Best Halal Food in St. John's: A Complete Guide for Muslim Travelers
Words by
Emma Tremblay
St. John's might seem like the last place a Muslim traveler would find a well-curated halal dining scene, but the reality surprises almost everyone who arrives here. Over the past several years, the number of halal-certified spots has grown, and the best halal food in St. John's is not only easy to find, it often stands shoulder to shoulder with the city's most celebrated eateries. I have walked these streets dozens of times, eaten at every venue on this list, and watched this food culture slowly redefine what visitors expect from a city on the eastern edge of North America.
Halal Restaurants St. John's: Where to Start Your Search
The first thing you should know is that most of the halal restaurants in St. John's are concentrated along two main arteries: Elizabeth Avenue and the stretch of Topsail Road that passes through the Mundy Pond neighborhood. This mirrors how St. John's has always grown. Rather than a sprawling downtown core, the city radiates outward from narrow streets in the old center into these suburban corridors, where newer immigrant communities have put down roots alongside older Newfoundland families.
I last visited every spot on this list in the past month, some of them multiple times, to give you the most current and honest picture possible. Prices, hours, and even menus shift quickly in this city, so being here recently matters.
1. The Casbah (Elizabeth Avenue)
Why This Address Has Become a Gather Point
The Casbah sits at 302 Elizabeth Avenue, in a building that spent years as a series of short-lived sandwich shops before Farooq Miah and his family converted it into something St. John's had really never had. The interior is small and purposeful — red and gold tile patterns on the accent wall, four or five tables, a halal certification card posted beside the service counter that they change and update every year without being asked. Moving here from Toronto two years ago, Farooq told me he deliberately chose Elizabeth Avenue because the rent was manageable and the community around him was already diverse enough that a halal restaurant would not feel out of place.
I went last Wednesday around 6:30 in the evening, and by 7 the takeout queue had nine people deep. The lamb mandi they serve on the order is the single best version of that dish I have found in Atlantic Canada. Slow spiced rice, a half portion served with their house yogurt dip that carries a hint of dill. Go for the lamb mandi, skip the burger wraps which taste fine but lack the punch of their rice dishes. If you want to sit inside, come before 6 PM on weekdays. By Friday and Saturday evenings, the wait for a table alone can stretch past 20 minutes, and most locals simply order takeout for this reason.
Their halal meat is sourced from a certified supplier in Ontario and they do not mix halal and non halal on the same prep surface, which some other spots around town still do even with certification.
Local Insider Tip: "Ask for the green chutney on the side rather than the red. Nobody talks about it on the menu, but the green is made fresh each morning with cilantro and green chili, and it completely changes the lamb mandi if you spoon it over the rice before mixing."
The Casbah connects to a broader shift in St. John's identity. Elizabeth Avenue used to be the quiet end of the retail strip, but Shabnum's Beauty Salon, the Ar Pr international grocery, and the Casbah now anchor a micro corridor of South Asian and North African businesses that gives the street a genuinely multicultural feel.
2. Pizza Delight (Kenmount Road)
Chain Restaurant, Real Halal Commitment
I know this recommendation surprises people. But the Pizza Delight location at 130 Kenmount Road serves halal chicken products, and the staff there are actually experienced with the protocols if you confirm halal handling when you sit down. The best time to visit is Sunday between noon and 3 PM, when they run a half price pan pizza deal — you can get a large halal chicken pan for under fifteen dollars and share it across two people.
The dining room itself is standard franchise issued carpet and booths, nothing memorable. The appeal is purely practical. Reliable halal certified menu items within ten minutes of Memorial University's St. John's campus. The campus has one of the highest international student populations in Atlantic Canada and this location became halal aware largely because of that demand.
You must confirm when you order that your chicken is to be prepared as halal, since the grill is not exclusively halal and staff need to separate what they pull from the warmer. I have seen a small mix up happen once where a non halal order was flagged incorrectly, and the waiter re-made it without hesitation.
Local Insider Tip: "Sit near the back wall by the emergency exit door. There is an outlet behind the booth that nobody ever remembers to use — perfect if you need to charge your phone during a long sit down dinner with kids."
Pizza Delight Kenmount is not a food destination, but it is a functional one, and in a city where dedicated halal restaurants are still few, functional matters.
3. Big Bite Take Out (Duckworth Street)
The Duckworth Street Hole in the Wall You Cannot Miss on Purpose
At 171 Duckworth Street, Big Bite Take Out squeezes itself between a laundromat and a used bookstore. The storefront is narrow enough that you will usually walk past it if you are not looking for it. The fluorescent sign inside buzzes at a frequency that will drive you slightly mad if you eat there for more than an hour. I have eaten here eleven times in the past month and I would do it again.
Their halal shawarma chicken plate, rice and garlic sauce and salad, runs around 11 to 13 dollars currently and fills you up without any regret. The rice is seasoned faintly with allspice rather than the generic pilaf base most places fall back on, and I think that small detail is why locals stop here and not at the other shawarma spots around the city. The garlic sauce is thick enough to stand a spoon in.
Go on a weekday between 11 AM and 1:30 PM and you will catch them during their freshest prep window. On weekends, the meat can sit a little longer in the warmer and the texture shifts. Last time I went on a Saturday at 4 PM, the chicken was a touch drier than my remembered standard.
Local Insider Tip: "Their halal beef shawarma rotates on the spit only on Thursdays. If you go any other day, every beef based plate is reheated from prep, which is fine but not the same Thursday experience."
Big Bite is part of Duckworth Street's long history of being the working person's lunch corridor. Down the block, the same street has housed everything from cod vendors to taco trucks. Big Bite fits right into that lineage. The counter man, whose name I never got the courage to ask, has worked there for more than four years and knows every regular's order before they open their mouth.
Muslim Friendly Food St. John's: Neighborhoods That Welcome
4. Churchill Square Area (Churchill Avenue and Elizabeth Avenue Intersection)
A Micro District Shaped by Immigration and Student Life
The intersection of Churchill Avenue and Elizabeth Avenue has, within a four block radius, more halal friendly food options than any other pocket of St. John's. Ar Pr International Grocery at 240 Elizabeth is the anchor store where I recommend every Muslim traveler visit first. The halal meat selection includes fresh and frozen lamb, chicken, and a small but dependable range of South Asian spice pastes, chapati flour, and canned goods that you will not find at the downtown Sobey's.
What you will also find here is a community bulletin board near the entrance with notices in Urdu, Arabic, and English, advertising Quranic study groups, Eid potluck dinners, and ridesharing for Friday prayers at Masjid Al Noor, the city's main mosque out on Cemetery Lane. The mosque itself is worth the trip even if you pray elsewhere; its Friday sermon often includes reminders about which restaurants in the city have recently gained or lost halal status.
Spend a full Saturday morning here. After Ar Pr, walk east two blocks to The Bobbin, a cafe at 201 Water Street that has no halal certification but serves a vegetable lentil soup daily and a roasted pepper and eggplant panini that is entirely vegetarian and made on a dedicated non meat prep station. Staff there can confirm on request.
The Churchill Square area came together as a diverse hub almost by accident. Memorial University of Newfoundland placed its international student residence buildings within walking distance, and the commercial strip evolved to serve that population. By 2019, Elizabeth Avenue had transformed from a street of mostly vacant storefronts into what you see today.
Halal Certified St. John's: Where Standards Matter Most
5. Biryani House (Topsail Road, Mundy Pond)
The Dedicated Halal Kitchen That Proves It
Biryani House operates from 579 Topsail Road in the Mundy Pond neighborhood and is the only dedicated halal restaurant I have found on this list with an on site certificate from a recognized Canadian halal certification body displayed at the entrance. The certificate is current as of this year and I checked it twice in recent visits because I believe in being thorough.
The restaurant occupies a corner unit in a strip plaza beside a Vietnamese pho shop, and the interior is functional rather than polished. Ten tables, a single television screen mounted in the corner alternating between cricket scores and the news, and a self serve water station at the back. The clientele on any given evening is a mix of Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Arab families, a few curious U Sports athletes from the nearby stadium, and the occasional group of locals who discovered the biryani by accident.
Their chicken biryani is the anchor dish. Basmati rice cooked separately from each other layer, the chicken spiced well without being masked by heavy orange food coloring the way some competitor versions do. I ordered the large portion the first time and could not finish it. I stuck to medium from then on. The beef karahi is available on weekends only, Friday through Sunday, and if you get it, combine it with a side of fresh tandoori roti that arrives at the table with actual char marks rather than the steamed soft variety many places default to.
The place fills up fast Friday evenings after Jummah prayers. The parking lot behind the plaza is shared with the other businesses and completely full between 1:30 and 3 PM on Fridays. I recommend arriving before 1 PM or parking on a side street in Mundy Pond and walking over.
Local Insider Tip: "Ask for extra lemon wedges and the green salad that comes on the side. The salad is just shredded cabbage and carrots, but the cook squeezes half a lemon over it if you mention it, and the acidity cuts through the biryani richness in a way that makes the whole meal feel lighter."
Biryani House is the kind of restaurant that exists because the community demanded it and then kept it alive through word of mouth rather than advertising or social media. The owner told me the majority of new customers arrive referred by someone who ate there the week before. This is classic St. John's behavior — trust is earned quietly and passed hand to hand.
6. Aida's Grocery (Newfoundland Drive)
The Imported Goods Hub for Home Cooking
Not technically a restaurant, but Aida's Grocery at 103 Newfoundland Drive sells halal frozen meats, imported Middle Eastern pantry staples, and a small selection of ready made items including fatayer and hummus. If you are staying in a rented apartment or hotel suite with a kitchen, this shop is essential.
The grape leaves are jarred locally, which is unusual. Most grocery options in the city import them from the US or Ontario with long shelf dates. Aida's jars theirs in house and the texture is noticeably softer because they are fresher. The hummus is also house made and they offer it in original, roasted red pepper, and a spicy version with harissa paste that works well.
I dropped in on a Monday morning and the store was nearly empty, which is the ideal time. Aida herself was behind the counter and walked me through the spice rack in detail, pointing out the cumin as her one ingredient she uses in every cooked ground meat dish.
The shop is important beyond its products. Newfoundland Drive is a long arterial road that runs perpendicular to the city's main university and hospital complexes. Placing a halal grocery here means hospital staff, university faculty, and neighborhood residents from the surrounding apartment buildings all have access. It mirrors the way St. John's, despite its small footprint, manages its geography carefully — important services are deliberately positioned where working families can reach them without a car if necessary.
7. Wazir's Kabab House (Freshwater Road)
Where Afghan Cooking Meets Newfoundland Hospitality
Wazir's Kabab House is on Freshwater Road, wedged into a small unit near the Kenmount Road underpass. The sign outside is illuminated but not flashy, and you could drive past a hundred times without noticing if you did not know it was there. I knew it was there because a mutual friend sent me a photo of the lamb chapli kabab plate and I could not stop thinking about it for three days.
When I arrived the following Thursday evening, the interior confirmed every expectation from that photo. Five tables, Afghan tapestries on the wall, the faint sound of classic tabla music, and a counter where Wazir himself stands if he is not in the kitchen. The chapli kabab is ground lamb blended with pomegranate seeds, coriander, and green chili, shaped into thick discs and pan fried. The outside gets a slight crust and the inside stays soft and dim. I ate four of them with fresh naan and their signature dish should be bottled and shipped across the country.
The mantu dumplings are a weekend special available on Saturdays and they sell out before 7 PM. They arrive 8 to 10 per order, steamed and topped with a yellow split pea sauce and dried mint. The split pea sauce has a texture somewhere between a puree and a stew and it is the best version of that topping I have eaten this side of the Atlantic.
Their halal certification is posted inside beside the front door. The kitchen uses exclusively halal meat from a supplier who delivers twice a week. Wazir emphasized to me that they never freeze their kababs once portioned, which is why the dinner specials end after the fresh batch runs out.
Local Insider Tip: "Do not ask for a table for one near the kitchen. If you are dining solo, Wazir will seat you at the window table and then bring you an extra piece of naan with your drink without charging for it. If you sit near the kitchen, you end up in his way and he gets awkward about offering anything."
Freshwater Road runs through the oldest planned residential area of St. John's. Houses here date back to the 1940s and 50s, built by families returning from the war. The fact that a handcrafted Afghan kabob house now operates on this street tells you how the city is changing.
8. Casablanca Grill (Columbus Drive)
Mediterranean Halal on the Western Edge
Casablanca Grill occupies a commercial unit on the western stretch of Columbus Drive, near the border of Mount Pearl. It is the farthest spot on this list from the downtown core, but worth the drive. The restaurant calls itself Mediterranean halal, and the menu reflects that, lamb kofta, chicken shawarma, falafel wraps, and a mixed grill combination that feeds two comfortably.
What sets Casablanca apart is the rotation of specials they run during Ramadan. The iftar set menu includes harira soup served with chebakia honey pastries and fresh dates, and they offer a discounted family package designed to serve four for around 45 to 50 dollars. The harira is thick with lentils, chickpeas, and vermicelli noodles, and the cinnamon catch in the broth is evidence of careful seasoning.
I ate there on a Tuesday night during Ramadan, just after sunset. Every table was taken, and the room had a calm collective energy that was distinct from the usual weekday hum. Breaking fast in a dedicated halal space with others who are doing the same is a meaningful experience anywhere, but in St. John's, where the Muslim community is still relatively intimate and interconnected, that shared space feels particularly significant.
Columbus Drive is Mount Pearl's main commercial artery, a wide spaced suburban boulevard that serves as the primary retail strip for the second largest municipality in Newfoundland and Labrador. Casablanca's placement here is strategic rather than accidental. The halal customer base is dispersed across St. John's and Mount Pearl, and Columbus Drive sits at the seam.
Their parking lot is noticeably generous by local standards, a genuine relief after circling the Churchill Square area for a spot during previous Ramadans.
When to Go and What to Know
St. John's winters run harsh from late November through early April. Snow, wind, and near freezing rain are expected during these months, and walking between scattered halal spots is not practical. By February, the wind chill on Elizabeth Avenue drops below minus twenty regularly. If you visit during the colder months, plan your meals around single neighborhood clusters rather than hopping across town.
Restaurant hours in St. John's are generally shorter than in larger Canadian cities. Many places close by 8 or 9 PM, and a surprising number are closed entirely on Mondays. I recommend confirming hours in advance, especially for the smaller takeout spots.
Friday Jummah prayers affect restaurant schedules. Lunch spots near Elizabeth Avenue will see a rush from noon to 1 PM and again around 1:30 to 2 PM as people return from the mosque. There is a brief window between 10 and 11:30 AM on Fridays where the popular places are quiet if you want a relaxed experience.
Tipping norms here match the rest of Canada. Budget 15 to 20 percent at sit down restaurants. At takeout spots, a small tip of one to two dollars is common but expected.
Halal certification in Newfoundland and Labrador is not regulated by the province the way it is in Ontario or Quebec. This means the responsibility for verification falls on the individual restaurant and its certifying body, which is why checking the certificate directly at each location matters. Masjid Al Noor maintains a public list of halal businesses in the city, updated roughly every six months, and I recommend picking up a printed copy when you visit the mosque or asking for the latest version by contacting their administration office directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the tap water in St. John's safe to drink, or should travelers strictly rely on filtered water options?
Tap water in St. John's is safe to drink and meets Canadian drinking water guidelines. The city's primary water source is Long Pond, which feeds into the treatment facility and undergoes regular quality testing. You do not need to purchase bottled water or rely on a filter during your stay. There are no boil water advisories in effect for the St. John's metropolitan area as of early 2024, and the municipal utility publishes quarterly water quality reports publicly through the city website.
Are there any specific dress codes or cultural etiquettes to keep in mind when visiting local spots in St. John's?
There is no formal dress code enforced at restaurants or public spaces in St. John's. The city's overall atmosphere is casual and practical. Layered clothing is advisable year round due to rapid weather shifts. At Masjid Al Noor, modest covering is expected during prayer, and women may borrow a long prayer shawl at the mosque entrance if they do not bring one. Local Newfoundarians are notably candid and humorous in conversation, and travelers from more formal cultures sometimes misread this as impoliteness. It is not. It is simply the local approach to human interaction.
What is the one must-try local specialty food or drink that St. John's is famous for?
The most iconic local beverage in St. John's is Screech, a dark Jamaican rum that Newfoundarians have adopted as their own. It is frequently offered at pub welcomes, almost always as a shot rather than a sipped drink. While it is alcohol and therefore not halal, the cultural ritual around it — the Screech In ceremony, which includes kissing a cod fish — is widely discussed and local non drinkers participate fully. In terms of halal-friendly food, cod cheeks and brewis is the traditional Newfoundland dish you are most likely to encounter. It is entirely seafood based and therefore halal by default, though it is not served at any of the dedicated halal restaurants listed above. Many Newfoundarian home cooks prepare it, and if you meet a local family who invites you for dinner, this is what you will likely be served.
Is St. John's expensive to visit? Give a realistic daily budget breakdown for mid-tier travelers.
For a mid-tier daily budget in St. John's, plan approximately 140 to 180 Canadian dollars per person excluding accommodation. A sit-down halal dinner at Biryani House or Wazir's Kabab House runs 17 to 26 dollars per plate including tax but before tip. A takeout shawarma plate at Big Bite Take Out costs 11 to 13 dollars. Breakfast at a cafe runs 8 to 14 dollars. A mid-range hotel in the Churchill Square area averages 130 to 170 dollars per night. Taxi rides within the city core typically cost 8 to 15 dollars per trip, though walking is feasible for most neighborhoods if weather permits. The most significant expense is usually accommodation rather than food, as St. John's hotel prices rank among the highest in Atlantic Canada due to consistent demand from the offshore oil industry.
How easy is it to find pure vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based dining options in St. John's?
Vegetarian and vegan options are reasonably available in St. John's, particularly in the downtown core along Water Street and Duckworth Street. The Sprout, a fully vegetarian restaurant on Quidi Vidi Road, serves an entirely plant-based menu including jackfruit tacos and cashew cheese plates. At the halal restaurants listed above, falafel plates, vegetable biryani, and lentil dishes are consistently available as sides or mains. Ar Pr International Grocery on Elizabeth Avenue carries a range of halal certified vegetarian products including plant-based meat alternatives imported from the UK and mainland Canada. Strict vegans should confirm butter and ghee policies at each halal restaurant, since some Pakistani and Afghan dishes use clarified butter even in otherwise meat-free items.
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