With the Halal Shack’s debut at the HUB, UC Riverside now has a new dining option.
The restaurant, which officially opened on campus on Thursday, January 12, is the first place with a completely halal cuisine on school. The restaurant serves Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavors and spices with American-style fusion, with a nod to the street food of New York City.
Customers at Halal Shack can customize their own bowls of food by selecting from a variety of ingredients, including rice, salad, zucchini noodles, and french fries. Customers have the option of adding chicken, beef, falafel, chickpea korma (a delicacy from Afghanistan), or the vegetarian Impossible meat alternative. The bowl is finished with a selection of unique flavors.
Gilbert claimed that the new eatery broadens the variety at the HUB, which already features restaurants serving Mexican, Chinese, and Japanese cuisine in addition to sandwiches and burgers.
Similar to how kosher food adheres to Jewish dietary laws, halal refers to meats and food that are procured and prepared in accordance with Islamic dietary regulations.