The Halal Guys Opens Saturday — But Is It Really Worth the Hype?

Batten down the hatches, Dallas: This Saturday, July 23, New York City street food vendor-turned worldwide fast casual restaurant, The Halal Guys, will open its doors on Lemmon Avenue. Blame social media or food journalism or just a propensity for anything labeled "street food," but this has become one of Dallas' most hyped openings of the summer.

When Halal Guys opens, Dallas will have a crack at their gyro, chicken platters and pitas at will. The new “American Halal” shop will even offer late night service on Fridays and Saturdays. Halal yes.

If you can’t wait until Saturday to get your hands on their goods, you can give this new spot a try using the delivery service Caviar, which is what we did this week to see what all the buzz is about. We tried the combo platter (chicken and gyro meat with rice, pita and veggies), the falafel and a gyro. So how'd it stack up to the masses' frequent praises? 

It was ... OK. The chicken and gyro meat was a little on the dry side and tasted, as street food goes, pretty run-of-the-mill. Portion sizes are big — an order should net you a big lunch plus leftovers, particularly when you're facing down the massive gyro. As for Halal Guys famous white sauce, it didn't strike us as anything worth hoarding, but without it, the food would've been pretty unremarkable. Is this food worth the inevitable lines that are sure to wind out Halal Guys' Dallas door? In our opinion, no — unless you've got some sentimental attachment to this otherwise typical street food. It'll certainly come in handy if you're inebriated and/or hungover, but don't expect the moon just because the internet can't contain its excitement. 

Starting this weekend, you can visit Halal Guys to see if it lives up to your expectations — or you can go ahead and order it now on Caviar. The first 500 diners on Saturday will also get free swag. If you’re just there for the food, get there early to ensure you can grub on this grub. 

The Halal Guys, 5444 Lemmon Ave.