Looking for The Halal Guys vegetarian options? Here’s the full list. The Halal Guys started as one New York City food cart on 53rd and Sixth and grew into a global halal chain, but what about the vegetarians? The menu is built around chicken and beef gyro platters, yet the lineup that has been on the cart since the early 1990s gives meat-free diners a real meal, not an afterthought: falafel, hummus, baba ganoush, french fries, warm pita bread, and baklava. This guide covers every vegetarian and vegan option at The Halal Guys, which toppings and sauces to ask for to keep things plant-based, and the signature white sauce question that trips up most first-time visitors.
A Quick Look at The Halal Guys
The Halal Guys was founded in 1990 by three Egyptian American partners: Mohamed Abouelenein, Ahmed Elsaka, and Abdelbaset Elsayed. They first ran a hot dog cart on West 53rd Street and Sixth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Within two years they pivoted from hot dogs to chicken and beef gyro over rice with pita. That is the format the chain still serves today.
Falafel was the vegetarian protein they added early on. Each falafel ball is made from ground chickpeas blended with onions, parsley, and spices, then fried. That is why falafel, not a newer plant-based product, is still the meat-free anchor of the menu. The brand stayed a single cart for more than two decades before partnering with Fransmart in June 2014. Today The Halal Guys Franchise Inc. runs more than 100 locations across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Indonesia.
- 1990: Mohamed Abouelenein, Ahmed Elsaka, and Abdelbaset Elsayed launch a hot dog cart at 53rd and Sixth in New York City.
- 1992: The cart pivots from hot dogs to chicken, beef gyro, falafel, rice, and pita, the format that defined the brand.
- 2014: The Halal Guys partners with Fransmart and launches a franchise program.
- 2015: First brick-and-mortar restaurants open outside New York. International expansion follows.
- 2016: The company donates $30,000 in scholarships to LaGuardia Community College.
- 2026: The Halal Guys operates more than 100 locations across five countries, with the original New York City carts still running.
The Halal Guys food has always centered on a short cart menu of halal food. So vegetarians today order from nearly the same list the founders served in the 1990s: falafel as the protein, with hummus, baba ganoush, and french fries on the side. There is no Beyond or Impossible product on the U.S. menu as of 2026 and no plant-based gyro. These dishes keep the vegetarian playbook here straightforward rather than expansive.
The Halal Guys vegetarian options: What to Order
Whether you want a quick sandwich or a full platter, the vegetarian order at The Halal Guys is built around falafel. The regular menu keeps it simple: falafel over basmati rice with lettuce, tomatoes, pita, and sauce. Don’t expect toppings: green peppers, olives, and jalapenos aren’t on offer. The Halal Guys keeps the salad to crisp green lettuce and tomato, then lets the sauces do the work. Keeping the order vegan just means skipping the white sauce.
The Halal Guys Vegetarian and Vegan Options at a Glance
| Menu Item | Vegetarian | Vegan |
|---|---|---|
| Falafel Sandwich (pita) | Yes | Yes (no white sauce) |
| Falafel Platter (over rice) | Yes | Yes (no white sauce) |
| Falafel (side, plain) | Yes | Yes |
| Hummus (side) | Yes | Yes |
| Baba Ganoush (side) | Yes | Yes |
| French Fries | Yes | Yes (oil shared with chicken/gyro) |
| Pita Bread (plain) | Yes | Yes |
| Lettuce & tomatoes salad base | Yes | Yes |
| Hot Sauce (red) | Yes | Yes |
| Signature White Sauce | Yes | No (contains egg) |
| BBQ Sauce | Yes | Yes |
| Baklava | Yes | No (contains butter/honey) |
| Baklava Cheesecake | Yes | No (dairy) |
| Chocolate Chip Cookies | Yes | No (dairy/egg) |
| Hibiscus / Mint / Passion Fruit Lemonade | Yes | Yes |
Vegetarian Platters & Sandwiches at The Halal Guys
The two vegetarian builds are essentially the meat platter and the gyro sandwich with falafel swapped in. The gyro here is a beef product, not the lamb you’d find at some Mediterranean places, but vegetarians skip both for falafel anyway. Order the same platters and sandwiches, beef gyro or chicken, just built with falafel:
- Falafel Platter: Six to eight falafel balls over yellow basmati rice with green iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, and a warm pita on the side. Pick your sauces and toppings at the register: white sauce, hot sauce, BBQ, or all three. This is the closest thing to a “main” on the vegetarian menu. It is usually the largest portion at the lowest price among the platters.
- Falafel Sandwich: Warm pita bread filled with falafel, lettuce, tomato, and your sauces. Smaller and cheaper than the platter but still substantial enough for a meal.
- Combo customization: The standard Combo Platter pairs chicken and beef gyro. Some locations will swap the gyro for falafel if asked. Others won’t. Worth asking, but don’t count on it as a default option.
Vegetarian Sides at The Halal Guys
The sides menu is where vegetarians get the most flexibility, and three of the four sides are fully vegan:
- Hummus: A creamy chickpea spread mixed with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. Vegan. Pairs well with warm pita bread or as an extra topping on the falafel platter.
- Baba Ganoush: A smoky roasted eggplant dip mixed with tahini and olive oil. Vegan. Creamier and slightly thinner than the hummus.
- French Fries: Crinkle-cut and salted. The potatoes themselves are vegan, but they are fried in oil shared with chicken and gyro at most locations, so strict vegans should ask before ordering. (British diners know these french fries as chips.)
- Falafel side: A small order of plain falafel balls without rice or pita. Useful as a protein add-on or for sharing.
Vegetarian Desserts at The Halal Guys
- Baklava: Layered filo pastry with chopped nuts in a sweet honey or sugar syrup. Vegetarian, not vegan, because the filo is brushed with butter and the syrup is typically honey.
- Baklava Cheesecake / Chocolate Baklava Cheesecake: A sweet cheesecake hybrid layered with baklava-style filo and nuts. Vegetarian, contains dairy.
- Chocolate Chip Cookies: Standard bakery chocolate chip cookie. Vegetarian, contains dairy and egg.
To drink, the brick-and-mortar stores pour sweetened hibiscus, mint, and passion fruit lemonades made with fruit juice, plus the usual fountain drinks. The lemonades are vegan. Skip the dessert case if you’re vegan, since the chocolate chip cookies, cheesecakes, and baklava all use dairy, egg, or honey.
What’s Vegan at The Halal Guys?
Vegan ordering at The Halal Guys requires one rule: skip the signature white sauce. The creamy white sauce is mayonnaise-based, made with soybean or canola oil, egg yolk, vinegar, water, salt, and seasonings. That makes it vegetarian but not vegan. Older guides called the white sauce “dairy.” The Halal Guys’ published ingredient information shows no dairy, but it does contain egg, which still rules it out for vegans.
- Falafel Platter, no white sauce: falafel, basmati rice, lettuce, tomatoes, warm pita, hot sauce and/or BBQ.
- Falafel Sandwich, no white sauce: the same gyro-sandwich format in a warm pita.
- Hummus + Baba Ganoush + Pita Bread: a vegan mezze plate built from sides.
- Hibiscus, Mint, or Passion Fruit Lemonade: all three are vegan.
None of the desserts are vegan. Baklava uses butter and honey, the cheesecakes are dairy, and the cookies contain egg and butter.
Special Dietary Requirements and Allergies
The Halal Guys publishes a nutritional and allergen guide on its website, and that information is worth a look before you order. A few items vegetarians should know:
- Signature white sauce: Contains egg (mayonnaise base). The company lists it as gluten-free and dairy-free, but not vegan.
- Falafel: Ground chickpeas with a blend of herbs, onions, and spices. Check at the register for sesame and gluten cross-contact at your specific location.
- Pita bread: Wheat-based and not gluten-free. Order the platter without pita for a gluten-free vegetarian build.
- Fryers: Falafel and french fries are typically cooked in fryers shared with chicken and gyro at brick-and-mortar locations. The original New York City carts cook falafel in a dedicated fryer. If you’re strict about cross-contact, ask before ordering.
- Hummus and baba ganoush: Both contain tahini (sesame). Skip if you have a sesame allergy.
Tips for Vegetarians at The Halal Guys
- Order the Falafel Platter for the best value. The platter is the best place to start: it gives you protein, basmati rice, salad, lettuce, tomatoes, and warm pita for not much more than the sandwich.
- Build a mezze. Hummus + Baba Ganoush + Pita Bread + a side of falafel balls makes a shareable vegan plate without ordering an entree.
- Go heavy on hot sauce sparingly. The signature red hot sauce is famously aggressive, so start with a half-portion.
- BBQ sauce is the underrated topping. If white sauce is off the table for you (vegan) and hot sauce is too intense, the BBQ adds moisture without heat.
- The original carts vs. franchised stores. Menus are nearly identical, but desserts and the lemonade lineup are mostly a brick-and-mortar thing. The New York City carts are platter/sandwich/sides only.
- Confirm cross-contact at your location. Falafel may be cooked in a shared fryer. The white sauce is mixed in-house and recipes can drift between franchises.
That’s the complete rundown of The Halal Guys vegetarian options. Bookmark this guide so you always know what to order, and check our other restaurant guides for more meatless picks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Halal Guys vegetarian-friendly?
Yes. Falafel has been on the menu since 1992 and serves as the vegetarian stand-in for chicken or beef gyro on both the platter and the sandwich. Hummus, baba ganoush, french fries, pita bread, and baklava round out the meat-free options. The menu is small, but the vegetarian items are clearly built into the core lineup rather than tacked on.
Is the white sauce at The Halal Guys vegetarian or vegan?
The signature white sauce is vegetarian but not vegan. The company’s published ingredient list is a mayonnaise base: soybean and/or canola oil, egg yolk, vinegar, water, salt, sugar, and seasonings, with no dairy. Vegans should order without it. Vegetarians who eat eggs can have it without issue.
Is the falafel at The Halal Guys vegan?
Yes. The falafel is made from ground chickpeas, onion, herbs, and spices and contains no animal ingredients. Most locations fry the falafel balls in oil shared with chicken and gyro, so strict vegans concerned about cross-contact should ask before ordering. The original New York City carts traditionally use a dedicated falafel fryer.
Does The Halal Guys have a veggie burger or plant-based meat option?
No. As of 2026, The Halal Guys’ U.S. menu does not include a Beyond, Impossible, or other plant-based meat substitute. Falafel is the only vegetarian protein on the menu, and the brand has stuck with it instead of adding a newer plant-based product.
Are The Halal Guys french fries vegan?
The french fries themselves are crinkle-cut potatoes seasoned with salt and contain no animal ingredients, so they’re recipe-vegan. At brick-and-mortar locations the fryer is typically shared with chicken and gyro, which is fine for most vegetarians but a dealbreaker for strict vegans. Ask staff at your specific location if cross-contact matters.
Is the baklava at The Halal Guys vegan?
No. Traditional baklava is made with butter-brushed filo and a sweet honey or honey-syrup glaze, which makes it vegetarian but not vegan. The baklava cheesecake variants also contain dairy. There is no fully vegan dessert at The Halal Guys as of 2026.
How many The Halal Guys locations are there?
The Halal Guys operates more than 100 locations as of 2026, including the original carts in New York City plus brick-and-mortar restaurants across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Indonesia. The chain franchised through Fransmart starting in June 2014. For nearly 25 years before that, it was a single Midtown cart.
Who founded The Halal Guys?
The Halal Guys was founded in 1990 by three Egyptian American partners: Mohamed Abouelenein, Ahmed Elsaka, and Abdelbaset Elsayed. They started with a hot dog cart at 53rd and Sixth in New York City and pivoted to chicken, beef gyro, falafel, and rice with pita in 1992, the format the chain still serves today.
Conclusion: Eating Vegetarian at The Halal Guys
The Halal Guys is a meat-forward menu that nonetheless treats vegetarians as a first-class case. Falafel is one of the four core proteins, not a substitution. The Falafel Platter is the highest-value vegetarian order, the sides menu is mostly vegan, and skipping the white sauce in favor of hot sauce or BBQ keeps any item vegan-compatible. For a deeper dive into ordering meat-free at chains, see our master guide to eating vegetarian and vegan at restaurants, or browse the full Restaurants archive. If The Halal Guys isn’t nearby, neighboring guides for Panera Bread, Noodles & Company, and Togo’s cover similar Mediterranean and grain-bowl territory.
