I had been missing good Halal food for a while when a friend discovered Oasis Grill & Pizza in Providence, Rhode Island. After a little insistence, we made the  half-hour trip and I was pleasantly surprised to find an Oasis in Rhode Island (pun intended). After arriving, we were met with a very nice waitress who let us sit where we wanted. It is important to note that Oasis serves Hookah. There is a separate family dining area if you’re trying to escape a smoking atmosphere.

One of the times we went we got boneless buffalo wings as an appetizer; another time we had the hummus. I really liked the hummus and enjoyed the presentation of the dish and was appreciative for an appropriate amount of bread for the amount of hummus given. I hate going to restaurants that give a bunch of hummus and not enough bread, but that’s not a problem at Oasis. The buffalo wings were pretty good but I would recommend the hummus over it.

As for entrées, I’ve tried a bunch of the things on the menu, from the buffalo chicken sandwich to the 1/2 pound burgers, but above all my favorite was definitely the steak & cheese on a sub. They cook the steak to perfection and then oozy cheese (my mouth is watering just typing about it). The buffalo chicken sandwich is a little too buffaloey (hard to describe but as a person who LOVES buffalo chicken, something just seemed off). The buffalo chicken pizza is good and a great item to share amongst friends as you wait for more items.

They have various deserts and teas as well. I prefer going to the store in the back and getting some baklava. The store in the back is great, especially for a poor student like me. They have chicken and beef steaks and a wide variety of essentials needed to cook. The store also sells hookahs and other affiliated items.

Oasis is right across the street from the Islamic Center of Rhode Island.

Pictures

Recommendations

Hummus as an appetizer

Steak & Cheese on a sub – add the fries for only 99 cents more

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Rating

Food: 3.0 – Buffalo Chicken was a little off (too much buffalo sauce)

Value: 4.0 – very reasonably priced

Service: 4.5 – Great service from all the staff, very friendly

Decor: 4.0 – well decorated

Overall - 3.5/5

Halal Rating

Full Halal Menu – Halal Meat store in back of Restaurant

Location

220 Broad St, Providence RI 02903

Contact

Phone: (401)228-6333

Website: http://www.oasisri.com – Website doesn’t work

Sac’s is a beautiful little place off the Broadway stop in Queens. With windows all around its amazing wood grained tables and waiters of the finest degree, it boasts “world-renowned” pizza and promised incredible pasta and various Italian dishes. The food at this place is great but the pizza is what makes it amazing.

When we got in and grabbed our seats, the waiter greeted us promptly and offered the menu. We ordered a couple of pizzas (traditional grandma & white) pies as well as an appetizer (cheese ravioli & fired dried tomatoes) and a simple garlic & broccoli pasta dish. The food came out rather quickly and the service was great. The ravioli was delicious,  the cheese wasn’t overpowering and the flavors were well balanced.  The pasta could have been better, but the garlic sauce did makeup for it. Lastly, (the reason we came here) the pizzas came out and they were as amazing as can be. The coal oven really makes a difference because it brings out a burned- smokey flavor to the dough, which some people might not like. The cheeses and sauce blended so well that between three guys we finished 2 large pies. So after gaining 7 pounds in one sittings, I can honestly recommend this place for you. Lastly, I want to reiterate that not everyone will like this type of pizza.

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Recommendations

• White Pizza
• Grandma Slices if you’re not too hungry
• Garlic based pasta dishes
• Seating on the right hand side is so much better!

Rating

• Food: 4.5 – Delicious white pizza, traditional coal style pizza, complimentary delicious bread are all the best the city has to offer!
• Value: 3.5 – Reasonable pricing for the food. Not too good, not too bad! Looking at $10+ for pasta dish.
• Service: 4.0 – Very good waiters; fast & prompt
• Lota-Pani: 4.5 - One of the cleanest tables & bathrooms seen yet!
• Decor: 3.5 – Modestly decorated; Decent layout & setup

Overall

Halal Rating

• Not Halal
• Understand what your ordering!

Location

2541 Broadway Astoria, NY 11106

Contact

Phone: (718) 204-5002

Website: www.sacsplace.com

The Sub & Pizza is a family owned and operated restaurant that has been serving Amherst locals and students since 1977. They are know for having great food and service. Now, everyone in the world knows that New York has the best pizza, but The Sub comes pretty dang close to New York style pizza.

Since there were a bunch of us, we got a bunch of different things and everything tasted great. Their pizza (which I got) was good but kind of oily. The baked ziti was amazing and it helps that they give a salad and garlic bread along with a ziti that can feed 2-3 people. We also ordered the fish fillet, which was battered  fish, then was deep fried. It was delicious as well but it can’t touch the baked ziti.

Therefore, if you’re ever in the area or in a need of a Italian food fix, go down to The Sub & Pizza. It’s definitely a great place, but don’t make it too late since they close at 11 PM.

Pictures

Recommendations

• Baked Ziti
• Cheese Pizza
• Fish Fillet
• Cheese Fries

Rating

• Food: 3.0 – Food was good, I just wished it was halal.
• Value: 3.5 – Value pricing. Pizza was cheap, ziti was $8 and was enough to feed 2-3 people
• Service: 3.5 – Took a while to serve us, but there were a lot of us there
• Lota-Pani: 3.0 - Regular type of place. Bathroom was fairly clean
• Decor: 3.0 – Not really decorated, lot of sunlight during the day

Overall

Halal Rating

• Nope! (know what your ordering)

Location

33 East Pleasant St, Amherst MA 01002

Contact

Phone: 413-549-0999

Website: http://www.subandpizza.com/

John’s of Bleecker has a history of winning best pizza in New York City, year after year, so I thought why not head over for some good old classic New York pizza. I ended picking up some of the guys and we headed over to Greenwich Village (the lower west side) for some pizza. We got to Blecker ave, parked the car and walked right in. As soon as you enter, its like your back in the 1940′s and’50s. The restaurant features family-friendly dining rooms with wood booths and beat-up old tables (note: there’s always a line during  peak hours). The furniture and decor seem like they are from 1929 when John opened up, but its a great old world charm.

Now, as far as the pizza, there really isn’t a way to order or get a wrong pizza. We ended up deciding on getting a pizza with green peppers and onions as well as other with peppers and mushrooms. The pizzas came out minutes after ordering. This was literally fast food! The pizza was delicious and hot. The important thing to remember is that the pizza has a different taste than the usual pizza shops. Its more of a chary and smoked taste. The sauce, cheese and topping truly balanced out the taste and flavor. The pizza’s cost around 18 bucks for a large with a few toppings. For a group of 4, its defiantly worth it and not to expensive.

Pictures

Recommendations

• Any coal fired Pizza with toppings; Don’t get plain cheese
• Bottled Ginger Ale
• Go early/late night, avoid the rush

Rating

• Food: 4.0 – Great pizza; Distinct coal flavor unlike most pizza places
• Value: 3.5 – Not to expensive, not too cheap. Fairly priced
• Service: 4.0 – Good fast service; promptness a big plus
• Lota-Pani: 3.5 - Clean place; old school decor follows in the bathrooms
• Decor: 4.0 – Has the old world charm; Vast seating options

Overall

Halal Rating

Non/appliable

Location

278 Bleecker Street, (between 6th and 7th Ave) New York, NY 10014

Contact

Phone:  (212) 243-1680

Website:  http://www.johnsbrickovenpizza.com/

So after getting to the location and checking out the area, I realized it wasn’t that bad, but not what I was looking forward to; people had hyped this place up beyond belief. The place looked good, clean and was well maintained. The place also proudly displayed all the halal food they offer. The brother behind the counter also stated how everything was fully halal, even the pepperoni (turkey pepperoni)  on the pizza (major plus & points). The first thing we ordered were the chicken wings and jalapeno poppers. The chicken wings were decent; not the best and not the worst I’ve had. The poppers were a better bet! As far as the main dishes, I ordered what was called a “Fat Boy” — I just loved the name! A “Fat Boy” is one of their specialty sandwiches. Its their cheese-steak sandwich with the trimmings and mozzarella sticks. The meat was good, I would have preferred the beef to be a bit more crispy, but the it was still decent. The mozzarella sticks, were out of place and didn’t really compliment the cheese-steak at all. Overall it was a decent sandwich.

On the other hand, the Real “NanKing” Umair had ordered their other specialty sandwich “The Fat Adnan”, which is a burger with the trimmings. I would recommend that over the “Fat Boy”. Overall, “Douglass Pizza & Grill”  is a great place to have fast food; good sandwiches and decent service.

Pictures

Recommendations

• Any “Fat” sandwich
• Any type of beef burger is a strong recommendation
• Stay away from the Sicilian pizza!

Rating

• Food: 4.0 – Great tasting sandwiches & vast menu
• Value: 3.5 – Portion size versus cost is good, however nothing extraordinary
• Service: 4.0 – Great works, very helpful and informative
• Lota-Pani: 4.5 – Very clean to comparative places
• Decor: 3.0 – Typical pizza shop set-up

Overall

Halal Grade

• Full Halal menu
• Halal Pepperoni (it doesn’t get more halal than this!)

Location

298 George Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Contact

Phone: (732) 514-0097