What’s on the menu at The Halal Guys, Toronto’s first location of the New York food-cart favourite
Not many fast-food places need a security detail, but the May 5 grand opening of Toronto’s first Halal Guys at Yonge and Wellesley is expected to require crowd control. Since 1990, when the New York–based chain started slinging gyros at its first food cart (which is still there at West 53rd Street and Sixth Avenue), the brand has developed a cult following. “Not many food carts get mentioned in what-to-do-in-New York lists,” says co-owner Imran Momin says, who hopes to open six more restaurants in the GTA. Today, there are almost 50 Halal Guys, with new locations popping up everywhere from South Korea to Jakarta. No matter where the restaurant, though, it’s the same short menu: chicken wraps, beef gyros, falafels and platters. “We’re famous for our white sauce, our hot sauce and our long lines,” says Momin.
563 Yonge St., thehalalguys.com, @thehalalguystoronto
Caroline Aksich, a National Magazine Award recipient, is an ex-Montrealer who writes about Toronto’s ever-evolving food scene, real estate and culture for Toronto Life, Fodor’s, Designlines, Canadian Business, Glory Media and Post City. Her work ranges from features on octopus-hunting in the Adriatic to celebrity profiles.
