Lowell is one of the easiest cities in Massachusetts to eat halal in, and one of the least talked about. The old mill city along the Merrimack River has a cluster of halal restaurants spread across its neighborhoods, a handful of markets with halal meat, and a large masjid just over the Chelmsford line. With the clocks falling back on Nov. 1 and Maghrib arriving before dinner, it is a good season to know where a quick, reliable halal meal is.

This guide groups the Lowell listings in the Mass Halal restaurant directory by part of the city, so you can plan around work, school or prayer. One note before you go: in our directory, "directory-reported" means a halal directory such as Zabihah lists the place as halal, and "restaurant-reported" means the restaurant itself says so. Neither is a certificate. If certification matters to you, ask to see it, and ask which items are halal when a menu mixes halal and non-halal food.

Downtown and the canals

Lemon & Thyme Bistro, 491 Dutton Street. A Syrian and Mediterranean kitchen on Dutton Street, near the canals and the downtown mills. Zabihah lists it as fully halal with no alcohol, based on the staff's verbal assurance, and says certification details have not been added. Look for shawarma, kebab plates and hummus. Zabihah lists hours of 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., but at least one review site shows it closed on Mondays, so check before a weekday trip. Directory listing.

Jimmy's Halal Fried Chicken, 35 Bridge Street. A short walk from downtown, Jimmy's serves fried chicken, burgers, gyros, kebab platters and biryani. It is restaurant-reported halal in our directory. Its delivery menu tags many meat dishes as "Halal" but not every item, so ask about anything without the tag. Its own website lists Monday as a closed day. Directory listing.

Marko's Mediterranean Grill, 282 Appleton Street. A small Mediterranean and Greek-style grill a few blocks from Jimmy's. Zabihah lists it as fully halal and alcohol-free on the staff's word, and its listing says the business served the U.S. Air Force in Europe for 20 years before coming to Lowell. Its listed hours end at 7 p.m., so treat it as a lunch spot and call ahead at (603) 557-0048. Directory listing.

Pawtucketville and Centralville

Egyptian Grill (now Yassa Grill), 272 Riverside Street. This Pawtucketville spot, which Roaming Hunger lists as a food truck, appears in our directory as Egyptian Grill. Its Facebook page and online ordering now use the name Yassa Grill, with the phone number (978) 455-9698. Zabihah lists it as fully halal and says all food is certified halal; the truck's Roaming Hunger profile says it uses certified halal lamb, chicken and kofta. Try the kofta or a lamb plate with yellow rice. Directory listing.

Shah's Halal, 61 Mammoth Road. The Lowell branch of the Shah's Halal chain serves platters, gyros and its white sauce. The chain's Lowell page lists noon to 11 p.m. every day. Directory listing.

Crown Fried Chicken, 813 Lakeview Avenue. A fried chicken spot in Centralville, listed as fully halal by directory reports. Directory listing.

Near the Chelmsford line, close to the masjid

The west side of Lowell, along Westford Street, Middlesex Street and Parkhurst Road, is where you'll find South Asian food. It is also right next to the Islamic Society of Greater Lowell.

Paradise Biryani Pointe, 1689 Middlesex Street. A biryani-focused Indian restaurant, listed as fully halal. Its Lowell website lists the address and phone (978) 677-7181 and hours to 9:30 p.m. Directory listing.

Priya Indian Cuisine, 1270 Westford Street. An Indian restaurant listed as fully halal by directory reports, and about a tenth of a mile from EggMania. Directory listing.

EggMania, 83 Parkhurst Road. A branch of a small chain with a fusion menu that leans Indian and Pakistani. Directory reports list it as fully halal; if you are unsure about an item, ask. Our directory puts it about 0.1 miles from the masjid, so it is the closest bite after Jumu'ah. Directory listing.

Where to pray

The Islamic Society of Greater Lowell (ISGL) is at 5 Courthouse Lane in Chelmsford. It was founded in 1993 and moved to a larger, renovated building in February 2019. Its website lists two Jumu'ah prayers, at 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.; check the site for the current iqamah times after the time change. Mosque listing.

Halal groceries and meat

If you are cooking at home, our markets directory lists several Lowell options:

  • Food Basket International, 123 Church Street. Halal, as reported by the business. Zabihah lists this Lowell store as fully halal based on staff verbal assurance and notes hand-slaughtered meat; no certificate is on file there.
  • Halal Foods, 1717 Middlesex Street. Halal, as reported by directories, and close to Paradise Biryani Pointe.
  • Bombazo Supermarket, 1320 Middlesex Street. A general supermarket listed as partially halal, with halal-certified meats at the butcher counter. Not everything in the store is halal.

Help us keep it accurate

Restaurants change owners, names and hours, as the Egyptian Grill and Yassa Grill example shows. If you eat at one of these places and something has changed, use the "Report a correction" link on its listing page, or leave a review there. Your notes help the next family searching for a halal dinner in Lowell.