In this guide
Halal food in Montreal isn’t limited to shawarma any more. This guide covers 10 halal restaurants we’d send a friend to: smash burgers on the Plateau, Peshawari chapli kebabs on Saint Denis, Persian pizza downtown, halal pho in Pointe Saint Charles, and a nomadic North African dining room in Mile End. Côte des Neiges, the Plateau, downtown near Concordia and Parc Extension have the most choice.
Montreal is harder to check than Ontario cities. The HMA directory, which covers much of Ontario, lists no Montreal restaurants, so most places here rely on owner statements. For every restaurant, we looked at its website, its Zabihah and MontrealHalal listings, its Google page and recent reviews. We cut several popular places that serve alcohol. Where the only evidence is the owner’s word, we say so.
How we checked these restaurants
Each restaurant carries one of these labels:
- Fully halal, certificate on display
Zabihah records a visible halal certificate.
- Halal, owner stated
the owner or website says the food is halal, with no named certifier.
- Hand slaughtered, owner stated
the owner says the meat is hand slaughtered (zabiha).
We also flag alcohol. Montreal has a lot of bring your own wine (BYOW) restaurants, which don’t sell alcohol but let diners bring their own, so we note that too. Ask the restaurant about their supplier before you order.
Quick picks
| Best for | Restaurant | Area | Halal status | Alcohol |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Mekan and Beyond | Côte des Neiges | Halal, owner stated | Not stated |
| Late night | Chez Hailar | Downtown | Halal, owner stated | Not stated |
| Pakistani | Mama Khan | Plateau | Halal, owner stated | Not stated |
| Families | Karahi Point | Brossard | Halal, owner stated | Not stated |
| Certified burgers | Burger Factory | North end | Fully halal, certificate on display | No |
| Something different | Baan Lao | Pointe Saint Charles | Halal, hand slaughtered, owner stated | None listed |
No restaurants match this filter.
Burgers and Comfort Food
1. Mekan and Beyond
Côte des Neiges
- Best for
- Burger purists
- What to order
- Any house burgerPoutineThe tiramisu
Mekan and Beyond holds a 4.9 on Google from about 1,400 reviews, the highest rating of any restaurant on this list. The meat is ground on site every day and the buns are made in house, and reviewers notice the difference. One calls it the best burger they’ve ever had.
The idea is a burger counter with flavours from around the world, and the sides get as much care as the burgers, from poutine to desserts like tiramisu. It’s on Côte des Neiges Road.
2. ZEEZ
Plateau Mont Royal
- Best for
- Late smash burgers
- What to order
- Smash burgerSmash potatoesPoutine
ZEEZ bills itself as the best smash burger in Montreal, and a 4.6 from about 1,500 reviews suggests plenty of people agree. The owner, Ziad, trained at the Institut Paul Bocuse, and the menu keeps to what a smash burger place should do: thin crispy patties, smash potatoes and poutine.
Reviewers like the prices and the portion sizes, and several mention gluten free options. It’s open until 1am on Mont Royal Avenue, which makes it an easy late night stop on the Plateau.
3. Burger Factory
North End
- Best for
- Families with a car
- What to order
- Juicy LucySmash fromageFunnel cake
Burger Factory is the one place on this list where Zabihah records a halal certificate on the wall and hand slaughtered meat. It’s the Montreal branch of the Ontario chain, known for stuffed Juicy Lucy burgers, and that’s what reviewers order most. The funnel cake is the dessert to try.
Reviewers mention its own parking lot, which helps. Weekdays bring a smash fromage combo with fries and a drink for $12.99, according to the restaurant’s latest post.
Persian and Middle Eastern
4. Chez Hailar
Downtown
- Best for
- Late night, students near Concordia
- What to order
- Hailar special pizzaSpicy bomb pizzaPersian pastries
Chez Hailar makes Persian style pizza, and there’s little else like it downtown. The Hailar special comes topped with beef, chicken and Persian sausage under a homemade sauce, and reviewers also rave about the spicy bomb pizza. There are sandwiches, fresh juices, pastries and tea too.
It’s open until midnight during the week and until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays, so it’s popular with Concordia students. At 4.7 from about 3,200 reviews, prices are fair for the quality.
5. Château Kabab
Guy Street
- Best for
- Big platters, late dinners
- What to order
- Mixed kabab platter
Château Kabab serves Persian and Iraqi dishes on Guy Street in a room decorated in white, blue and gold. The mixed platters are the reason to come: each one arrives with soup, rice, fries, salad, hummus and pita, which is a lot of food for the price.
It’s open until midnight. At 4.1, it’s rated lower than the rest of this list, so stick with the platters that reviewers praise. There’s also a West Island branch.
Pakistani and South Asian
6. Mama Khan
Plateau Mont Royal
- Best for
- Peshawari food, a small group
- What to order
- Chapli kebabPeshawari chicken karahiButter chicken
Mama Khan is a small, family run restaurant on Saint Denis, cooking Peshawari food from recipes the Khan family has handed down for generations. The chapli kebab is the signature, and the Peshawari chicken karahi is the other dish regulars recommend. There are vegan options too.
It’s more than a restaurant. Mama Khan runs pay it forward meals and gives out free food during Ramadan. The room is compact, and it’s closed on Mondays with shorter weekend hours, so check before you go.
7. Karahi Point
Brossard
- Best for
- Families on the South Shore, iftar buffets
- What to order
- Chicken karahiNihariFish pakora
Karahi Point is a large Pakistani restaurant on the South Shore, just over the bridge in Brossard. The chicken karahi is the dish most reviewers name, followed by the nihari, and during Ramadan it runs a Pakistani iftar buffet that Montreal food accounts have covered.
It isn’t perfect. Some recent reviews say prices run high, and one complained of slow service and chicken found in a lamb biryani. At 4.6 from about 2,200 reviews, though, most diners leave happy.
8. Makkah Restaurant
Jean Talon East
- Best for
- Cheap and filling
- What to order
- Chicken biryaniShrimp riceGarlic naan
Makkah is a small, no frills Indian, Pakistani and Afghan spot on Jean Talon East, near Parc Extension and Jean Talon Market. Reviewers call the price to quality ratio hard to beat, and the chicken biryani and garlic naan are the usual order.
Don’t expect atmosphere. It’s an eat in or take out place, rated 4.3 from about 700 reviews, and it’s the budget pick on this list.
Something Different
9. Baan Lao
Pointe Saint Charles
- Best for
- Pho, trying something new
- What to order
- Beef phoBanh miMixed skewersFuchka
Baan Lao mixes Vietnamese and Bangladeshi cooking in a small, hole in the wall room in Pointe Saint Charles, and it works. The beef pho gets the most mentions in reviews, followed by the banh mi and the grilled skewers. The fuchka, Bangladeshi stuffed crispy shells, is the one to order if you’ve never tried it.
The owner told MontrealHalal the meat is hand slaughtered, and also said it isn’t formally certified. It’s useful to know exactly where a place stands. It holds a 4.8 from about 700 reviews.
10. La Khaïma Cuisine Nomade
Mile End
- Best for
- A special night, groups
- What to order
- Couscous with all three optionsBeef with datesTajine
La Khaïma is a dining room built like a desert tent, with cushioned benches, African music and shared platters. The founder, originally from Mauritania, greets guests himself, and the cooking mixes Mauritanian, Moroccan and Mediterranean dishes, with a menu that changes daily. The couscous with all three options is the classic order, and the beef with dates is a favourite.
One thing to know before booking: La Khaïma is bring your own wine, so other tables may be drinking. It closes at 9pm, so book an early dinner.
Where to find halal food in Montreal
Côte des Neiges, near the Université de Montréal, has a large student population and plenty of halal restaurants along Côte des Neiges Road, including Mekan and Beyond.
Downtown near Concordia, along Guy Street and Sherbrooke West, has Chez Hailar and Château Kabab, open late for students.
The Plateau and Mile End have newer halal spots like ZEEZ and Mama Khan, plus La Khaïma a few blocks north.
Parc Extension and Jean Talon hold many of the city’s South Asian restaurants and grocers.
The South Shore has Karahi Point in Brossard. Laval and the West Island have their own halal clusters, including a West Island branch of Château Kabab.
Tips for eating halal in Montreal
- Don’t rely on HMA here. HMA’s directory lists no Montreal restaurants, so ask each restaurant who supplies its meat. Zabihah and MontrealHalal both note whether a place is certified or only owner stated.
- Watch for BYOW. Many Montreal restaurants that don’t sell alcohol are “apportez votre vin”, meaning guests bring their own. If you’d rather not dine near alcohol, ask when you book.
- Many “halal” Lebanese and Syrian places serve alcohol. Popular spots like Garage Beirut and Beroya have halal food but also serve alcohol, which is why they’re not on this list.
- Check hours outside downtown. Smaller places like Mama Khan and La Khaïma close early or take a weekday off, unlike downtown spots open past midnight.
- Ramadan fills up fast. Iftar buffets like Karahi Point’s in Brossard get booked well ahead.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I eat halal in Montreal?
Côte des Neiges, downtown near Concordia, the Plateau and Parc Extension have the most choice. Top picks include Mekan and Beyond for burgers, Chez Hailar for Persian pizza, Mama Khan for Peshawari food and Baan Lao for halal pho.
What is the best halal restaurant in Montreal?
By Google rating, Mekan and Beyond in Côte des Neiges leads with 4.9 from about 1,400 reviews. Baan Lao (4.8) and Chez Hailar (4.7) are close behind. All three say their food is halal. Burger Factory is the only one on this list with a certificate recorded on display.
Are there halal restaurants in downtown Montreal?
Yes. Chez Hailar on Sherbrooke West and Château Kabab on Guy Street are both downtown and open until midnight or later. Garage Beirut on Mackay is halal but serves alcohol.
Is there a halal restaurant in Montreal with no alcohol at all?
Burger Factory is recorded as fully halal with no alcohol allowed. Several others on this list don’t mention alcohol, so ask. La Khaïma doesn’t sell alcohol but allows guests to bring their own wine.
Is KFC halal in Montreal?
Public reports in 2024 said most Ontario KFC locations switched to halal certified chicken, with a wider rollout expected later. We couldn’t confirm the status of Quebec locations, so ask at the restaurant before ordering.
How do I know a restaurant in Montreal is really halal?
Ask who supplies and certifies the meat and whether it’s hand slaughtered. Look for a current certificate on the wall. Zabihah and MontrealHalal show whether a restaurant is certified, owner stated or hand slaughtered, and Zabihah also records alcohol.
Final thoughts
For a first taste of halal Montreal, get a burger at Mekan and Beyond and a late slice at Chez Hailar. For something you won’t find in most cities, try the pho and fuchka at Baan Lao or a Peshawari chapli kebab at Mama Khan. Families on the South Shore will be happy at Karahi Point. If you spot a change in halal status, let us know through our Contact page and we’ll recheck.