The Halal Guys, Leicester Square

Those who have spent a lunchtime wandering around Midtown Manhattan may have spotted one of The Halal Guys’ food trucks. With their bright yellow and red branding, wafting scent of grilled meat and a long queue of suited city workers patiently waiting in line for their lunch, these street food trucks are instantly recognisable. Now, The Halal Guys has opened a bricks and mortar restaurant on Irving Street in London’s Leicester Square.

As the name suggests, the main offering from The Halal Guys is grilled halal meat, which is chopped and served either wrapped in pitta bread or on a platter with rice and salad. Vegetarians, meanwhile, can swap grilled meats for the brand’s equally popular falafel. All options are then drizzled in chilli sauce or ‘white sauce’ – a moreish, tzatziki-esque topping made with a recipe that’s shrouded in secrecy.

The Halal Guys serves its meat in either pittas or platters

The original Halal Guys food truck was set up in 1990 by three Egyptian immigrants: Mohammed Abouelenein, Ahmed Elsaka and Abedelbaset Elsayed. Swapping the typical street food offering of hot dogs and giant pretzels for halal meat and pittas, the truck became instantly popular with the city’s Muslim population. Over time, one cart became five and today, there are also two Halal Guys restaurants in New York and over 200 either open or in the pipeline in other locations across the world – including in the Philippines and Indonesia.

The London opening marks The Halal Guys’ first outlet in Europe. The restaurant opened its doors on Saturday 30 March to some serious fanfare: 2,000 people queued over the course of the day – some for over two hours – to get their hands on one of the restaurant’s infamous platters or pittas.

Plans don’t stop there, either. The Halal Guys is due to open a second London restaurant in Earl’s Court in the near future, while a further 20 restaurants are expected to open around the country in the next five years.