The Halal Boom in Columbus

Why we’re seeing more halal burgers, tacos and fried chicken on local menus

Apr 10, 2025

A halal smashburger from AnA Shawarma (Credit: Bethia Woolf)

Trends

What’s Behind the Halal Boom in Columbus?

By Bethia Woolf

Columbus’ halal food scene is expanding far beyond its traditional cultural confines. From birria tacos to chopped cheese sandwiches, Muslim-owned and halal-friendly businesses are reshaping how the city eats—and who gets to eat what.

AJ’s Tacos is, as far as we know, the only authentic taco truck in Columbus that serves halal food. Owners Rachael and Agustin Aguirre started offering halal chicken in 2020. When a friend from Afghanistan asked why they didn’t use halal beef as well, the married couple realized that doing so could help expand their customer base. Since their menu focuses on beef birria and excludes pork products, the transition to fully halal was easy. The business has been completely halal since 2021.

“We have a diverse number of customers, and we appreciate them all. We’re happy our Muslim customers can enjoy our amazing food as well,” Rachael says.

The AJ’s Tacos trailer has a 100-percent halal menu (Courtesy Rachael Aguirre)

What is halal? In Arabic, halal means “permissible” or “lawful” and refers to food allowed under Islamic dietary laws. Zabiha is the specific method of an animal’s slaughter that makes meat halal. Guidelines include using a sharp knife to make a swift, deep incision to the throat—cutting the jugular veins and windpipe but leaving the spinal cord intact. The person performing the slaughter must be Muslim and must invoke the name of Allah, and the blood must be completely drained from the animal’s body. Pork is considered haram (“forbidden”).

AJ’s is not the only non-traditional restaurant now offering halal food. Halal options—especially in the fast-food space—are booming locally. A quick search on Google Maps or a drive around Columbus reveals halal pizza, burgers, gyros and fried chicken.

While halal food has always been available in the city, primarily in restaurants owned by immigrants from Middle Eastern, Indian, Pakistani and Somali backgrounds, it has traditionally flown under the mainstream radar: If you knew, you knew. Now, “halal” is promoted in business names, on signage and on menus. There’s been a notable expansion over the past two years. The website halalx.org, a search engine for finding halal businesses, now lists over 60 halal restaurants in Columbus.

“There’s been a pent-up demand for Muslims to try foods that weren’t previously available to them.” —Syed Abbas, owner Apna Bazaar

Columbus isn’t alone in the growth of halal food. AB Hassan, co-owner of Hoyo’s Kitchen, says that halal food is growing nationwide because it’s an opportunity for businesses to reach more customers. In larger cities with significant Muslim populations, he notes that even Korean and Vietnamese halal options are now available. This national trend is being fueled by a growing Muslim population and an expanding Muslim middle class.

Columbus is a growing city, and its Muslim population is increasing, too. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), Muslims comprise 3.2 percent of the population in Franklin County—up from 0.58 percent in 2000. Not only has the Somali community grown, but so has the Arab population, including Syrians, Palestinians and Algerians.

“Young people are coming into the industry, and they want to make food that they and their friends will enjoy,” Hassan says. Many young Muslims who grew up in the U.S. don’t want to eat Somali or Bengali food all the time. They want more variety and the ability to enjoy the foods they see on social media and that their non-Muslim friends eat.

Apna Bazaar on Bethel Road has a halal butcher (Credit: Bethia Woolf)

Syed Abbas opened his halal meat market and grocery store, Apna Bazaar, in 2007, and has watched the Muslim customer base grow significantly over the past 20 years. He has also seen a shift toward fast-casual dining and a desire for instant gratification among young Muslims. He says traditional and time-consuming sit-down meals are less appealing to them.

“My kids like wings and burgers—places where they can bring their American friends,” Abbas says. “They want places that are on Uber Eats and DoorDash. There’s been pent-up demand for Muslims to try foods that weren’t previously available to them.”

Auzy Raghbat is one of those young Muslims entering the Columbus food scene. He moved from Atlanta to Columbus because his wife’s family lives here. When he arrived, he felt the halal fast-food options were lacking. After trying a food truck and struggling to find a good location, in September 2023 he opened AnA Shawarma as a ghost kitchen inside Clintonville’s High Street Kitchens.

Raghbat says that about half of his customers are non-Muslim. He says that while awareness of halal is growing, “people can taste the difference and the quality of the meat.” He has since opened a second halal kitchen, Auzy’s Pizza & Chicken, offering pizza and pressure-fried chicken.

Halal fried chicken from Auzy’s Pizza & Chicken (Credit: Bethia Woolf)

Columbus takes inspiration from the food scenes in cities like Detroit and Chicago, Abbas says, so it’s not surprising that we’re seeing the arrival of Michigan-based chains like Pine Coast Café in Hilliard (open since October 2024) and Pizzawala’s in Polaris (open since September 2024).

Another explanation for the rise in halal fast food is the relative ease of entry. “Skilled traditional chefs are hard to find and demand high wages,” Abbas says. “It’s easier to find someone who can cook burgers than someone who can make elaborate biryanis.”

Success by local pioneers in the halal fast-food space have seemed to have encouraged others, according to Abbas and Raghbat. For example, AnA Shawarma was the first to bring halal chopped cheese sandwiches to Columbus, but now several other local businesses are offering halal versions of the NYC bodega sandwich. “All these people are doing well,” Raghbat says. “The [halal] market was really under-saturated.”

The appeal of halal food is also expanding beyond the Muslim community. While there's a rising interest in international cuisines and many have become more mainstream, some people are drawn to halal food because they view it as “cleaner.” Raghbat notes that some of his customers are bodybuilders or health-conscious eaters trying to avoid meat with hormones and antibiotics. Hassan also believes people’s awareness of halal meat is growing, with some consumers choosing halal meat for taste, ethical or health reasons.

Hassan and his brother, Mohamed, recently converted their Bubbly Hall location of Hoyo’s into a halal burger concept called Rhino Smashburger Co. Half of their customer base there is non-Muslim. “Some customers don’t even notice that we’re halal,” Hassan says. “They might notice the bacon is beef bacon, but they’re sold on the flavor.” He doesn’t get that excited when Somalis tell him that Rhino is the best burger they’ve ever had, he says, but when a non-muslim construction worker tells him that, he’s really proud.

AB Hassan (left) and his brother, Mohamed, at Rhino Smashburger Co. in New Albany’s Bubbly Hall (Credit: Bethia Woolf)

All the restaurant owners I spoke to acknowledge that halal meat is more expensive—but they believe it’s higher quality and the price is worth it for a premium product. For Muslim-owned businesses, serving halal meat isn’t a choice—it’s a necessity. But for businesses like AJ’s Tacos, the extra cost is balanced out by reaching more people. Since becoming an all-halal truck, Rachael Aguirre estimates that 25 to 30 percent of AJ’s customers are now Muslims.

Raghbat is passionate about encouraging others to make the switch. He’s even trying to persuade another business owner in his shared kitchen space to go halal. He believes catering to the Muslim market just makes good business sense.

And as Rachael puts it, “It means everyone can enjoy your food.”

Got a favorite halal spot in Columbus? Drop it in the comments—we’d love to check it out.

Around the Columbus Food & Drink Scene

Columbus is getting a new Haitian restaurant. Bibi’s Patties, which started as a home-based business, is set to open its first brick-and-mortar at 6086 Huntley Road. A grand opening celebration will take place 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, April 12.

Osteria Pizzeria just made its debut in Olde Towne East across the street from its sibling Olde Towne Tavern. Chef Sarah Rankin is overseeing the kitchen, with a menu featuring salads, subs, pizza and pasta.

Less than a mile from Osteria Pizzeria, Light Meeting House Coffee Bar & Cafe is expected to open this month at 1485 Oak St., formerly Addella’s on Oak.

Tickets are now on sale for the North Market Downtown Apron Gala, a strolling dinner featuring live music and drinks inside the city’s historic city market. The event takes place 7-10 p.m Friday, May 16. Early bird general admission tickets are $125; VIP tickets are $150. Reserve your tickets here.

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The Halal Boom in Columbus

Why we’re seeing more halal burgers, tacos and fried chicken on local menus

What’s Behind the Halal Boom in Columbus?

“There’s been a pent-up demand for Muslims to try foods that weren’t previously available to them.” —Syed Abbas, owner Apna Bazaar

Around the Columbus Food & Drink Scene

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