We’ve all experienced the late night rush at the Kerbey Lane Cafe on Guadalupe on a Friday night. It’s around 2 am, everyone has vacated whatever frat party they attended and we all have the same idea: late night queso. When you finally arrive though, the place is so packed there’s not even room to stand and wait.
Meet the Halal Bros, the answer to your late night grub prayers. One of the more underrated restaurants surrounding the University of Texas Campus, Halal Bros stays open until 3 am on weekend nights and specializes in Mediterranean food. But be warned, the portions are pretty large. Come hungry.
Photo by Kathleen Lee
Halal Bros is nestled between a Burger King and a hookah lounge, so it’s pretty easy to miss. I for one, went over a year without ever truly realizing its existence. Now that I’ve been, I can’t believe I went so long without trying the chicken kebab.
Photo by Kathleen Lee
The restaurant, established by Mohamad Attal in 2012, was originally a food cart that resided downtown. In fact, customers can still visit Halal Bros’ food cart every Thursday through Saturday. The brick and mortar location serves as a cozy (and convenient) lunch, dinner or late night hub for University of Texas students on a budget.
With only a few tables and chairs in the small restaurant, there’s not a lot of space for big groups of people, so you have to plan your trip accordingly to snag a table. However, Halal Bros creates tasty food fast and serves it all in convenient takeout containers, so it also acts as the perfect night-in food. Favor, anyone? Plus, what it lacks in seating size, Halal Bros makes up for in serving size.
Photo by Kathleen Lee
The restaurant serves a selection of halal meats, including chicken, beef and lamb. It gives customers the option of serving the meat over spiced Basmati rice or in a wrap similar to a gyro.
When it comes down to it, though, the restaurant is all about the sauce. It includes a hot sauce and a signature white sauce resembling Tzatzki in its dishes. You can opt for a little bit of sauce…
Photo by Kathleen Lee
…or a lot.
Photo by Kathleen Lee
It’s up to you.
Location: 2712 Guadalupe St., Austin, TX 78705
Hours: Mon-Thurs 11 am-11 pm, Fri- Sat 11 am-3 am, Sun 12 pm-11 pm