This story first appeared in The Daily Illini on April 23, 2026.
(Photo by Sarah Slattery/The Daily Illini)
Overall Rating: 6.5/10
Campustown welcomed its newest restaurant in early April with the opening of the Middle Eastern chain NYC Halal Bros on the corner of Third and Green streets. The restaurant offers a fast-food Middle Eastern menu including gyros, wraps, bowls and fried food.
The proximity to The Red Lion and KAMS offers an advantageous opportunity to attract late-night patrons willing to splurge on non-American fast food. Fortunately for these potentially inebriated eaters, NYC Halal Bros is open after midnight. Unfortunately for The Daily Illini, we went sober.
Upon entering the establishment, it is clear the restaurant is still trying to get into the groove of things. The menu is hard to read due to its small size, and although well-organized, it does not have a wide variety of offerings.
The atmosphere of NYC Halal Bros is similar to that of Fat Sandwich Company, which leans on the late-night crowd and a high turnover rate of customers. Patrons mulled about and made conversation with the workers, which added some character.
As for the food, it depends on what you get.
Gyro: 4/10
The first item on the docket to try was the gyro. The DI ordered a chicken gyro with chickpeas, cucumber and tomato salad, white New York sauce and spicy cilantro-based chutney. The pita used to form the gyro was thick and well-baked, acting as the physical and metaphorical piece that held the entire gyro together. The chicken was well-spiced and, although a little cold, complemented the dish.
From there, the rest of the toppings and sauces were a bit disappointing. The sauces immediately soaked into the pita and caused it to dissolve, which made for a difficult eating experience. Most toppings fell out of the pita and onto the wrapping paper below, which had to be eaten with a fork. At the same time, the sauces did not pack the punch that makes a typical gyro great. The spices of the sauce did not pair well with the chicken and pita, and the sheer volume was overwhelming in all the wrong ways.
The premium price of $10 and a lackluster tasting and dining experience give this dish the mid-range ranking of 4/10.
(Photo by Sarah Slattery/The Daily Illini)
French fries: 6/10
One side ordered along with the gyro were french fries — a common dish in Middle Eastern cuisine due to its crunchy texture and ability to balance out the harsher tastes of garlic and pickles in the main entrees. The fries were well portioned and cut thicker than your typical shoestring variety, providing a meatier, substantive fry. They were crunchy, a welcomed reprieve from the soaked and falling-apart gyro.
Even though the fries did not have a special dipping sauce on the menu, they actually paired well with the white New York and cilantro sauces that fell out of the gyro.
Overall, the crunchiness and salty flavoring, combined with a cheaper price of around $4, give this dish an overall ranking of 6/10.
(Photo by Sarah Slattery/The Daily Illini)
The winner … mozzarella sticks: 7/10
Unexpectedly, the mozzarella sticks were the standout dish on the NYC Halal Bros menu. The sticks acted much like the fries because of their ability to counteract the gyro with their crunchiness and savory cheese taste.
The order came with three well-sized bites that revealed a crunchy shell that gave way to a softer cheese core. The dish was filling and came with an accompanying warm marinara sauce. Due to their large size, it was easy to get some pretty impressive cheese pulls.
This dish was perfect to share and fun to eat. What more could you want? The lower price and bigger portion size, along with the taste and experience, gave this winner an overall rating of 7/10.
NYC Halal Bros gives Campustown a new type of restaurant not previously seen. Although similar to Shawarma Joint, NYC Halal Bros’ late hours and affordable prices attract an audience looking for a different option. The location — although rumored to be financially cursed — is convenient and plays into the business strategy that places like Chopstix, Burrito King and Fat Sandwich Company capitalize on.
This convenience gives the restaurant an edge, but the food and dining experience bring the overall rating to a modest 6.5/10. NYC Halal Bros is great for 2 a.m. — not as much for 2 p.m.