We popped in to Ya Hala randomly after having to run a few errands in the area. There was ample street parking so we were in no rush. The owner, Sal, came over to our table while we scanned the menus and introduced himself. He gave us a complimentary taco each and said "these are the best tacos you've ever had." I loved the confidence and I loved that he was right. It was love at first bite. We ordered a quesadilla, a chicken salad, a plate of fries, more tacos and a gyro (assuming we would be taking most of it home and eating it for dinner over the week) The quesadilla & gyro were delicious and fresh. They were still tasty as leftovers 2 days later. I wasn't crazy about the salad but that's probably my fault. Ya Hala does comfort junk food - this is not the time to be calorie-conscious. Sal checked in on us a number of times while we were eating. The restaurant is a small hole-in-the-wall with a few booths and a bathroom. I assume most of their business comes from people doing take out at the end of their work day. If I lived or worked closer, I would be a regular customer here. In the end, Sal packed our food in to-go boxes and gave us a free gyro as a surprise. At some point during dinner, my husband mentioned I was Yelp Elite. In the interest of full disclosure, at no point did Sal ask me to leave a favorable review or use his free food as a bargaining chip. This review is done without taking the free gyro into consideration. read more

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These tacos are HEAD AND SHOULDERS above any Mexican restaurant I've ever tried! Not only is this the best taco/halal spot in Albany, it may be one of the BEST HIDDEN GEM spots in all of upstate NY. The portions are huge, the flavor is incredible, the food is real, fresh, and extremely high quality, fresh off the grill. The workers are the nicest guys and pride themselves on elite service. It's a nice small restaurant, perfect to bring a couple friends for great eats. Do whatever you can to get here!! read more

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Food was absolutely delicious. I had the raspberry chicken wrap and my friend had the chopped chicken meltdown plate. Portions are generous, food was fresh, and the service was friendly. The chicken wrap was particularly good - the wrap itself appeared to have been made on premises, not one of those commercial tortilla-style wraps you can get anywhere. It was warm, crispy, and tasty. My friend was happy with his plate. We ate until we were full and still had enough to take home for a second meal. Highly recommend. read more

Stopped in here 2 days in a row after reading Yelp reviews and trying the chopped cheese sub - fantastic! On my second visit the friendly owner gave me a lamb taco to try for free and it did not disappoint - very yummy! For fast, quality lunch food give this place a try. Order at the counter, watch them prepare your meal and eat in (tables in the back) or take it to go! read more

Ya Hala - Chopped cheese sub - Halal Near Me - Albany, New York

INCREDIBLE!!! Sal and his brother Mohammed are the best of the best. I've had everything on their menu and I have no complaints. It's the best ever my top favorites are the falafel chicken over rice, chopped cheese, their tacos anyway you get them insane and actually their pancakes for breakfast are absolute fire and yesterday he had these magnificent fruity pebbles pancakes? read more

Ya Hala - Fruity pebble pancakes - Halal Near Me - Albany, New York

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Great food excellent service and wonderful owners. It's delicious and hot and quick service too!!

Flavor was amazing!!! There are many places to choose from here in Albany, and this is my new favorite.

A friend brought me to Ya Hala and wow! What a find! A family owned spot, located near St. Peter's, Ya Hala offers an expansive menu most notable for the famous NYC chopped cheeses! They have a great variety, I ended up ordering a chicken chopped cheese which I didn't even know what a thing. It was DELICIOUS! Flavor was 10/10. Their French fries are solid, nothing special but a good side for the sandwiches. Great service, fair pricing, and incredible food. Give this place a shot when you're in the area! read more

Ya Hala - Chicken S2. Chopped Cheese Sub with A1. Fries - Halal Near Me - Albany, New York

Great food and service. Everything was cooked perfectly. Nice atmosphere and not too busy.

Best halal food in Albany! They are great, fast efficient and real ingredients. Extremely nice employees.

First time in the area. I tried the tacos and chopped cheese! Very well made. Owner was nice and easygoing he also recommended me some good toppings. read more

I love getting lunch here! It's quick and delicious. The gentleman that prepares the food and takes the orders is very nice!!

Always my go to in a pinch... lamb over rice with white sauce and salad 10/10. Owner is great hard working guy. One of only places around with fast relatively well priced tasty food with great service. Thing I'll go again tonight! read more

This has been my favorite spot for lunch while working for Amazon I was upset when they switched my delivery area cause I missed this spot so much I came in tonight had fried fish over rice and it was 10/10 as usual I've tried almost everything on the menu and the owner and staff always show love and treat me with respect if your ever in the area stop by you won't be disappointed. read more

Best gyros and rice platters in town! Sal is so friendly and really puts his heart and soul into making your meal fresh off the grill. It gets busy around lunch so order ahead and be patient. It's a city deli type of vibe. Reminds me of being back in Queens! Definitely give em a try! Oh yeah, they have the chopped cheese here and it's official! Breakfast also! read more

Ya Hala - V2. Falafel Wrap - Halal Near Me - Albany, New York

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Ya hala Ya hala! Awesome find, out here on a group project and found this Gem! The food was great, the staff is fast and friendly. Great prices, wish most places would be half as good as YA HALA! The owner guaranteed it was going to be great food and he was right, if your in the area, stop by they will treat you right. read more

I ordered via GrubHub. I ordered the steak quesadilla, a chopped cheese, chicken tenders, onion rings, and fries. Everything was made really quickly. The quesadilla was fresh, and it came with sides of freshly chopped green salad, a cucumber and tomato salad, and slices of avocado. It was absolutely delicious. I would've liked the steak to be just a little bit more seasoned, though. The chopped cheese was also really good. Both of dishes came with great portion sizes. Definitely glad that I found this new spot, and it's not too far from my house. I will be back. read more

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This place is an immense addition to the areas lunch scene! I was a huge fan of the Greek restaurants that were here in years past, Anton's and Nikos, and since they closed there hasn't been a place to get a halfway decent gyro. Ya Halal brings a fantastic NYC style restaurant where they can seemingly make whatever fantastic combination of foods you want. I ordered a variety of food to try and everything was excellent. I ordered a classic gyro with tzatziki and tomatoes and it is EASILY, the best gyro in the area. Amazing sauce, crispy homemade gyro meat that was perfectly seasoned and other fresh ingredients. Going full on NYC I tried the chopped cheese which was straight out of the Big Apple. Everything melted together, LTO, grilled peppers cheese and sauces cooked to order right in front of you. The owner let me try their chicken gyro and grilled pastrami. If I'm being honest, the chicken gyro may have been my favorite thing of all. The owner and staff were all super friendly and really just want to provide each customer with exactly what they want and fully customize every meal. Give this place a shot and make sure to grab extra napkins you'll need them! read more

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Had the chicken and lamb gyro and lamb and falafel gyros. Both really really good. Fantastic.

Ordered for picked on a very busy Saturday. The food was still on time, accurate to order, and delicious. The guys behind the counter are always very polite and nice to you. The food is what you would expect, always fresh and tasty. Definitely a staple for us. read more

This place got the best food in Albany I love everything they make and the cook is such a nice guy! I love coming here

After shortly landing in Albany my family made a quick pitstop here at Ya Hala. After seeing only great reviews online we shortly knew this was our spot. When we entered the restaurant the hospitality was amazing making us feel at home. The food was right there as well. I had the steak taco and lamb gyro and it was the best I've ever had. read more

As soon as you step in you get the nice ambiance and smells, this place has great food that is cooked in front of you with fresh ingredients and that is both delicious and healthy. The customer service is great and is what stands out the most to me, muslim-owned and very nice people who seem humble and friendly. Great place for breakfast that is relatively cheap and perfect for starting your day if you are out of home. Cheap and reliable. P.S I got both the Eggs (about 4-5 )and the French Toast w/ syrup for about $9.71. Can't beat it. read more

Ya Hala - Eggs & French Toast - Halal Near Me - Albany, New York

This is an amazing gem of a restaurant located directly across from St. Peter's Hospital. The staff are super friendly and the food is delicious and very reasonable. My wife and I stopped in and were quite impressed. The tacos and wings were fantastic. The owner, Sal, is super friendly and takes immense pride in his food. read more

What a great little hidden gem. Fantastic food and great customer service. They had me feel comfortable when entering and encountered customers to make adjustments to the menu is needed. A defiant spot to return to next time I'm in the area. read more

Ya Hala - P2. Beef Shawarma Platter - Halal Near Me - Albany, New York

This is a simple counter service place with a few tables in the back. Food is excellent and prices are a good value for what you get. I think most people go for the wraps, rice plates, and shawarma, but they also serve breakfast - the only place that does nearby (unless you count Dunkin, which I don't). Be aware that the restaurant is halal, so there are no pork products. They do serve turkey and maybe beef bacon. The best thing about this place, though, is the friendly service. Even when they are busy with a long line and all the workers hustling, customers get a greeting and a smile. Also, I got there fairly often, and they sometimes give me samples of things I have never ordered to try, which is a great bonus. read more

super fresh and delicious falafel! flaky wrap with just the right amount of chewiness! such nice people! i'm smitten. read more

Ya Hala - V2. Falafel Wrap - Halal Near Me - Albany, New York

Excellent food at a reasonable price. Their sandwiches, gyros and burgers are awesome. The restaurant is family owned, all of the staff are very friendly. Despite being busy during lunch hour, the food came out very quickly. Many people do takeout, however there is a small area with seating if desired. You won't be disappointed. read more

Had a chicken gyro. Very tasty and substantial. Very convenient to St Peter's which makes for a great change of pace from the usual hospital fare. read more

Food was delicious and service was great. Picky toddler loved the pancakes. We were heard about this restaurant from a friend and are glad visited! read more

Very friendly staff the food is always fresh and tasty My friend and I always go there for sandwiches read more

What an outstanding meal we had last evening and the service was beyond outstanding. If your looking for an excellent meal go to Ya Hala. Finally, we found a restaurant that when they say Lamb Gyro, it is a Lamb Gyro, not the ones that they try to sell that have beef. Delicious food!!!! We will be back for sure. Thank you. read more

In town for soccer tournament, and this place was great. Lots of med students coming in from nearby, a sure sign of good and cheap food. Chicken shawarma platters was nicely seasoned with perfect rice and a lot of basic salad. Delicious. They also have burgers, sandwiches, gyros etc. We also tried the tacos, which don't seem to be on the menu but were delicious. Great service, too. Everyone working seemed genuine and appreciative of our business. Tacos were to go and nicely packaged in compostable materials. We went back the next day. If I'm ever in Albany, I guarantee I will eat here. read more

We read good reviews on yelp while visiting Albany and tried this restaurant. And we were not disappointed. We tried Philly steak sub, steak quesadilla, cheeseburger, Korean spicy wings which were just ok but mango habanero wings were good and chopped cheese sandwich. All was yummy! Owner was nice and offered free water bottles knowing it was our first time there. We will definitely visit next time we visit Albany. read more

FOOD WAS AMAZING. Everything is so fresh! We came from NYC- and honestly was so impressed with the food here, we will definitely be back! The service was amazing and the workers are so kind! read more

Ya Hala - FOOD WAS AMAZING. Everything is so fresh! We came from NYC- and honestly was so impressed with the food here, we will definitely be back! - Halal Near Me - Albany, New York

Good service and even better food! I'd say this is the best food spot in Albany. It's a must try. Highly recommend the tacos.

Great takeout from here while visiting someone at St. Peter's Hospital. It was absolutely delicious. The steak quesadilla was huge. The meat was well seasoned and the portion was huge. Came with lovely side salad that was perfectly dressed. Others got the spicy chicken wrap which got great reviews. Staff were warm and welcoming. Highly recommend! read more

The food is filling and tasty. The staff especially the owner (or perhaps the main cook) is extremely friendly and generous with the portions. read more

Loved my chopped cheese here. The best. The people who run the place were super cool too. Worth stopping on a trip down 87!

Fantastic food. Very friendly. Highly recommend. Everything is fresh and well prepared.