Alcohol in Afghan restaurants

[Ahmad Abdul-Rahimzai]

Let's draw a line between restaurants. Afghans, in the tri-state area(majority in NYC), own about 800 restaurants. Of the 800, about 700 are fast-food, fried chicken restaurants. Within these fried chicken restaurants, NONE serve alcohol.

Afghans also own these 'top-class' restaurants(Think Helmand Hotel near MIT), along with others, which do serve alcohol. So let's not use the term majority. The only conclusion we can reach is that there exists, a tiny segment of Afghan restaurants that serve alcohol. The overwhelming majority does not!

There are actually 3 types now fast food ( kennedy's fried chicken (btw theres a kennedys in Kabul ) , crown fried chicken etc) "high end" restaurants, and now a mix of both sort of like an Afghan version of chilis or applebees basically kabob house style places.

The chicken spots never serve or allow alcohol, the "high end" spots usually do, and the middle end ones are mixed.


So if its a mixed crowd half muslim half, non- muslim, would not allowing it mean non-muslims won't come and would allowing it mean muslims don't come?

[Kushan Prince]

Let's draw a line between restaurants. Afghans, in the tri-state area(majority in NYC), own about 800 restaurants. Of the 800, about 700 are fast-food, fried chicken restaurants. Within these fried chicken restaurants, NONE serve alcohol.

Afghans also own these 'top-class' restaurants(Think Helmand Hotel near MIT), along with others, which do serve alcohol. So let's not use the term majority. The only conclusion we can reach is that there exists, a tiny segment of Afghan restaurants that serve alcohol. The overwhelming majority does not!

Don't forget Bamyian Restaurant!

[khwazun]

What would I do? I would not allow it and decline partnership in a business that sold alcohol or non-halal meats. It would seem that the ultimate decision would lie with the iman of the individuals involved in the operation. As a Muslim, I cannot legitimately justify the selling of alcohol in a business with my name on it. There is no evidence in the Quran and Sunnah that would indicate "it's just business" constitutes a legitimate excuse for thwarting Islam. If such exception existed then it would play host to an infinite number of loophole-style methods of thwarting Islam when it suits the needs of the individual. Likewise, neither I or my family would patronize an Afghan establishment that engaged in the practice. But remember this is personal. Many Afghans in the west today are very, very different from Afghans who have never left our homeland. You will find a surplus of Afghans who are aggressively athiest and openly hostile to Islam and no shortage who are simply non-practicing Muslims. These Afghans would have no problem with the serving of alcohol. Again, in the end, it would be purely dependent upon the iman, or lack thereof, of those involved and the targeted clientele.

[Admin Khan]

@OP

If you live in the NYC area, I will warn you that most of the Afghan restaurants in the area (i.e. in Manhattan) do not serve halal meat either since they claim it is too expensive for them and that there is a lack of demand. I know the ones in Flushing are sound--like Chopan and Bakhtar but be careful elsewhere. Always ask.

I posed a question once to the Bakhtar Afghan meat restaurant in regards to the Halalness, and he said they too, are just going off the sticker that is on the meat which they get from their company. So at this point, we are all going by a he said it's Halal, and a sticker. The majority of the gyro carts that Afghans own, including Arabs, can't verify the authenticity of their Halal claim either. From what I have heard, they have factories, with the Kalima tatooed on the knife, that they use.

[RevolutionThroughReason]

if you're familiar with the "Helmand" restaurant chain ran by Karzai's Brother and his sister, they're notorious for serving alcohol, the Cambridge location has an in house bar and I think Baltimore and Chicago does too now.. I will say that if you want to stay marketable to a wider audience you'll have to sell alcohol. Not many businesses last without it.

HOWEVER I know a place called "Gyro Kabab House" alcohol free, but they keep costs low by basically running a Take Out style operation. He actually used to work for Helmand in Baltimore.

[Joey_Gladstonezai]

I posed a question once to the Bakhtar Afghan meat restaurant in regards to the Halalness, and he said they too, are just going off the sticker that is on the meat which they get from their company. So at this point, we are all going by a he said it's Halal, and a sticker. The majority of the gyro carts that Afghans own, including Arabs, can't verify the authenticity of their Halal claim either. From what I have heard, they have factories, with the Kalima tatooed on the knife, that they use.

Was this the Bakhtar in Fresh Meadows or on Main Street? And yeah, unfortunately, a lot of the so-called halal meat in the West is machine slaughtered. So I take what I said back. Thanks Admin Khan. Have you heard about the new Bakhtar Afghan Kabab on Main Street in Flushing?

[Admin Khan]

Was this the Bakhtar in Fresh Meadows or on Main Street? And yeah, unfortunately, a lot of the so-called halal meat in the West is machine slaughtered. So I take what I said back. Thanks Admin Khan. Have you heard about the new Bakhtar Afghan Kabab on Main Street in Flushing?

I wouldn't call that a new restaurant anymore, it's about a year old now, but yea, the one near Queens College right? I ate there with a few of my friends several times. I still prefer the sauce of the old Khyber near the Hindi cinema, 188st on the LIE.

[Admin Khan]

Was this the Bakhtar in Fresh Meadows or on Main Street? And yeah, unfortunately, a lot of the so-called halal meat in the West is machine slaughtered. So I take what I said back. Thanks Admin Khan. Have you heard about the new Bakhtar Afghan Kabab on Main Street in Flushing?

There are 3 Bakhtars in Flushing/Fresh Meadows:

2 Afghan restaurants with the same name
1 Afghan deli with the same name. I posed this question to the Afghan deli, from which I usually buy my Afghan style bread from.

[Joey_Gladstonezai]

There are 3 Bakhtars in Flushing/Fresh Meadows:

2 Afghan restaurants with the same name
1 Afghan deli with the same name. I posed this question to the Afghan deli, from which I usually buy my Afghan style bread from.

Lol, yeah one is a halal meat grocery. But then there are 2 restaurants just like you said. I havn't been to the "new" restaurant, just have passed by it. Did you like it there?

Wow, I can't believe that Bakhtar's meat is not halal. I never heard that before. I heard rumors though that Kuchi market's meat isn't halal. <_<

[Khostai]

There are almost no Afghan restaurants in Belgium

[Admin Khan]

Lol, yeah one is a halal meat grocery. But then there are 2 restaurants just like you said. I havn't been to the "new" restaurant, just have passed by it. Did you like it there?

Wow, I can't believe that Bakhtar's meat is not halal. I never heard that before. I heard rumors though that Kuchi market's meat isn't halal. <_<

Joey, repeat after me, I never said any of the meat is NOT Halal. We can not assume, if they say it is Halal, we take there word for it -- Allah will deal with liars, but have no evidence of anyone lying. I want to make that clear.

[Joey_Gladstonezai]

Joey, repeat after me, I never said any of the meat is NOT Halal. We can not assume, if they say it is Halal, we take there word for it -- Allah will deal with liars, but have no evidence of anyone lying. I want to make that clear.

No I agree. But you said that they only had the kalimas tattoed to knives, lol. Hence my coming to that conclusion.

[Admin Khan]

No I agree. But you said that they only had the kalimas tattoed to knives, lol. Hence my coming to that conclusion.

I said from what I have heard, I don't know if the previously mentioned restaurants participate in what I have heard.

[Joey_Gladstonezai]

I said from what I have heard, I don't know if the previously mentioned restaurants participate in what I have heard.

Okay, thanks for clearing it up.

[Joey_Gladstonezai]

I wouldn't call that a new restaurant anymore, it's about a year old now, but yea, the one near Queens College right? I ate there with a few of my friends several times. I still prefer the sauce of the old Khyber near the Hindi cinema, 188st on the LIE.

Not the one near QC, I think it's near the City College of New York or something like that . It's right in the heart of the orthodox Jewish community.