Top 10 Halal Pizza Places in America

One of the great things about America is the rich diversity of people, religions, and cultures that make up this beautifully diverse nation. Research from Gallup suggests that Muslim Americans are one of the most ethnically diverse religious groups in the country. Bearing that in mind it’s no surprise that the halal food scene has experienced such tremendous growth in recent years with so many cultures and tastes to draw from.

Of course even with so many unique halal dishes available I can’t help but occasionally yearn for something quick and easy like an old fashioned slice of fresh pizza pie. Pizza is an exceptionally versatile food and one of our personal favorites, making a mighty meal or scrumptious snack depending on your appetite to help sustain you throughout the day. 

While there are many places that claim to prepare their dishes in accordance with Islamic food guidelines, upon closer inspection you’ll find that some of their offerings are actually impermissable and should be avoided. With pork pepperoni and sausage being vital ingredients in more traditional recipes it can be very difficult at times to find a pizza place that’s truly halal. What makes a pizza place halal is the replacement of any pork-based ingredients with halal substitutes such as beef and turkey, keeping the recipes and tastes intact while allowing everyone the opportunity to enjoy.

Luckily for you (and our stomach), we have discovered some of the top halal pizza places in America and maybe the world, offering some of the most delicious pies you’ll ever eat. Through careful research, personal recommendations from others like Sameer Sarmast, and our own but we have arranged them in order of the quality and reputation of their offerings to help you find that perfect halal slice!

First on this list is a renowned standout located just outside of downtown Detroit. While it may not be as lavish as some of the other options on this list, they offer all the amenities of your traditional by-the-slice pizza place with several halal options. It’s important to know that unlike the rest of the entries on this list, Sicily’s is not completely halal and must be requested upon ordering.

They offer some of the best halal pepperoni and sausage in Wayne county courtesy of the famous Dearborn Sausage Company. They’re open from 10am until Midnight Monday through Thursday, Friday and Saturday until 1am, and Sunday’s from Noon to Midnight. They don’t offer much in the way of seating, so you’ll generally need to order to enjoy elsewhere. I highly recommend stopping by for lunch or a late-night slice to enjoy on the go, just remember to make sure to request halal when ordering!

 Number 9 - Fresco Pizza & Shawarma (San Francisco, CA)

Next up is a late-night staple located in the Nob Hill neighborhood of downtown San Francisco. Fresco Pizza is a by-the-slice pizza place that serves up halal prepared dishes using only the finest ingredients and offering outstanding service.

They offer a wide array of specialty pies such as the Fresco, the Mexicana, and my personal favorite, the Chicken BBQ. Fresco Pizza also offers a wide variety of non-pizza dishes too such as falafel, shawarma, and kebabs. They also offer a gluten-free pizza, but I didn’t ask about their preparation methods, so if you’re celiac or gluten sensitive you may want to inquire further.

The shop is open until 3 am most nights and is located right on Polk St. making it the perfect destination for that late-night slice. I highly recommend picking up a slice of that chicken BBQ when you stop in, pair that with a side of jalapeno poppers and you have a meal that simply can’t be beaten.

 Number 8 - Mega Grille (Culver City, CA)

Mega Pizza & Grille (or simply Mega Grille) has quite an interesting journey behind it. The brainchild of Iranian husband and wife duo Sam & Sofia Holm, they opened the original Mega Pizza & Grille in Copenhagen, Denmark back in 1999. With the success of their flagship restaurant, the couple aimed to expand their horizons, opening a new shop in Los Angeles before eventually moving to their current home of Culver City.

The diversity of their story is reflected in their offerings with their own tagline highlighting “Scandinavian style pizza & Persian cuisine”. They offer all the traditional pies you would expect such as Margherita, Pepperoni, White, Veggie, and Pesto pizzas. Alongside those, they offer a variety of non-traditional pizzas such as the Copenhagen Gyro, the Mega Tehrangeles, pizza sandwiches, and a whole line of canoe (khachapuri) pizzas.  Also on offer is a variety of Persian dishes such as gheyme, aash, beef koobideh, and lamb shank.

I love the unique fusion of flavors and dishes they have, they offer plenty of unique twists on traditional staples while also offering foods that are faithful to their roots. They have a focus on lunch and dinner, only offering a limited Persian menu as a lunch special on Mondays, and close at 11 PM at the latest on Friday and Saturday. I definitely recommend stopping by from lunch and trying the Tehrangeles pizza, or if you’re feeling adventurous give the Mirza canoe a shot. No matter what you try you’re bound to find something you love.

 Number 7 - Fratello Halal Pizza & Grill (Richardson, TX)

Fratello is another no-frills pizza joint located in a strip mall in Richardson, a small city just north of Dallas. Originally founded in Plano, they moved to their current location about three years ago. They focus on specialty pizzas offered at a fixed rate depending only on the size of the pie and not the ingredients themselves, so you can focus more on your taste buds want rather than your current budget's needs.

Fratello offers several more traditional pizzas such as a cheese lover, meat lovers, veggie supreme, and a Mediterranean pie. They also offer several non-traditional pies such as their Greek Style (tomatoes, kalamata olives, olive oil, oregano, mozzarella, and feta cheese) , Mama (garlic butter, dates, egg, mozzarella, and feta cheese), and Nacho (made with nacho cheese sauce, ground beef, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and mozzarella cheese) pizzas. They also offer “make your own” specials if you’re feeling creative, alongside a variety of pasta and sandwich offerings.

They’re another location that focuses mainly on lunch and dinner, closing at 11 pm at the latest on Fridays and Saturdays only, so if you’re looking for a late-night bite you’re unfortunately out of luck. I don’t consider this a negative though, they focus on what they’re great at and don’t rely on gimmicks for their sales. I highly recommend stopping in for lunch and giving one of their less traditional offerings a try, I’d personally suggest picking up a personal Mama pizza when you get the chance, the flavor combination on a pizza is absolutely outstanding.

 Number 6 - rooklyn Halal Grilled Chicken & Pizza (Worth, IL)

This place has a New York style pizza written all over it. Brooklyn Halal Grilled Chicken & Pizza is another by-the-slice strip-mall staple located on South Harlem Street in Worth, a southern suburb of Chicago. They’ve been family owned and operated in the same location since 2012, with their great pricing and service quickly earning them a place as a beloved neighborhood hotspot. 

Brooklyn Halal has an all-halal menu offering their signature wood-fired grilled chicken wings, chicken tenders, and hand-tossed pizzas. They also have a decent offering of non-pizza items as well such as baba ghanouj, chicken dinners, and tenor bread. There’s a small variety of specialty pizzas on offer such as the Caesar (sausage, onions, green peppers, mushrooms) along with the Philly Steak (steak, onions, green peppers) as well as a traditional like veggie and meat lovers pies.

They’re opened until 1 am most nights, the only exception being Sunday where they close at midnight instead. While with most places on this list you’ll most likely need to make a lunch trip for to avoid them at peak hours, Brooklyn Halal allows you the flexibility to stop by and pick up a late night slice. I personally recommend picking up a slice (or two!) of their meat lovers with an order of their signature wood-fired grilled wings, it’s a quick and delicious filling meal that’s sure to satisfy.

 Number 5 - Pizza & Pita (New York City, NY)

Located on the east side of the Murray Hill neighborhood in Manhattan, Pizza & Pita has been a staple of their community for the past 20 years. They’re your typical no-frills New York pizza place that’s completely halal. With the quality of their product, and a prime location to boot, Pizza & Pita offers the perfect New York pizza experience to everyone and anyone.

Pizza & Pita offers a myriad of specialty pies always available by-the-slice, almost too many to cover in a single article. Some key standouts are the Gyro (made with lamb, tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese), the Chicken Parmigiana (fried chicken, tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese), and my personal favorite, the Buffalo Chicken (fried chicken, buffalo sauce, blue cheese, and mozzarella cheese). They have a variety of non-pizza items as well, such as pitas, falafel, and hero subs.

I would certainly consider this place a great late night option, staying open until 1:30 am Monday through Thursday until 4:30 am Friday and Saturday, with their earliest night being Sundays where they close at 11:30 pm instead. I highly recommend stopping through any time of day (although the option to pick up that 3 am slice is always appealing) and check out their full array of slices when you get the chance. My stomach would point you toward a slice of their buffalo chicken pizza, although I do have to give some special love for their outstanding selection of pitas as well.

 Number 4 - Football Pizza (Minneapolis, MN)

Originally founded as Crescent Moon Bakery in 2000 by Afghan native Meerwais Azizi, the bakery quickly won the hearts and stomachs of Minnesotans with their delicious naan and pastry offerings. It was a menu expansion a few years later that gave birth to their signature dish and current namesake, the flatbread football pizza. What seems like a simple and somewhat gimmicky concept rapidly ballooned the Crescent Moon Bakery into a regional hit, leading them to expand to two additional locations, launch a frozen pizza line, and to adopt their flagship product as their moniker.

Alongside more traditional pizza offerings, Azizi worked to incorporate flavors of his home into some of his recipes, with the football pizza itself being an Americanized take on Afghan flatbread. Their house special features peppers, onions, spicy beef, and a side of spicy cilantro-pepper chatni for dipping. While their chef’s special features eggplant, mushrooms, and kalamata olives alongside that outstanding chatni. They are a variety of koruma, gyros, and kebabs available, but if you’re coming here you simply have to give their signature football pizza a shot.

They focus solely on lunch and dinner, closing at 10 pm at the very latest. While it’s disappointing you can’t squeeze in the late-night slice, the rich quality and menu selection makes it worth planning a lunch date for.  I highly recommend picking up a House Special pie on its own, they’ll be plenty left to share but with how delicious it is I’m not sure you’d want to.

 Number 3 - Alaeddin’s Pizza (Patterson, NJ)

Alaeddin’s Pizza is a lovely hole-in-the-wall owned by the Jordanian-native Alaeddin brothers in the heart of Patterson, New Jersey. It’s a perfect example of a no-frills joint with a strict focus on all the typical neighborhood pizza shop staples such as their signature pizzas, fried chicken, wings, and subs. Of course with how well they’ve honed and perfected their craft, there’s no need for them to have a flashy location or gimmicks.

Alaeddin’s menu is fairly traditional Italian-American fare prepared halal with a couple of standouts such as their delicious chicken shawarma wraps or their signature falafel with hummus. Their staple is their Buffalo Chicken pizza, which is baked to perfection and topped with spicy fried chicken and blue cheese dressing. The brothers also offer a couple of unique specialty pies such as the Potato and Garlic, and their Chicken and Turkey-Bacon Ranch.

They’re another lunch and dinner focused location, closing at 10:30 pm with the exception of Friday and Saturday where they’re extended until 11:30 pm. While you can’t get a late-night slice you can stop by for lunch and enjoy your slices out on their patio. I definitely recommend picking up a slice or two of their Buffalo Chicken pizza, although I would like to give a special nod to their outstanding grilled chicken sandwiches as well. Either way, you can’t go wrong with the best quick lunch in Patterson.

 Number 2 - Crespo Pizza & Italian Grill (Houston, TX)

Crespo Pizza & Italian Grill is an exceptional strip-mall staple located in the Westchase District of Houston. Their focus is on high-quality pies made from high-quality ingredients, opting to use 100% organic flour in their doughs, and organic vegetables for toppings when seasonally available.

Crespo’s menu is focused on all the traditional Italian-American staples of any pizza place and features an array of speciality pies such as their Crespo Little Italy (roasted eggplant, fresh garlic, tomatoes, mushrooms, and kalamata olives), the Crespo Spinach Especial (cooked spinach, fresh garlic, topped with extra virgin olive oil and a 4-cheese blend), and the Golden State (artichoke hearts, spinach, fresh garlic, and mushrooms). I’d also like to give a special nod to their outstanding stromboli and calzones as well, the Crespo stromboli is phenomenal.

They actually have one of shortest windows to stop by on this list, closing at 9 pm Monday through Thursday, extending that to 9:30 pm on Friday and Saturday, and closing completely on Sundays. They’re definitely worth making the trip for lunch if you’re in the area, the care they put into making fresh pizza with high-quality ingredients shines through in every bite. I highly recommend picking up a Crespo Little Italy pie when you do, eat a couple of slices out on the patio and take the rest home to savor for later.

Number 1 - 786 Degrees (Los Angeles, CA)

Of course, the top choice on our list happens to be one of the highest rated and most revered pizza places in the entire country. Chef Ali Haider, former Lamborghini spokesmodel turned pizzaiolo, traveled to Naples in 2010 to hone his craft at Scuola Professionale di Pizzaiolo in order to pursue his dreams of opening his own all-halal pizzeria. 786 Degrees puts their own unique spin on traditional Italian pizza with flavors influenced by Egypt, India, and the Mediterranean offering several unique pies you won’t find anywhere else.

A great example is the Istanbul (chicken doner kebab, homemade haideri sauce, onions, mozzarella, olive oil, Himalayan salt, fresh cucumber) or the Habibi (smoked mozzarella, garlic yogurt sauce, your choice of lamb or beef, kofta roasted onions, topped with their own blend of Egyptian herbs, spices, olive oil, and sea salt) and a special mention goes to the award-winning Bombay Tikka Masala pie (San Marzano tomatoes, signature saffron tikka masala sauce, tandoor baked chicken kebab, mango chutney, burrata, paneer, roasted peppers, grilled onions, fresh cilantro, topped with olive oil, Himalayan salt, and a splash of kaffir lime).

786 is a homey strip mall staple featuring a massive wood-fired oven that takes advantage of conduction, convection, and radiant heat to deliver crisp piping hot pies in less than 2 minutes. They’re quite busy and are only open until 9 pm, extending to 10 pm on Friday and Saturday. I highly recommend stopping by between lunch and dinner to avoid the crowd and pick up an “All Fired Up!” pie (house BBQ, San Marzano tomatoes, smoked chicken, peppers, onions, mozzarella, topped with olive oil and Himalayan salt), they’re not ridiculously big and will make a perfect meal for any occasion.

So hopefully you found this list helpful and are now interested in checking one of these pizza spots out on your next travel excursion.  Tell us what you think - is there any that deserve to be on this list that we left out?  Or, one that needs to be bubbled up to the Top?