Long Island’s halal options are expanding with the opening of Jalapeno Shack, new to Huntington. The halal Mexican grill, which succeeds Golden River Chinese Kitchen, is the brainchild of Khalil Nayl, (whose relatives own Shah’s Halal locations and Texas Fried Chicken and Burgers in Hicksville), along with Aziz Obaidi and Enayet Durrani.
Nayl said this idea of Mexican halal came to fruition due to the lack of variety in Long Island restaurants that feature meat from animals handled to that dietary standard. “We have a lot of experience in Shah’s Halal, so when we looked at the food from the outside, the concept is very similar,” he said.
Much like Shah’s ordering process, customers start with a base— vegetables/chicken/beef/steak bowls, quesadillas, tacos, burritos or nacho bowls — before moving on to choose a protein (chicken, steak, vegetables or ground beef), toppings (18 of them make up this step) and salsas/sauces, all of which are housemade — the signature being its honey jalapeño sauce.
Nacho bowls have outshined the other bases at the month-old eatery, Nayl said, adding that he soon will add nacho fries, dubbed “shack fries,” to his list of offerings.
Jalapeño Shack offers limited seating (four chairs at two tables).
Jalapeño Shack is at 340 W. Jericho Tpke. in Huntington. It’s open Sundays to Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays until midnight. 631-777-7778.
