https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/food/2023-04-06/maghrib-time-again-enjoy-iftar-at-these-austin-spots/

Maghrib Time Again? Enjoy Iftar at These Austin Spots.

By A. Richmond, April 6, 2023, 11:30am, On the Range

There are a few more weeks of Ramadan and several restaurants in town have created special menus or adjusted their hours for the holy month, in which observers fast from dawn to sunset.

Sana Khan, who operates the tasty Insta account Austin Halal, shared that the pan-Asian Inchin's Bamboo Garden and Mediterranean powerhouse Dimassi's are offering iftar buffets.

Read on for a selection of delicious halal options in Austin, as rated by the regular users of Zabihah.com, and a few special Ramadan menus we know about. And remember, some restaurants change or extend their hours during Ramadan to accommodate those who fast all day.

Special Ramadan Menus:

MezzeMe

Running through April 20 and starting daily at sundown, the contemporary Turkish restaurant has created a sumptuous menu for diners ready to experience iftar. Chef Mahmud Ugur has built a four-course feast starting with a plate laden with traditional starters like olives, dolmades, and crispy feta cheese pie, a main with a roasted pureed eggplant, rice, and your choice of slow-braised lamb, chicken or adan. Finish the feast with baked rice pudding for dessert.

Usta Kababgy

Usta Kababgy is adjusting its hours to accommodate the sunset dinner hour. Their regular menu consists of Jordanian classics like whole roasted lamb, or stuffed lamb with rice, freekeh, or dolma on rice. They also feature a traditional mansaf plate, kabsa with chicken or lamb, mandi with chicken or lamb, maqulba with chicken or lamb, and qedra with meat. For pickup or delivery options, Usta Kababgy will take phone orders starting from 5pm, and pickup time starts at 6pm. Dine in starts at iftar (around 8pm) and Usta Kababgy will close at 11pm.

Mazaj Cafe

Mazaj Cafe has created a special Ramadan menu in addition to its regular menu. Start with dates, qatayef, and soup. Then select your choice of seven entrees, ranging from chicken biriyani to fish sayadia.

Rumaan Cuisine

Rumaan Cuisine has a deep and diverse Mediterranean menu, with staples like shawarma, kafta, and kabobs, some dishes seasoned with zaatar, or some mint. Rumaan Cuisine takes reservations, and asks that diners place their orders early to accommodate the rush following Maghrib.

Year-Round Options:

Halal Bros

This beloved West Campus house converted into a fast-casual made-to-order cafe serves the smoothest hummus with the warmest pita and the most oversized gyro platters in the immediate area. Serving mostly grateful, hungry students and nearby office workers, Halal Bros also has the most user reviews of any Austin restaurant on Zabihah, but also the most recent reviews.

Abo Youssef

The gorgeous silver airstream has been dishing out impeccable Middle Eastern food since 2016, and is the place to go for mouth-watering gyro, hefty shawarma platters, perfect dolma, and a perfectly sweet-sour-refreshing lime-mint drink.

Promise Pizza

Depending on your preferences, Promise Pizza is organic and halal, and can be as gluten- and dairy-free as you like. Or you can go the other way and get full mozzarella on your tandoori butter chicken pizza, followed with the strawberry-boba-studded ice cream fadoola.

Austin Chai Wala

Rosedale food truck Austin Chai Wala was established in 2016 and serves specialty teas (users say the best chai in town) along with sweet or savory paratha wraps (try the Nutella), and provides specialty catering for weddings and other special events. You can also order their Kashmiri chai on Amazon.