Dearborn
Halal restaurants in Dearborn: where to start, street by street
A first-timer's map of halal Dearborn: the Lebanese classics on Warren Avenue, Yemeni lamb on Michigan Avenue, the burger wave, the coffee houses and the sweets, with what to order at each.
How Dearborn is laid out
Dearborn is the first Arab-majority city in the United States: about 110,000 people, more than half reporting Middle Eastern or North African ancestry in the 2020 census. The food follows the waves of arrival. Lebanese families came first, then Yemeni and Palestinian, then Iraqi and Syrian.
Three streets carry most of it:
- West Warren Avenue runs through East Dearborn and is the commercial heart of the community. Lebanese restaurants, Iraqi and Syrian grills, bakeries, butchers and the big Arab supermarkets.
- Michigan Avenue has two halves. East Dearborn's stretch has Yemeni, burger and Ethiopian kitchens. West Dearborn's downtown has the newer cafes and sit-down rooms.
- Schaefer Road is the sweets-and-coffee strip.
This list is grouped by what you are in the mood for, not ranked. Nobody paid to be on it.
The Lebanese classics
This is what Dearborn is known for: charcoal-grilled kafta and tawook, shawarma off the spit, hummus, fattoush, and a bowl of toum on every table.
Lebanese restaurant on the Warren Avenue corridor, founded in 1989 by brothers-in-law Zaki Hashem and Khalil Ammar. In 2016 it received the James Beard Foundation's America's Classics award. It now has three locations: Dearborn, Dearborn Heights (27346 Ford Rd) and Canton (6505 N Canton Center Rd).
What to order: Al-Ameer platter (kabab, tawook, kafta, shawarma), Raw kibbeh, Shredded lamb with almonds, yogurt and rice.
Restaurant states its menu is 100% halal certified; no certifier named on the site.
12710 W Warren Ave, Dearborn, MI 48126DirectionsWebsiteDetails
Family-owned Lebanese restaurant on Warren Avenue that says it has served Dearborn for 25 years and operates what it calls the only Middle Eastern drive-thru in the city. Its storefront was renovated in 2026 under Dearborn's Warren Avenue facade program.
What to order: Rotisserie chicken, Complimentary lentil soup, Shish combo.
Restaurant states it serves 'the best HALAL food available'; Zabihah lists it as fully halal (HalalRank 90).
13007 W Warren Ave, Dearborn, MI 48126DirectionsWebsiteDetails
Casual Lebanese grill on Warren Avenue known for its rotisserie chicken and garlic sauce, with a second location in Dearborn Heights at 25412 Ford Rd. The restaurant describes its food as family recipes.
What to order: Rotisserie (BBQ) chicken with garlic sauce, Chicken shawarma, Shish kafta.
Fully halal per Zabihah listing (staff assurance); no certifier named.
13251 W Warren Ave, Dearborn, MI 48126DirectionsWebsiteDetails
Lebanese breakfast-and-brunch restaurant owned by Ali Hamade and chef Ahmad Sanji. The first location opened in Garden City (873 Inkster Rd) in 2017 and the Dearborn location on Warren Avenue opened in 2020. In October 2021 the New York Times named it one of its 50 favorite restaurants in the US, the only Michigan entry.
What to order: Lebanese breakfast (foul, fatteh, hummus varieties), Makanek with sunny-side eggs, Batata harra.
Lebanese Muslim-owned restaurant covered as halal dining by Arab American News; no certifier posted on its archived website.
15010 W Warren Ave, Dearborn, MI 48126DirectionsDetails
Sit-down Lebanese/Mediterranean restaurant and banquet space in East Dearborn, opened in 2009. Chef Habib sources spices and herbs from the Middle East for the marinades and dressings; Zabihah reviewers describe it as a more upscale room than the area's casual grills.
What to order: Ooze (rice with beef chunks), Potato balls, Chicken limone.
Fully halal per Zabihah listing; the restaurant's own site does not post a halal statement.
14316 Michigan Ave, Dearborn, MI 48126DirectionsWebsiteDetails
Long-running West Dearborn Lebanese restaurant with a dining room, banquet space and catering, known for pita baked on site. It blends traditional Lebanese dishes with Mediterranean influences and offers a student discount.
What to order: Fresh-baked pita, Mixed grill broiler, Hummus with shawarma.
Restaurant states it sources meats exclusively from certified halal suppliers; it also serves a wine list.
22681 Newman St, Dearborn, MI 48124DirectionsWebsiteDetails
Takeout-focused Middle Eastern shawarma counter on Warren Avenue, singled out by the New York Times' 2015 Dearborn feature for its beef shawarma on French bread.
What to order: Beef shawarma on French bread, Chicken shawarma, Shish tawook.
Listed as a halal restaurant on Restaurantji; no certifier listed. The business website is offline, so confirm address on site.
10613 Warren Ave, Dearborn, MI 48126DirectionsDetails
Yemeni, Iraqi, Syrian and beyond
Slow-roasted lamb over rice, bubbling stone pots, and skewers cooked while you wait. If the Yemeni menu is new to you, the Yemeni food guide explains mandi, haneeth, fahsa and saltah.
Yemeni restaurant that opened on Michigan Avenue in 2015 under owner Ismael Aljahmi, after a first location at 10327 Dix Ave in the Southend. Sheeba now lists four locations (East Dearborn, West Dearborn at 22048 Michigan Ave, Canton and Sterling Heights) and is known for slow-roasted haneeth and mandi platters.
What to order: Lamb haneeth, Fahsa, Lamb and chicken mandi.
Fully halal and alcohol-free per Zabihah; the company site also states it is a halal establishment.
13919 Michigan Ave, Dearborn, MI 48126DirectionsWebsiteDetails
Small family-run Iraqi kabob house on Warren Avenue, cooking skewers to order; Zabihah reviewers describe a modest 'hole in the wall' room with very low prices.
What to order: Iraqi kabob, Chicken and meat tikka, Rice platters.
Fully halal per Zabihah (Muslim owners confirmed status); no certifier named.
13650 W Warren Ave, Dearborn, MI 48126DirectionsDetails
Budget-friendly restaurant and juice bar on Warren Avenue, formerly Oasis Grill & Cafe, whose chef trained at a five-star hotel in Aleppo, Syria, according to its Zabihah listing.
What to order: Syrian-style grills, Fresh juices, Mezze.
Fully halal per Zabihah (halal sign on premises, no alcohol); no certifier named.
12930 W Warren Ave, Dearborn, MI 48126DirectionsDetails
Ethiopian restaurant in East Dearborn's downtown strip on Michigan Avenue, one of the few non-Arab halal kitchens in the district.
What to order: Ethiopian platters with injera, Vegetarian combos.
Fully halal per Zabihah (Muslim owners confirmed status); no certifier named.
13736 Michigan Ave, Dearborn, MI 48126DirectionsDetails
King of Mandi is a Yemeni restaurant on Dix Avenue in Dearborn's south end that specializes in mandi. The menu lists lamb, chicken and grilled fish mandi, plus fahsa.
What to order: Lamb mandi, Chicken mandi, Fahsa.
Website says it uses "only the finest halal meats"; no certifier named.
10421 Dix Ave, Dearborn, MI 48120DirectionsCallWebsiteDetails
Arbeel Kabab is a kebab restaurant on Schaefer Road in Dearborn. Its Instagram profile carries the Arabic name for "Arbeel Kabab Restaurant", and listings class it as Middle Eastern and kebab.
What to order: Kabab.
No halal statement on the restaurant's own site; Restaurantji lists it under Halal. No certifier named.
5959 Schaefer Rd, Dearborn, MI 48126DirectionsCallWebsiteDetails
Malek Al-Kabob is a sit-down Middle Eastern restaurant in west downtown Dearborn, in the former Post Bar building. The business was started in Taylor in January 2006 by chefs Abu-Fahd and Abu-Snan and also has locations in Taylor and Trenton; the Dearborn restaurant is managed by Moortadha "Mo" Obaid, according to the Press & Guide and The Yemeni American News.
What to order: Lamb chops, Lamb kabob, Chicken sajji, Shawarma.
Website describes the food as "authentic halal Middle Eastern cuisine" and its catering as "all made fresh and halal"; no certifier named.
22065 Michigan Ave, Dearborn, MI 48124DirectionsCallWebsiteDetails
The burger wave
Halal burger counters took off in Dearborn in the mid-2010s, one of them famously from inside a gas station. The full list, including Dearborn Heights, is in the halal burger guide.
Halal diner-style burger chain run by the Hider family, who say they began selling hamburgers in Beirut in 1968 and in Metro Detroit in 1970. The Dearborn East location opened in 2004 and the West Dearborn one in 2014; there are also locations in Plymouth and Farmington.
What to order: Hand-crafted beef burgers, Habanero chicken burger, Shakes and Nutella 'freezers'.
Restaurant states a 100% halal-certified menu; no certifier named.
22207 Michigan Ave, Dearborn, MI 48124DirectionsWebsiteDetails
Family-owned halal burger counter that started inside a Dearborn gas station on Ford Road and won the 2016 Detroit Burger Brawl. Arab American News counted it among the wave of halal burger joints that opened in Dearborn in the mid-2010s; it has since expanded to other Michigan cities.
What to order: Ali's Notch-Yo Burger, Volcano Burger, Loaded fries.
Fully halal per Zabihah listing (certified halal, staff assurance). One Zabihah reviewer flagged that a Doritos-topped burger uses chips containing animal-derived enzymes.
10419 Ford Rd, Dearborn, MI 48126DirectionsDetails
Halal burger chain founded by three brothers; the Dearborn store on Michigan Avenue opened in 2015 after a first Garden City location in 2014, per Arab American News, and the chain now has six locations.
What to order: Custom-built burgers, Truffle burger, Biscoff dessert.
Fully halal per Zabihah (halal certificate on file per listing); alcohol-free.
14311 Michigan Ave, Dearborn, MI 48126DirectionsDetails
Level Zero is a smash burger counter with two Dearborn locations: West Dearborn at 22224 Michigan Ave and East Dearborn at 6914 Wyoming Ave. The menu is built around smash burgers, with chicken sandwiches, fries and shakes.
What to order: The OG Smash, Fries, Milkshakes.
Zabihah lists it as fully halal on staff's verbal assurance; the restaurant's own website does not state it. No certifier named.
22224 Michigan Ave, Dearborn, MI 48124DirectionsCallWebsiteDetails
Coffee houses
Dearborn is where the American Yemeni coffee house began. They stay open late, serve no alcohol, and have become the city's living room. More in the Yemeni coffee guide.
Yemeni coffee house opened on Schaefer Road in September 2017 by Ibrahim Alhasbani, whose family grows coffee in Yemen. It is widely credited with starting the Yemeni coffee-house wave in Metro Detroit and has grown to more than 30 US locations, including a West Dearborn cafe at 22000 Michigan Ave and one in Canton (42051 Ford Rd).
What to order: Yemeni pour-over coffee, Adeni chai, Sabaya / bint al-sahn honey pastry.
Alcohol-free; Zabihah listing quotes the business as serving 100% halal food and drinks.
6655 Schaefer Rd, Dearborn, MI 48126DirectionsWebsiteDetails
Yemeni coffee franchise founded in Dearborn in 2021 by Hamzah Nasser. From its first cafe on Michigan Avenue in East Dearborn it has expanded to dozens of locations, including Detroit (1501 Church St) and Livonia (30120 Plymouth Rd).
What to order: Yemeni coffee, Specialty lattes, Pastries.
Fully halal per Zabihah (alcohol-free menu; halal certificate on file per listing).
13810 Michigan Ave, Dearborn, MI 48126DirectionsWebsiteDetails
Yemeni coffee company founded by Munif Maweri and Hatem Al-Eidaroos, who began as wholesalers sourcing beans from Haraz, Yemen, before opening cafes in 2020. The Ford Road cafe at the Dearborn/Dearborn Heights border opened in 2022 as the brand's fifth location; it also roasts on Dix Avenue in south Dearborn.
What to order: Single-origin Yemeni coffee, Qishr (coffee-husk tea), Yemeni desserts.
Halal per Zabihah listings for the brand (Troy listing: Muslim owners confirmed, certified halal); coffee-and-dessert menu.
25245 Ford Rd Suite B, Dearborn, MI 48128DirectionsWebsiteDetails
Sweets
Trays of baklawa, warm knafeh, maamoul by the box. More bakeries and what to buy at each are in the sweets and bakeries guide.
Middle Eastern pastry house founded in Dearborn in 1979 by the late Riad Shatila and still family-run; the company is led by his widow Zinat Shatila. It sells baklawa, maamoul, knafeh, French pastries and ice cream, ships nationwide, and has branches in West Bloomfield and (since 2023) Dearborn Heights at 26771 Ford Rd.
What to order: Pistachio baklawa, Knafeh, Mango ice cream.
Fully halal per Zabihah listing (Muslim-owned, owners confirmed halal status); no certifier named.
14300 W Warren Ave, Dearborn, MI 48126DirectionsWebsiteDetails
Family-owned Palestinian sweets bakery on Schaefer Road, operating since 1990. It makes baklawa, kunafa, maamoul and namoura daily, offers sugar-free options and custom cakes, and ships gift trays nationwide.
What to order: Pistachio baklawa, Kunafa with ashta, Maamoul.
Sweets bakery (no meat); halal status not stated on the business site and no certifier listed.
5755 Schaefer Rd, Dearborn, MI 48126DirectionsWebsiteDetails
Small Egyptian sweets shop on Schaefer Road (a different business from Masri Sweets a few blocks south) selling Middle Eastern and European desserts plus ice cream, with seating for roughly 20-25.
What to order: Kunafa, Egyptian pastries, Ice cream.
Fully halal per Zabihah listing (Muslim owners confirmed status); no certifier named.
6235 Schaefer Rd, Dearborn, MI 48126DirectionsDetails
Beyond the classics
The newer wave: a Saudi-run fish counter on Warren Avenue, halal Italian and a Lebanese-American steakhouse in West Dearborn, Turkish kebabs, a Yemeni-American brunch room, and a sushi bar with a halal-certified bio. Each is a sign of where the city's eating is going.
Aliz Seafood & Grill House is a seafood restaurant on West Warren Avenue in East Dearborn opened by Ali Almatar, who is originally from Saudi Arabia and started it after nearly ten years in the Detroit area without finding seafood cooked the way he wanted. Fresh fish is displayed on ice at a counter and customers pick their fish to be grilled or fried. The menu also has chicken, pasta, burger and Mexican sections, plus kunafa and Arabic coffee.
What to order: Whole grilled red snapper, Sultan Ibrahim (red mullet), Fish and shrimp kabobs, Grilled fish fillet platter.
Restaurant's website states 'All our meat is 100% halal certified'; no certifier named.
14507 W Warren Ave, Dearborn, MI 48126DirectionsCallWebsiteDetails
Tiliani is a halal Italian restaurant that opened in 2023 at 1002 S Military Street in West Dearborn, led by chef and owner Hisham Diab. It makes its pasta in house and serves dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Fox 2 Detroit covered it in 2024 as a newer West Dearborn eatery serving halal Italian food.
What to order: Short rib pappardelle, Spicy rigatoni with house-made ricotta, Sourdough pepperoni pizza, Dry-aged ribeye.
Restaurant's website states 'All of our food is halal' and its Instagram bio says halal; no certifier named.
1002 S Military St, Dearborn, MI 48124DirectionsCallWebsiteDetails
The Butcher's Grille is a Lebanese-American grillhouse on Michigan Avenue in West Dearborn. Per its Zabihah listing it started in 2016 as a butcher shop with a small grill in the back and grew into a full-service restaurant of steaks, burgers and skewers; a second location operates in Houston, Texas.
What to order: Burgers, Steaks, Grilled skewers.
Instagram bio states '100% Halal'; Zabihah listing quotes management as 100% halal with no alcohol served. No certifier named.
22713 Michigan Ave, Dearborn, MI 48124DirectionsCallWebsiteDetails
Turkish Village opened in early March 2024 at 21931 Michigan Avenue in West Dearborn, one block from Westborn Market, with Adel Alasad as co-owner and founder. The menu covers kebabs, pilafs, stews, borek, pide, Turkish breakfast and kunefe. A second location opened at 120 E Liberty St in Ann Arbor in 2025.
What to order: Charcoal-grilled kebabs, Pide and lahmacun, Iskender, Pistachio cheese kunefe.
The restaurant's website describes its kids' meals as halal-friendly; no broader written halal statement or certifier was found. Ask before you order.
21931 Michigan Ave #100, Dearborn, MI 48124DirectionsWebsiteDetails
Karam Brunch House is a Yemeni-American brunch restaurant that opened in January 2025 on Monroe Street in West Dearborn, in a 1925 Art Deco building originally built as a VFW memorial hall. Co-owner and manager Tawfiq Alfakhouri runs it with a non-alcoholic mocktail bar called the K-Bar, and the menu mixes Yemeni dishes such as mutabak with pancakes, breakfast sandwiches and bowls. During Ramadan it has run late-night hours and an iftar buffet.
What to order: Mutabak, Pistachio cream pancakes, Falafel bowl, Avo toast.
Zabihah listing states all food is certified halal and no alcohol is served; Mirror News describes the K-Bar as a halal non-alcoholic mocktail bar. No certifier named.
940 Monroe St, Dearborn, MI 48124DirectionsDetails
Xushi Ko is a sushi bar and hibachi grille in the plaza at 16351 Ford Road in Dearborn, owned by Adnan 'Eddie' Chealiti. It is known for its Sushi Tower, a stacked build of sushi-grade fish, crab and rice, alongside rolls, sashimi and hibachi plates. Hoodline ranked it the highest-rated business in Dearborn's Henry Ford neighborhood in 2019.
What to order: Sushi Tower, Avocado Spiral, Super Volcano Roll, Hibachi.
Instagram bio states 'Halal Certified' and Zabihah lists it among Dearborn's halal restaurants; no certifier named.
16351 Ford Rd Suite C-118, Dearborn, MI 48126DirectionsCallWebsiteDetails
One more: the butcher with a grill
Butcher shop with a grill in back where meat is skewered and cooked to order and served on plastic plates with pita. Owner Hussein Saad became known for refusing a New York Times writer who ordered only one skewer in 2015. The business also sells its kafta, tawook and makanek online for pickup and shipping.
What to order: Kafta skewers, Chicken tawook, Raw kibbeh.
Halal butcher; named among Dearborn halal spots by WDET (2023). No certifier listed on the business site.
If you are cooking instead of eating out, the grocers and butchers guide covers where to buy halal meat.
Go deeper
- Breakfast in Dearborn: ful, fatteh and the 5 AM bakeries.
- Warren Avenue block by block: the main street in driving order.
- Downtown West Dearborn: burgers, pizza, coffee and dinner rooms near The Henry Ford.
- Late-night halal: what is open after midnight, and the Ramadan flip.
- Pizza, wings and chicken: halal versions of American fast food.
- A weekend in Dearborn: two days, meal by meal.
Practical notes
- Parking on Warren Avenue is mostly small lots behind or beside each restaurant. Evenings and weekends fill up.
- Late hours are normal. Coffee houses and several grills run past midnight, and later during Ramadan. See Ramadan in Dearborn.
- Halal status on each place page is the business's own statement, with the certifier named when there is one. If you only eat hand-slaughtered meat, read halal vs zabiha and ask.
Sources (3)
City background from the sources below. Each restaurant's facts are sourced on its own page.
Questions people ask
Is all the food in Dearborn halal?
No, but a very large share of the independent restaurants are, especially along Warren Avenue, Schaefer Road and Michigan Avenue in East Dearborn. National chains in Dearborn are generally not halal unless the specific location says so. Every place in this guide describes its own menu as halal.
Where is the main halal food street in Dearborn?
West Warren Avenue in East Dearborn. It is the commercial center of the city's Arab American community, with Lebanese, Iraqi and Syrian restaurants, bakeries, butchers and supermarkets packed into a couple of miles.
What should I eat first in Dearborn?
A Lebanese mixed grill with garlic sauce on Warren Avenue, a tray of baklawa and knafeh from a Schaefer Road sweet shop, and a pot of Yemeni coffee or Adeni chai to finish. That covers the three things the city is best known for.
Do Dearborn restaurants serve alcohol?
Most halal restaurants in East Dearborn do not. Some sit-down restaurants in West Dearborn do. Place pages on this site note it where the business or its listing says so.
