Is Wayback Burgers Halal?

Wayback Burgers started in 1991 in Newark, Delaware, as Jake's Hamburgers. It is now based in Cheshire, Connecticut, and has about 185 locations ^[4].

The US website does not mention halal anywhere, and we found no halal certificate or certifier listing ^[5]. Its nutrition and allergen page lists the full menu with calories and allergens, but nothing about meat sources or slaughter ^[1]. With no official statement, the honest answer for the US is "not certified."

The menu also includes bacon in several items, such as the Bourbon Bacon and Double Bacon burgers, a Chicken Bacon Ranch bowl and Bacon Cheese Fries. There is also a hot dog option ^[1]. The nutrition page does not say whether the bacon or hot dogs are pork, beef or turkey.

Wayback has expanded abroad. Its first location outside the US opened in Argentina in 2015, and its first in Saudi Arabia opened in Al Khobar later that year ^[4]. It also lists Canada, the Dominican Republic, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Japan among the places it serves ^[4].

The chain runs separate websites for Canada and the UAE ^[5]. Neither makes a halal statement ^[2][3]. The UAE site lists branches at Dubai Festival City Mall and two drive-thrus in Abu Dhabi ^[2].

We could not find an official Wayback halal statement or certificate for any country, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, so we can't confirm it. If you are eating at a Wayback abroad, ask the branch to show its certificate.

Use these steps at any branch:

1. Ask for a halal certificate. It should name the certifier, the branch and a valid date.
2. Ask about the beef and chicken supplier. A branch may say its beef is halal. Ask to see proof from the supplier.
3. Ask about the bacon and hot dogs. If the branch serves pork bacon, ask whether it is cooked on the same grill as the burgers.
4. Ask about the fryer. Fries and chicken items may share oil with other products.

A staff member saying "yes, it's halal" is not the same as a certificate. Our beef bacon page explains what to look for when a menu lists bacon.

If the branch uses pork bacon on a shared grill, some people still order there and others do not. That choice depends on your own view and your school of thought.

If you want a burger with a clearer halal answer, compare other chains. Our pages on Five Guys, Shake Shack, Smashburger and The Habit cover their status by country.

For a fully halal burger, small local chains with a visible certificate are often the simplest choice. Our beef page explains how halal slaughter applies to beef.