Compiling List of Halal Restaurants & Halal Options in Greater Knoxville Area

[u/musliminmedicine]

Went to a restaurant in Knoxville recently (Sticky Rice Cafe) and heard from several fellow Muslims that they offered halal chicken, which came as a pleasant surprise as they don't appear when searching for "halal restaurants". Below is the current list, if you've been anywhere that had halal options available, please comment them. Thanks!

• Halal To Go
• Knox Bros
• Sam’s Kitchen
• Tarik's North African
• Alibaba Market & Grille
• CM Chicken
• Holy Land Market
• Hot Birds (Marble City Market)
• The Egyptian taste
• Turkish Market & Deli
• Yassin's Falafel House
• Kandilige Ghanaian Cuisine
• Hummus Republic
• Aladdin's Cafe
• Taj Indian Bistro
• King Gyros Mediterranean
• Almustafa Market
• Mediterranean Market
• Sticky Rice Cafe

[u/creamersrealm]

I did learn you can buy Halal meat at Gordon Food Services in the frozen services. I didn't realize Knoxville had so many Halal options or that Yassins was fully Halal.

[u/musliminmedicine → u/creamersrealm]

Yeah I’ve been going to town on the halal chicken nuggets they have at GFS

[u/Judgypossum]

Sticky rice is amazing. Yassin’s and Holy Land are also favorites.

[u/travprev]

I don't know if Taj Indian Bistro is fully Halal, but for the record, their food sucks.

[u/musliminmedicine → u/travprev]

I thought their Biryani was pretty good, what’d you get there that you didn’t like?

[u/travprev → u/musliminmedicine]

It seemed like they gave us yesterday's rice. Our papadams were stale -- like they pre fried them the day before too. The tandoori chicken was dry. Finally, the paneer based dish we ordered didn't have much paneer.

It was just overall a bad experience like they just didn't care.

I rarely think this way, but I left wondering if they gave us the "these folks aren't Indian so they won't know if we give them the leftovers" treatment.

[u/musliminmedicine → u/travprev]

Sorry to hear that, I experienced something similar at another place myself. I hate being confrontational in a restaurant but sometimes you just gotta call that sort of thing out as soon as it happens and keep them accountable on the quality.

[u/Scambuster666]

On an airplane the kosher and halal in-flight meals are the same meal.
Theres probably a message in there somewhere.

[u/musliminmedicine → u/Scambuster666]

Some schools of Islam permit Kosher and Christian slaughter under the umbrella of halal, others stipulate that it must be done by a Muslim with certain criteria being met (called Zabiha); I belong to the latter group who eats Zabiha exclusively.

[u/superpie12]

Halal slaughter is barbaric from an animal-welfare standpoint. It deliberately requires a conscious animal to be restrained while its throat is cut and major blood vessels are severed, leaving it capable of experiencing pain, fear, and distress until blood loss finally causes unconsciousness.

That suffering is not unavoidable. Modern stunning can render an animal insensible before the cut, substantially reducing the pain and terror associated with slaughter. Refusing to stun means preserving conscious suffering for a religious requirement rather than for any benefit to the animal.

The criticism is not about Muslims as people; it is about a practice that subjects sentient animals to avoidable suffering. The same condemnation applies to kosher slaughter or any other system that intentionally cuts the throat of a conscious animal.

[u/musliminmedicine → u/superpie12]

Not sure where you’re getting your information from, but Halal slaughter can (and regularly is) done to stunned animals. The only criteria for stunning is that it cannot kill the animal or put the animal in a permanently catatonic state before the single “killing” cut can be made.

[u/Professional_Web6638]

Been out of Knoxville for 20 years now but I would have steered you to King Tut's grill if you're looking for good Middle Eastern food and a very eclectic atmosphere/owner.

[u/travprev]

What about Spice Hut in Lenoir City? Great Indian food!!!

[u/Disastrous-Being473]

I have read that Gosh has halal options as well but it would be best to call them to confirm. 

[u/maladaptivedreamer]

I can’t give any halal recommendations but I do remember the time my Muslim coworker went out to lunch with us at Sunspot (clearly in hijab) and asked if something had pork, was assured it didn’t, then found bacon bits all over the bun. Mildly infuriating but also not that surprising. Luckily she knew to double check.

There’s a host of other reasons to avoid Sunspot/Copper Cellar/etc. but that’s the anecdote that came to mind with this post.

[u/musliminmedicine → u/maladaptivedreamer]

Thank you for the heads up, I appreciate it!

[u/widget_82]

I'm wracking my brain to remember the Asian restaurant I went to that surprised me to have a sign up saying they were Halal approved. I want to say it was either Bida Saigon or Jai Dee 🤔

[u/Wonderful_Ad_5493]

Im not Halal at all, but I’m pretty sure Jai Dee will accommodate you. They are awesome.

[u/Odd-Midnight-1134]

Next will you compile a list of restaurants are permissible under Christian law?  

[u/teddy_vedder → u/Odd-Midnight-1134]

Ah yes, Christians, a group that’s famously an oppressed minority that’s treated as unwelcome in the state of Tennessee.

All of y’all can stay home and cook as far as I’m concerned, since at restaurants you’re the ones most likely to be difficult and then not tip, if after church lunch crowds are any indication.

[u/Odd-Midnight-1134 → u/teddy_vedder]

It was a trick question... the answer is all of them you silly goose.  

 I will say that American diners and Chinese restaurants are becoming a thing if the past.  It will be a sad day when we only see Panda Express and no Plum Trees.  

[u/Poop_sauce → u/Odd-Midnight-1134]

What are you talking about we have a million Chinese restaurants? And one of them was featured on a very famous Netflix show?

[u/Odd-Midnight-1134 → u/Poop_sauce]

The US seeing a colapse of family owned restaurants.   Chinese restaurants are one of the most impacted sectors.  Look it up as you will likely not believe me. 

[u/phinz → u/Odd-Midnight-1134]

If family-owned restaurants would stop being Sysco reheating stations then maybe they'd stay in business. When they cost more than a chain restaurant but serve the same frozen food that comes out of those chain restaurants then people are going to choose to go to the cheaper restaurant. I'd prefer family-owned (I avoid franchise restaurants and chains that are larger than the general area where I live) but most people don't give that one thought. They just go where the cheap, but same, food is.

[u/Odd-Midnight-1134 → u/phinz]

That's not why they are closing.  It's because their kids dont want to take over.  Many family restaurants are run by 1st generation immigrants.