Husband-and-wife Bilal Raza and Mahnoor Butt moved to Rochester from Long Island five years ago with the dream of opening a restaurant. “My passion is to cook,” Raza explained.
He began cooking at age 10 in his native Pakistan, where his mother taught him traditional recipes. “She is my mentor,” he said. “She is my teacher. Everything I’m doing I learned from her.” He initially migrated to Long Island, where he worked at Krispy Krunchy Chicken and Pizza Hut.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 was on the rise in 2020 and interfered with their plans. Butt took a job at a Target store. Soon, Raza put the restaurant on hold and joined her there. He got promoted twice, which put the restaurant further on the back burner.
Finally, the couple have opened Halal Rooster, a takeout restaurant in Greece. It blends authentic Pakistani cuisine with popular Mediterranean dishes and all-American casual fare.
What Pakistani food is on the menu?
The menu features classic Pakistani dishes including popular street food. If you’re unfamiliar with Pakistani food, you’ll find some similarities to Indian fare, but with a distinct spice profile.
The menu includes:
- Baked wings, a best seller. These are marinated in fragrant spices with a bit of heat. The tender wings are tasty without sauce but its white sauce is great for dipping.
- Chapli kebab, a patty made with chicken and spices.
- Anda shami burgers, a Pakistani street food that has a patty made with chicken and lentils, topped with egg, cabbage, onions, ketchup and mint sauce.
- Paratha rolls, another street food, made with a flaky flatbread filled with chicken tikka or kabab.
- Biryani, a spicy rice dish that many consider to be the national dish of Pakistan, which is served with a quarter chicken.
- Chicken tikka and chicken tandoori, served over rice with a small salad.
- Chicken karahi and lamb karahi, two authentic Pakistani dishes, are available if ordered in advance.
- Fruit and cream salad is a dessert made with fruit cocktail, apples, almonds and whipped cream.
What Mediterranean dishes are on the menu?
Halal Rooster also serves the popular chicken over rice, which has its origins in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines but is famed as a staple of halal food carts in New York City. Its chicken has a distinctive red color from the addition of tomato powder in the marinade. Other “over rice” variations include lamb; chicken and lamb; falafel and salmon. All are drizzled with white and hot sauces and served alongside a salad.
It also serves lamb, chicken or falafel gyros, as well as hummus.
What American dishes are on the menu?
Of the American dishes Halal Rooster serves, Raza is most excited about the tornado potato stick, which is a fried spiral-cut potato served on a skewer, drizzled with sauce and sprinkled with his own spice blend.
Among the other all-American dishes:
- Fried wings, served with a choice of 10 sauces
- Burgers
- Fries and loaded fries
- Chicken tenders and chicken nuggets
- Mozzarella sticks
- Onion rings
How are the prices at Halal Rooster?
Raza can remember what it was like to work minimum-wage jobs, which is why it’s important to him that those workers can afford his food.
That’s why several of his hearty “over rice” dishes ― chicken, lamb, chicken and lamb, falafel and chapli kabab ― are priced at $9.99. If you have a large appetite, opt for the special mix platter ― rice topped with chicken, lamb, one chapli kabab and two baked wings ― and served with a soda for $14.99.
Burgers and paratha rolls start at $5.99 and gyros are $7.99. Most sides are $3.99 to $4.99.
What to know
Halal Rooster is at 2882 Dewey Ave. in Greece. It is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.
To order call (585) 319-5222; online ordering, pickup and delivery are available through GrubHub, DoorDash or UberEats. The shop has a few tables for waiting for orders or dining in, but it’s primarily geared for takeout. Catering is available.
Tracy Schuhmacher has been the D&C’s full-time food reporter since 2015. Email story tips to [email protected].
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