Chicken & Rice Guys, the Boston halal street-food business that started as a single food truck in 2012, is growing in two directions this fall: west to Worcester and north to Woburn.
Weekday lunch in Worcester
Since late September, the company has been serving weekday lunch from Cafe Nexus at 6 Waldo St. in downtown Worcester, Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Worcester Business Journal reported. The company said in a social media comment that it is running the Worcester operation on a trial basis for the next few months, according to the Journal. You can also order for delivery through services including Uber Eats and DoorDash.
The menu covers the familiar lineup: chicken, beef-and-lamb gyro or tofu, served over rice, on a salad or with pita. Patch also lists combination plates, hummus, baklava and a choice of sauces.
Cafe Nexus opened in May and serves coffee, crepes and sandwiches. It shares a building with Moynagh's Tavern. Worcester lunch-goers may already know the trucks: Chicken & Rice Guys appeared this summer at the Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District's Out to Lunch events on Worcester Common.
A new home base in Woburn
Closer to Boston, the company is moving its warehouse and commissary from Ferry Street in Everett, where it has operated for 10 years, to a 4,834-square-foot space at 218 West Cummings Park in Woburn. According to a press release, operations there are due to begin in October, with takeout service to follow. No takeout start date has been announced.
"After 10 years operating out of Everett, we needed a base built for where we're headed next," co-founder and operating manager Jaemin Lee said in the release. Cummings Properties, the landlord, said the company plans to use Woburn as a launchpad for growth along the I-93, I-95 and Route 3 corridors.
As of Oct. 4, the company's website still listed the Everett location at 79 Ferry St. for takeout orders, so check before you go.
Is it halal?
The company's own website calls its food "Boston's Middle Eastern Halal Street Food" and lists "Halal Chicken" on the menu. If you have questions about other items, such as the gyro, ask staff when you order.
Its Boston restaurants are at 280 Washington St., 85 Bedford St. and 17 Drydock Ave. Truck schedules are posted at cnrguys.com.
Sources: https://wbjournal.com/article/boston-based-halal-chicken-restaurant-now-serving-lunch-in-downtown-worcester/ https://patch.com/massachusetts/worcester/popular-halal-street-food-spot-opens-downtown-worcester https://hoodline.com/2026/09/chicken-rice-guys-ditch-everett-for-woburn-with-new-takeout-hub/ https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/chicken-rice-guys-woburn-boston/4008712/ https://thereadingpost.com/2026/09/04/the-chicken-rice-guys-to-open-woburn-hub/ https://cnrguys.com/locations/ https://cnrguys.com/menu/