7 New Halal Restaurants That Opened Around the GTA in August 2026

By Shaz Khan · August 31, 2026

August brought a surprisingly diverse group of new halal restaurants to the Greater Toronto Area.

It wasn't just another month of shawarma and burger openings. GTA diners got all-you-can-eat halal hot pot, birria tacos, Nashville hot chicken, Pakistani grills, premium steak and more, with new locations opening across Toronto, Mississauga, North York, Vaughan and Ajax.

Here are seven new halal restaurants that opened around the GTA in August 2026.

Juicy Birds Nashville Hot Chicken opens in Downtown Toronto

Juicy Birds Nashville Hot Chicken opened its first Downtown Toronto location at 118 John Street in the Entertainment District.

The restaurant brings Nashville-style halal fried chicken to one of Toronto's busiest entertainment neighbourhoods, with a menu built around chicken sandwiches, tenders, wings and loaded sides.

Popular choices include the G.O.A.T. Sandwich, Hot Honey Sandwich, Nashville-style chicken tenders, loaded fries and chicken and waffles.

Juicy Birds says its chicken is halal.

Where: 118 John Street, Toronto

What to try: Nashville hot chicken sandwiches, tenders and wings

District Tacos opens at Ridgeway Plaza in Mississauga

District Tacos opened at Ridgeway Plaza in Mississauga, adding halal Mexican street food to one of the GTA's busiest halal dining destinations.

The restaurant is located at 3460 Platinum Drive, Unit 24.

Birria is one of the main attractions, appearing across dishes including birria tacos, quesabirria and birria ramen.

The menu also includes chicken al pastor tacos, Baja-style options, cactus tacos and larger taco packs for groups.

District Tacos describes its food as 100% halal.

Where: 3460 Platinum Drive, Unit 24, Mississauga

What to try: Birria tacos, quesabirria and chicken al pastor

Otluk Halal HotPot opens in North York

Otluk Halal HotPot gives Toronto diners something that is still relatively difficult to find: all-you-can-eat halal hot pot.

Located at 750 Oakdale Road in North York, Otluk combines the communal hot pot experience with Uyghur and Central Asian influences.

Diners choose ingredients and cook them directly at the table in their selected broth.

Options include:

beef
lamb
chicken
noodles
vegetables
hot pot accompaniments

Halal hot pot remains a much smaller category across the GTA than shawarma, burgers or Pakistani food, making Otluk one of the more unusual openings of the month.

Where: 750 Oakdale Road, North York

What to try: Beef and lamb hot pot

Crown Pizza N Fried Chicken opens in Ajax

Crown Pizza N Fried Chicken opened at 1901 Harwood Avenue North, Unit 27 in Ajax.

The restaurant combines pizza, fried chicken and fast food with several South Asian-inspired flavours.

Pizza choices include:

Tandoori Pizza
Lahori Pizza
Meat Lover Pizza
Philly Steak Pizza
Beef Mediterranean Pizza

The menu also includes fried chicken, wings, tenders and burgers.

That variety makes it a useful option for families and groups where everyone wants something different.

Where: 1901 Harwood Avenue North, Unit 27, Ajax

What to try: Tandoori pizza, Lahori pizza and fried chicken

Wrapstors expands to Maple in Vaughan

Wrapstors expanded into Vaughan with a new restaurant at 190 McNaughton Road East in Maple.

The shawarma brand opened the new location during August, bringing its wraps, plates and Middle Eastern fast food to another part of the GTA.

The Maple opening gives diners in northern Vaughan another halal shawarma option and continues a broader trend of established halal restaurant brands expanding into suburban communities around Toronto.

Where: 190 McNaughton Road East, Maple, Vaughan

What to try: Shawarma wraps and plates

Cafe Imran Khan opens in Mississauga

Cafe Imran Khan expanded from Oakville into Mississauga with a new restaurant at 5618 Tenth Line West, Unit E4 in Churchill Meadows.

The restaurant focuses on Pakistani food, sizzling grills, traditional dishes and chai, giving west Mississauga another option for Pakistani comfort food.

Its location is particularly convenient for diners around Churchill Meadows, Erin Mills, Lisgar and surrounding neighbourhoods.

The new restaurant also gives Cafe Imran Khan a presence in one of Ontario's strongest halal dining markets.

Where: 5618 Tenth Line West, Unit E4, Mississauga

What to try: Pakistani grills, traditional dishes and chai

KS² The Halal Steak & Grill opens in Mississauga

KS² The Halal Steak & Grill expanded into Mississauga with a restaurant at 6905 Millcreek Drive.

The restaurant focuses on halal steaks and grilled dishes, adding another option for diners searching for halal steak in Mississauga.

Unlike many of the GTA's fast-casual halal restaurants, KS² is geared toward a more substantial sit-down steakhouse and grill experience.

That makes it particularly interesting for date nights, celebrations and group dinners.

Where: 6905 Millcreek Drive, Mississauga

What to try: Halal steaks and grill platters

August wasn't just about more halal restaurants — it was about more choice

What stands out about August's openings isn't simply the number of restaurants.

It's the variety.

Across these seven restaurants alone, GTA diners can choose from Mexican birria, halal hot pot, Nashville fried chicken, Pakistani grills, shawarma, pizza and steak.

Halal dining across the GTA has traditionally been particularly strong for Pakistani, Middle Eastern, Afghan and South Asian food.

Those cuisines remain a major part of the region's halal food scene, but newer restaurants are increasingly giving halal diners access to foods and dining experiences that were previously harder to find.

Which new halal restaurant should you try first?

For something different, Otluk Halal HotPot and District Tacos stand out because halal hot pot and birria remain relatively uncommon around the GTA.

For fried chicken, Juicy Birds Nashville Hot Chicken brings Nashville-style halal chicken directly into Downtown Toronto.

Families looking for pizza and fried chicken can check out Crown Pizza N Fried Chicken, while Wrapstors and Cafe Imran Khan add new choices for shawarma and Pakistani food.

For diners looking for a sit-down steak dinner, KS² The Halal Steak & Grill gives Mississauga another dedicated halal steakhouse option.

Halal Food Pass does not independently certify restaurants. Halal information is based on restaurant statements and other attributed sources. Diners who require specific information about certification, meat suppliers, ingredients or preparation should confirm directly with the restaurant.

Browse Halal Food Pass to discover more halal restaurants, restaurant openings and halal food across Ontario.