El Halal Amigos offers a mix of Latin-inspired cuisine and Halal cuisine

If you’ve never had El Halal Amigos, it’s worth a try. El Halal Amigos is a halal Mexican restaurant located in the heart of downtown Willow Glen in San Jose, California.

Owner and general manager Hisham Abdelfattah created the El Halal Amigos food truck in 2020 where it took off and became a restaurant.

Before entering the restaurant, you can hear music and smell delicious halal Mexican food. The restaurant has murals along the walls as well as two TVs, one showing a movie and the other showing sports highlights from ESPN.

As I walked to the front to order, there weren’t too many people inside, but a line was starting to form. I found the menu easy to navigate and there were many mouth-watering dishes to choose from.

I ended up choosing the lunch special; two al pastor tacos with rice, pinto beans and horchata as the drink of choice. The meal costs $20.47, $12 for the lunch special — available Tuesday to Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. — and $6 for the horchata, plus tax.

The servers were respectful and efficient. Once seated I was immediately given free chips and red sauce. As nice as it was to receive chips before my meal, they were average at best.

My food was served in an impressive five minutes and the presentation was incredible.

The tacos were stuffed with meat and also contained onions and pineapple, garnished with cilantro. On the side were beans and rice, extra roasted onions, beets, a lime, and a roasted serrano chile.

The portion size was excellent and colorful, making it tempting to dive right in.
The horchata was amazing. It had the perfect blend of cinnamon, sweetness and creaminess, and was not watered down at all. My only complaint was the cup size, which only came in one medium size.

The al pastor tacos were delicious. The flavor hits you immediately as soon as you bite and the taste of the onions, pineapple and cilantro integrate perfectly.

The rice was just as good. It had a ton of flavor and wasn’t mushy or grainy.

On the other hand, the pinto beans were flavorless and plain.

The tables, floors and bathroom were also clean and spotless. This could be because I went there when they opened, but some customers were eating inside when I arrived.

My biggest complaint is less about the restaurant and more about the parking. There is a small parking lot right next to the restaurant which was packed.

I ended up driving two blocks to park on the side of a street and had to walk another 15 minutes just to get to the restaurant, which might be a hassle for some.

Overall, the portion size is great and the food is tasty.

• Restaurant: El Halal Amigos
• Cuisine: Halal Mexican cuisine
• Hours: Open every day from 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Address: 1100 Lincoln Ave. #160 San Jose, CA 95125
• Telephone: (408) 645-5571
• ⭐️ Rating: 4.5 / 5 stars
• https://www.elhalalamigos.com/