A father-son duo from Afghanistan has opened what they call New York's first halal Greek food restaurant, serving gyros, octopus and house-made baklava out of a storefront on Merrick Road. Pita Grill House opened at the end of June at 2168 Merrick Road in the Nassau County hamlet of Merrick, swapping pork gyros and souvlaki for halal-certified beef, lamb and chicken.
The restaurant is the brainchild of 27-year-old Ahmed Mayan and his father, Aziz Mayan, who has more than 30 years of hospitality experience working in fast-food spots across Brooklyn and the Bronx, according to The National Herald. Before settling on Greek food, the elder Mayan had initially planned to open a traditional fried chicken joint similar to Crown Fried Chicken, drawing on his decades of experience in that line of business, the outlet reports. It was Ahmed who suggested pivoting the shop toward a Greek concept instead.
From Fried Chicken Plans to Halal Gyros
Kennedy Fried Chicken has traditionally been mostly Afghan-American-owned, according to Wikipedia. The Mayans ultimately chose a Greek concept for their family business.
At Pita Grill House, that means a menu built around halal versions of Greek staples: lamb, beef and chicken gyros, build-your-own bowls, souvlakia, lemon potatoes, salads, spanakopites, burgers, wraps and wings, along with octopus and shrimp. The restaurant makes its own tzatziki in-house. Its menu uses halal-certified meats for gyros and souvlaki rather than pork.
Grilled Octopus and Feta Fries Draw Attention
The menu has already caught the eye of local food reviewers. In a September review, food reviewer Michael Sorrentino highlighted fast-casual items rare for a typical gyro spot, including freshly grilled octopus over rice, shoestring Feisty Fries covered in spicy feta, and house-made baklava, according to his YouTube review.
A Merrick Opening
Merrick is a South Shore hamlet in the Town of Hempstead.
For now, the restaurant is reaching customers largely through delivery infrastructure as much as foot traffic. Pita Grill House offers online ordering, pickup and delivery across Long Island through Grubhub, DoorDash and Uber Eats from its Merrick Road location, and operates a website at www.pitagrillhouse.com. Whether the halal Greek format catches on with the broader Nassau County dining public, or stays a niche draw for the area's Muslim residents, is something only time and foot traffic will answer.
