Halal Mexican eatery opens in Albany

Albany's first Halal Mexican restaurant has opened at 324 Central Avenue. Taki Taki Mexican Grill had it's soft opening at the end of June and its official opening on July 4.

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Albany's first Halal Mexican restaurant has opened at 324 Central Avenue. Taki Taki Mexican Grill had it's soft opening at the end of June and its official opening on July 4.

The restaurant is owned by Himayet "Taki" Chowdhury, Omar Abdullah, and Arnab Roy, an artist from Queens who goes by Smoove Desi. Chowdhury was born and raised in New York City. He traveled to Buffalo and the Hudson Valley before settling in Albany.

"There are so many fusion foods in New York City," said Chowdhury. "We wanted to add variety for the Muslim population here."

Halal is food that's permissible under Islamic law. For meat to be certified Halal, it must be slaughtered in a specific manner.

Chowdhury was originally thinking of opening a Halal Nashville hot chicken restaurant, but ultimately decided on a Mexican concept similar to Chipotle. He is a first-time restaurant owner and has been working for an elevator company for the last five years, where he is still employed.

The Taki Taki menu includes tacos, burritos, burrito bowls, and quesadillas with 100% Halal ground beef, chipotle chicken, grilled chicken, Sinaloa steak, and sweet potato. They also offer specialty nachos and french fries.

Chowdhury hopes to eventually add birria and maybe chicken tikka tacos to the menu. He also hopes to one day franchise the business.

"The community has been great," said Chowdhury. "I can't thank them enough."

Taki Taki Mexican Grill is available for dine-in, take-out or delivery. The eatery is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday.