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Is Zankou Chicken Halal?

Short answer Depends

Partly. Zankou Chicken says its Chicken Tarna and Chicken Kabobs are halal-certified at all locations, and that all meats are halal-certified at its Anaheim restaurant [1]. Outside Anaheim, other meats are not covered by that statement. The certifier is not named, so ask your branch. If you're unsure, ask a scholar you trust.

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Halal status by country

CountryStatusDetailsSource
United States Some items halal Chicken Tarna and Chicken Kabobs are halal-certified at all locations. At the Anaheim location, all meats are halal-certified. Other items at other branches are not covered by Zankou's statement. [1][2]
ItemStatusNoteSource
Chicken Tarna (shawarma) and Chicken Kabobs Halal Zankou says these are halal-certified at all of its locations. [1]
All meats at the Anaheim location Halal Zankou says all meats at its Anaheim restaurant are halal-certified, including beef. [1][2]

What Zankou Chicken says about halal

Zankou Chicken is a Los Angeles favorite known for rotisserie chicken and its sharp garlic sauce. The family business traces back to a restaurant opened in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1962, and it is now based in Vernon, California, with restaurants across the Los Angeles area [2].

Zankou answers the halal question on its own FAQ page. It makes two clear points [1]:

  • At all locations, the Chicken Tarna and the Chicken Kabobs are halal-certified.
  • At the Anaheim location, all meats are halal-certified.

Wikipedia's summary lines up with this. It says Zankou locations run by one branch of the founding family serve halal-certified chicken, and that the Anaheim restaurant, near the Little Arabia district, also serves halal beef [2].

A clear written statement from the restaurant itself is one of the better kinds of evidence you can get. It is more reliable than a delivery app tag or a staff member's verbal answer. Zankou's statement is useful because it is narrow: it tells you exactly which items are covered, which also tells you which items are not.

What the statement does not cover

Zankou's FAQ is specific, and it helps to read it closely. It names two chicken items for all locations [1]. It does not name every item on the menu. So, outside Anaheim:

  • Beef and other meats are not covered by the halal statement [1].
  • Other chicken items are not named in the statement. If you want a specific item, such as the whole rotisserie chicken, ask the branch whether it uses the same certified chicken.

The FAQ also does not name the certifier, and it does not say whether the chicken is hand-slaughtered or machine-slaughtered [1]. If those details matter to you, ask the branch which certifier it uses and check that certifier's standards.

Zankou's locations are not all run by the same owner. Wikipedia lists locations split among different family members [2]. That is another reason the answer can vary from branch to branch.

How to order halal at Zankou

  1. Go to Anaheim if you want the widest halal choice. Zankou says all meats there are halal-certified [1].
  2. Stick to the named items elsewhere. At other branches, the Chicken Tarna and Chicken Kabobs are the items Zankou says are certified [1].
  3. Ask about beef. Outside Anaheim, assume beef is not certified unless the branch shows you otherwise.
  4. Ask for the certificate. A branch with certified items should be able to show paperwork or name its certifier.
  5. Ask about shared grills if certified and uncertified meats are cooked together.

Other Middle Eastern chains

If you want to compare, see our pages on Luna Grill, Naf Naf Grill and Panini Kabob Grill, which has no halal certification. Our guides to whether shawarma and gyro are halal explain what to look for in any shawarma shop.

Frequently asked questions

Is Zankou Chicken halal?

Partly. Zankou says its Chicken Tarna and Chicken Kabobs are halal-certified at all locations, and that all meats are halal-certified at its Anaheim restaurant [1]. Other items at other branches are not covered, so ask before ordering.

Is Zankou beef halal?

Only confirmed at Anaheim. Zankou says all meats at its Anaheim location are halal-certified [1], and Wikipedia notes that Anaheim serves halal beef [2]. At other branches, the halal statement covers only the Chicken Tarna and Chicken Kabobs.

Is Zankou rotisserie chicken halal?

Zankou's FAQ names the Chicken Tarna and Chicken Kabobs as halal-certified at all locations, but it does not name the whole rotisserie chicken outside Anaheim [1]. Ask your branch whether it uses the same certified chicken.

Who certifies Zankou Chicken?

Zankou's FAQ says certain items are halal-certified but does not name the certifier [1]. Ask your branch to show the certificate, which should name the certifier and give an expiry date.

Sources

  1. FAQ · Zankou Chicken · accessed
  2. Zankou Chicken · Wikipedia · accessed