked in broth and spices. The truck also serves mango lassi, a traditional Desi yogurt drink that is now one of its best-selling items.
“When I opened, there were no halal food trucks in Columbus. I was the first to open New York Gryo’s, but now Americans come and eat it,” Mehmood said. “More people are coming, and they try it, and they say that this is better food than New York food.”
Since the four locations have been so popular, Mehmood said he hopes to expand his business both by adding Pakistani dessert options to the menu and moving into a commercial kitchen in the next few months.
“In the future, of course, I am thinking about making more trucks,” Mehmood said. “I am trying to move to Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton and Springfield.”
Mehmood said his drive to expand the business so more Muslims across Ohio have access is based on his personal mantra, which is a verse from the Quran translated as, “And God is the Best of Providers.”
“Come and enjoy, and you will like it,” Mehmood said. “Definitely, I believe you’re gonna come back.”
Shawerma Bite
Located across from North Campus, Shawerma Bite is a fast-casual Syrian restaurant with build-your-own style chicken and lamb shawarma wraps and bowls.
“One of our chefs, he has 10 years of experience in our country,” the restaurant’s manager Louay Kseibati, who is from Syria, said. “Most of the people who come here, who know the shawarma there, say we bring the exact same shawarma as our country.”
Though the restaurant faced difficulties after its opening in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kseibati said sales have since been consistently increasing.
Kseibati said providing halal food options not only attracts Muslims in the area but also can serve others who are simply looking for healthier meat-based options.
As such, Kseibati said Shawerma Bite wants to attract people who aren’t familiar with Syrian food by offering menu items like Jalapeño poppers and presenting a new dessert bar that serves coffee, crepes and more.
“There’s high competition here,” Kseibati said. “But Alhamdulillah [all praise to God], we are doing good.”
Kseibati said Shawarma Bite also accepts BuckID at its 12 E. 16th Ave. location.
