Business & Tech
New Halal Restaurant Opens 2 New Locations, Celebrates With Free Food In Anne Arundel
A new Halal restaurant just opened two new locations in Anne Arundel County. The late-night eatery is giving away free food to celebrate.
![Naz's Halal Food, pictured above in the Odenton Shopping Center, opened about two weeks ago. The chain also opened a Glen Burnie location recently.](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/users/24287450/20230602/104223/styles/patch_image/public/img-4993___02095956987.jpg)
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — A halal restaurant recently opened new locations in Odenton and Glen Burnie. Both eateries are celebrating with free food this weekend.
The chain, Naz's Halal Food, is hosting its grand openings this Saturday.
Odenton and Glen Burnie customers can get one free chicken, lamb or combo rice platter per person from noon to 2 p.m. or until supplies last.
Find out what's happening in Odenton-Severnwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The eatery opens daily at 10:30 a.m. The late-night business stays open until 2 a.m. on Sundays through Thursdays. It's open until 4 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Halal, meaning "permissible" in Arabic, is food allowed under Islamic rules.
Find out what's happening in Odenton-Severnwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Naz's Halal Food serves dishes like gyros, falafel and kebabs. The menu also features baklava for dessert. American offerings include wings, burgers and fries.
The Odenton restaurant is located in the Odenton Shopping Center at 1147 Annapolis Road between H&R Block and Dollar Tree. This fills the vacancy left by a dry cleaner.
The Glen Burnie site is situated at 7509 Ritchie Highway next to Honey Bee Liquors.
Patch visited the Odenton location on Thursday.
That eatery is decorated with two murals flanking the dining area. The left wall shows a word cloud with flavor descriptors and pictures of gyros. The right wall shows a black-and-white panorama of a city skyline.
![](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/users/24287450/20230602/101103/styles/raw/public/processed_images/IMG_4998.jpg)
Kareem Mohmend launched Naz's Halal Food with his cousin, Naz, in 2009. The business started as a food truck in Queens, New York.
The cousins were both teachers in the same New York City public school, so the food truck was originally just a side job.
The customer base grew, so the partners opened their first brick-and-mortar location in 2018. That flagship site is still satisfying Long Island customers in North Babylon, New York.
Naz's Halal Food started franchising, helping the company open several other restaurants in New York, Delaware, Maryland and Virgina.
Google Maps listed the current Maryland locations as:
- Denton
- White Marsh
- Ellicott City
- Germantown
- Rockville
- White Oak
- Burtonsville
- Bowie
"Through hard work, dedication, and maintaining family values, Naz's Halal Food is building their brand by treating everyone like family," the eatery said on its website. "Every location has a family-style environment where often times servers will know patrons on a first name basis."
![](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/users/24287450/20230602/101233/styles/raw/public/processed_images/IMG_5005.jpg)
The Odenton restaurant first opened about two weeks ago.
The 2,692-square-foot eatery has been in the works for quite some time.
Kyung Baek submitted the permit application to turn the space into a restaurant on Sept. 8, 2022. Patch visited the site on March 20, 2023 to check its progress.
Permits posted outside said the business would have three fryers, two griddles and two rice cookers. Plans also called for a walk-in fridge and freezer. The permits did not mention the maximum seating capacity.
Customers can learn more by visiting nazshalal.com and following the business on Facebook.
The Odenton location is still hiring. Interested applicants should call (631) 786-6164 or (631) 405-0043.
Do you know a business that's opening, expanding or closing in Anne Arundel County? Email [email protected] with the details.
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