San Francisco offers a growing halal food scene with over 200 restaurants across the city and Bay Area. The diverse population means you’ll find everything from Mediterranean shawarma to Pakistani biryani to halal-certified American cuisine. Discover more halal dining options. Explore halal food for more information.

Halal Food Accessibility in San Francisco

San Francisco has good halal accessibility:

  • 200+ halal restaurants in SF and Bay Area
  • Tenderloin district has concentrated halal options
  • Mediterranean cuisine widely available
  • Growing halal-certified chains
  • Diverse ethnic neighborhoods with halal food

Best Neighborhoods for Halal Food

Tenderloin / Little Saigon

The heart of affordable halal dining:

  • Oasis Grill: Mediterranean and Middle Eastern
  • Shalimar: Pakistani cuisine
  • Pakwan: Indian-Pakistani buffet
  • Multiple Yemeni and Afghan restaurants

Mission District

Diverse food scene with halal options:

  • Old Jerusalem: Middle Eastern classics
  • Mediterranean restaurants on Valencia Street
  • Halal taquerias (verify certification)

SOMA (South of Market)

Business district halal:

  • Sajj Street Eats: Mediterranean bowls
  • Halal food trucks during lunch
  • Delivery-friendly for office workers

East Bay (Oakland/Berkeley)

Across the bridge:

  • Oasis Food Market (Oakland)
  • Sunrise Deli (Berkeley)
  • Halal Pakistani spots in Fremont

Mediterranean

  • Oasis Grill: Multiple locations, reliable halal
  • Sajj Street Eats: Modern Mediterranean bowls
  • Old Jerusalem: Traditional Middle Eastern
  • Sunrise Deli: Berkeley institution

South Asian

  • Shalimar: Excellent Pakistani cuisine
  • Pakwan: Affordable Indian-Pakistani
  • Lahore Karahi: Authentic Pakistani
  • Naan N Curry: Multiple Bay Area locations

Yemeni

  • Yemen Kitchen: Traditional Yemeni
  • Ittadi: Yemeni in Tenderloin
  • Lamb mandi and haneeth specialties

Afghan

  • Helmand Palace: Upscale Afghan
  • Kabul Afghan Cuisine: Traditional dishes
  • Kabuli pulao and mantu

Halal Grocery Stores

San Francisco

  • Samiramis Imports: Middle Eastern grocery
  • 22nd & Irving Market: Halal meat section
  • Tenderloin markets: Multiple small halal shops

East Bay

  • Oasis Food Market (Oakland): Full halal butcher
  • Indus Food Center (Berkeley): South Asian
  • Afghan Market (Fremont): Central Asian products

Bay Area Halal Hotspots

Fremont

Large Muslim population:

  • Afghan cuisine concentrated here
  • Pakistani restaurants on Fremont Blvd
  • Halal grocery stores abundant

San Jose

South Bay options:

  • Falafel’s Drive-In: Institution since 1966
  • Multiple halal restaurants downtown
  • Indian/Pakistani corridor

Oakland

East Bay diversity:

  • Halal Yemeni restaurants
  • African halal options
  • Growing halal scene

Tourist Areas

Fisherman’s Wharf

Limited halal options:

  • Some Mediterranean spots
  • Seafood (naturally halal)
  • Use delivery apps for more options

Union Square

Shopping district:

  • Oasis Grill nearby
  • Mediterranean restaurants
  • Food court options limited

Golden Gate Park

Pack your own or:

  • Richmond District halal nearby
  • Limited options in the park itself

Practical Tips

  1. Tenderloin: Best value halal, safe during day
  2. Delivery apps: Good halal selection on DoorDash/Uber Eats
  3. Mediterranean: Most reliable halal category
  4. Ask about certification: Not all claim halal are certified
  5. Fremont trip: Worth it for authentic Afghan/Pakistani
  6. Food trucks: Check SoMa during weekday lunch
  7. Shalimar: Local favorite, multiple locations
  8. Seafood: Fresh fish at Fisherman’s Wharf is halal
  9. Friday prayers: Restaurants near mosques busy after Jummah
  10. East Bay: Often better halal than SF proper