NYC's Halal Guys Opens in South Miami With Free Food and Prizes

Put on a pair of comfortable sneakers and work up an appetite, Miami. The Halal Guys will celebrate the grand opening of the chain's first Miami-Dade location Saturday, June 23, with a slate of giveaways and free food.

Beginning at 11 a.m., the New York City-based restaurant chain will award the first 100 people in line with an exclusive Halal Guys tumbler. If you snag one, you can sip free drinks for life at the South Miami location.

If you're among the first 1,000, you'll have a chance to win various prizes, including free Halal Guys food for a month. Anyone who visits the location this Saturday will be in the running to win a 55-inch television too.

Since the Halal Guys' South Miami shop soft-opened less than two months ago, it's been slinging sandwiches and platters piled with beef gyro, grilled chicken, and falafel, along with onions, jalapeños, olives, green peppers, and several sauces, including the brand's famous white sauce. Side dishes include hummus, baba ghanouj, and fries. Baklava is on the menu for dessert. Prices range from $6.99 for a regular sandwich to $8.99 for a combo chicken-and-gyro platter.

Though the Halal Guys brand is relatively new in South Florida, the business debuted in 1990. It began with three men — Egyptian immigrants Muhammed Abouelenein, Abdelbaset Elsayed, and Ahmed Elsaka — who opened a hot-dog street cart in New York City and soon ditched the dogs for a menu of specialty halal dishes. "Halal" refers to food prepared according to Islamic law.

In nearly 30 years, the Halal Guys have developed the kind of following that most restaurants can only dream of. The original cart — located on the corner of West 53rd Street and Sixth Avenue — is still around, serving what many fans believe to be the best falafel and gyros in Manhattan.

In 2014, the company announced a mass expansion plan, which would place more than 450 locations across the world. For now, find various stores around the United States, from New Jersey and Virginia to Illinois, Nevada, and California. Outside the States, the brand runs franchises in Canada and overseas in South Korea, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

In South Florida, the Halal Guys' first franchise opened in Davie in January 2017. The following August, a location opened in Orlando. A store inside the 1010 Brickell building is expected to open before the end of the summer.

The Halal Guys South Miami. 5966 S. Dixie Hwy., #103a, South Miami; 786-216-7267. Sunday through Thursday 10 a.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.