Holy smokes, what's not to love? The people were lovely. Chicken and lamb with rice: flavorful, generous portion, and just delicious. And I'm now a hummus fan! Will absolutely be back! read more

My nonprofit organization worked with Saleem to provide red tea and baklava for an afternoon event. The tea was "just right", the baklava was yummy, and our guests greatly enjoyed it. (Some even went for dinner there after the event!) Saleem was wonderful to work with and other staff were very helpful. We would definitely recommend working with Al-Rayan if you're planning an event! Marty M. read more

We had a wonderful experience and amazing food here! The owner Samir took great care of us, answered questions, and was so friendly as were the other staff. The hummus was the best I've ever had! And their fresh mango drink was delicious! Make sure you get some baklava while you're there too!!! We can't wait to come back. read more

Al-Rayan Restaurant - Chicken Kufta Kebab - Halal Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Food was less than mediocre. My boyfriend said the lamb haneeth was not flavorful, and the rice was cold. I ordered a fattoush salad with lemon and they brought me one with vinegar which was sour. The ingredients were not fresh, the tomatoes were soggy and the lettuce was wilted. The pita chips tasted like saturated oil Chinese take out fried noodles. The falafel had more sesame seeds than chickpea and were nothing like the ones in the picture on the menu, they were miniature little balls. Overall it was a really poor experience. The silverware was dirty the whole restaurant looks dirty and unkept / not maintained well. I was afraid to use their restrooms. The lady serving us was nice and she was the only one working, making drinks and serving the tables. The only good things were the hummus and fresh warm pita and the lemonade with mint. read more

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Food was good. Flavourful rice. Juicy chicken. Wish they served some hot and garlic sauce with it. read more

Al-Rayan Restaurant - Chicken shawarma with rice - Halal Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Had a lamb shawarma and fries. The lamb was very chewy and fatty. I'll try them again but order something else

The food here is very tasty. The staff is very hardworking and the flavors are wonderful.

Hidden gem! Kofta kebab is excellent as is all the food. Friendly staff, cozy inside. I've been ordering take out here, but would love to dine in one day! read more

I ordered takeout for dinner here a couple weeks ago and I've been thinking about it ever since. We got the hummus Beiruti, which was sort of a churched-up version of a traditional hummus, with spices, fresh herbs, and loads of olive oil. It was delicious with the accompanying flatbread. We also Rayan mixed grill plate, which was several types of Kabab with rice and that was also great, but the real showstopper, the thing I will definitely go back for again and again is the Lamb Heneeth, which was SO tender, so flavorful- chewing practically optional. The portion sizes for the price were very generous and the ambiance in the restaurant was really nice. I'd probably dine in next time. If you like Middle Eastern/Halal food, put this on your list. read more

The service was poor. One young girl who didnt seem to know what she was doing. Nobody checked on us. I ordered a diet coke and I never got it. Lol. The restrooms are not clean. Our orders were incorrect and she brought us extra. They corrected it but the server wasnt listening in the first place soo not much sympathy here. The food? Not too bad. But you have to order ff ala carte with the sandwich. The water was warm tap water and it took 10 minutes to find ice !! read more

First time here. A little slow for food to arrive but I really think that was because everything is made to order. Server suggested we try the Fahsa which is like shredded lamb. Very tasty. Piping hot. Of course the hummus was next level and great with warm pita. Definitely will return. read more

Al-Rayan Restaurant - 2. Fahsa. It was delicious - Halal Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Amazing Food i never tried this kitchen Before but i really love it service is great also! nice environment 5 star service read more

Al-Rayan Restaurant - Halal Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Great place for lamb and hummus and meat. The lamb is very tender. Whenever I am craving lamb, this is the place I go. read more

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Went there on Wednesday with Mary Clark and the International Tour group. We go to a different international restaurant every two weeks. There was over 50 people that came this week. That tills you how good it was a lot of them had been there before. This was my first time at this restaurant and I will be back I got the falafel sandwich and hummus they were both really good. And the prices were great. They have a Lotta other entrées and sides you can get also. But everyone at our table loved their food. They were warned that there was going to be 50 of us but they handled it very well food came out quick and hot. The employees were very friendly. read more

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I found a new favorite middle eastern restaurant here. There is a lot of space in the dining area and a large menu featuring your favorite middle eastern cuisine. Service was very fast and the whole dinning room is very clean. I shared the huge variety plate of kabobs with my son as well as a plate of hummus and one of the largest pieces of pita bread. The shish kabob plate come with plenty of excellent rice and pickles and onions. The chicken and lamb were excellent and I still have two other kinds for leftovers as I could only eat half of my share of the plate. My son ate all of his share and loved it. They also provide a great soup with the dish as well. I highly recommend checking this restaurant out and is as good as eating directly in Istanbul without the plane ticket. read more

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Love the food, service can be slow, but the food makes up for it! Highly recommend lamb haneeth or golden fish!

Visiting Indianapolis for a day trip, we had not made any plans for dinner. Had heard about an Indian Restaurant that was the best in Indiana, and drove there first. It was actually closed for a week. With that out of the picture, just decided to drive down Lafayette Road, and found quite a few restaurants from around the world. At 38th street and Lafayette, we found Patel brothers and a Halal Supermarket in a strip mall. Contained within the same mall was a Biryani Restaurant (closed in the mid afternoon) and we found Al-Rayan Restaurant. We walked in to a lovely atmosphere and 2 folks greeted us at the door. Loved the options for seating: booth, table, covered booths with a table, and covered booths with an option to sit on the floor. We choose a covered booth with a table. Our service was very prompt and kind. We had water. We ordered the hummus beiruti with oil, parsley and paprika, a falafel sandwich and shish kabab. Now on the menu, I'm vegetarian so I had some appetizer options, hummus, falafel, and tabbouleh. The hummus came out first. It was beautiful, along with a warm piece of lavaash. The hummus was delicious, the way it should be. It was light, airy, and so flavorful. Our entrees came out following that. The falafel sandwich came with fresh fries with a wonderful seasoning. The shish kabob was flavorful with a aromatic rice. There was Franks Red Hot Sauce on the table so I used that to have in addition with the falafel sandwich. The food was so flavorful. The wait staff was so kind. They came in and checked on us frequently to make sure we were doing ok. We even asked what the seasoning was on the fries, one of the staff actually brought us some to take home when we asked. Our service was prompt. The food was delicious. The space was so clean and well kept. It was so inviting. I've already snacked on the leftover hummus I brought home. Looks like we have more reasons to go back to Indianapolis, Al-Rayan is at the top of the list. read more

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This place was in my checklist right from 2018 and was able to successfully check it off last week. This restaurant offers Mediterranean cuisine. Loved the ambience as it was Mediterranean style too with multiple seating options including sitting on the floor or in the dining table in a private space. Open space seating is also available. Food was equally good as well. This place served the best Mendi rice I've never ever tasted in my life so far. Been to many Mediterranean restaurants in US as well as in India but never had such an aromatic and flavorful Mendi rice like the one I had in this place. Meat that came with the rice tasted good but it was little dry. I expected something semi-gravy to go well with the rice. Ordered Shawarma, which was fabulous too. It came with French fries. Falafel was good too. It came with small salad and Tahini sauce. Ordered orange juice expecting it to be freshly made but it was from a concentrate, which was disappointing. On the downside, some of the menu entries seemed little pricey to me. They have quite a lot of options to choose from but the style of food seems to be the same but with a different meat. Some of the items were not available that day, which I think is an one-off situation. Staffs did really well, however I personally had trouble in ordering. Also the wait time for the food was quite high. This place is in a strip mall near Magoos pizza on 38th street. Plenty of parking options available. read more

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1. This is without a doubt the best halal restaurant in Indy. Granted, there are not tons of options, but Al-Rayan is a comforting, vast, and safe space for the Indianapolis Muslim community. 2. You can sit at a table or on the ground and enjoy a more traditional eating experience. Reminded me of a great meal of rice and goat I had in Medinah, KSA. 3. I also believe Rayan is the best and truly authentic Arab restaurant in the area. It would be unfair to call this a Mediterranean restaurant, when it is wholly Yemeni, but they do have a number of ancillary regional dishes. You can get "regular" hummus, but it is so rich, it feels like a dessert. Or you can get it Lebanese style with pine nuts, or topped with meat. 4. The portions are ridiculous and gigantic! Alhamdulillah. Every dish comes with an astonishing amount of rice. The signature goat and chicken dishes for example are served on a bed of delicious rice and I always take food home. 5. If you need vegetables, your options may be rather limited; food from this region is often carb/protein rich, and vegetables are few and far between. Grab one of the salads! 6. With all of this said, the service is not great, even when I was the only customer there. You might hear people in the kitchen, but "table service" is weak. 7. No alcohol is served and no BYOB. read more

Al-Rayan Restaurant - Kabab plate and general happiness :) - Halal Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Worst customer service I have ever encountered at a restaurant! The waitress was extremely rude and didn't even bother to write down our order saying that she "has good memory", but ends up getting all of our orders to the wrong person at our table. We were a party of 9, had reservations but didn't receive our food for almost an hour and a half. Food came out at different times so we requested that the food come out at the same time. One of the orders were completely wrong and when a member at our table gestured for her to come to the table to let her know, she straight out said no and walked straight into the kitchen. The food was good for the most part but the customer service really ruined it for all of us. They have also increased their prices and the pictures on the menu are not representative of what we got on one of the entrees we received, the picture showed a large platter of hummus and meat, but what we got was a small bowl. We spoke to the manager at the end and he was apologetic and offered to give a reasonable discount on our meal but the entire process was rough. I understand that the new norm nowadays is short-staffed restaurants and I wholeheartedly support businesses that are doing their best, but this is an experience I've never dealt with before. I will not be returning. read more

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So I've been wanting to come here because it's one of the few places where my husband can get halal meat. We finally made it there last week, and we were not disappointed! We were there around three, and it was rather quiet. They have a lot of carryout orders though! Their falafel appetizer was awesome! We had like three left, but they didn't even make it home. We ate them in the car. so crunchy and fresh. Their pickles were good.... I know it's weird to comment on the pickles but I do know my husband hates pickles and he tore those up. They were good. I got the sandwich with the lamb meat and it was delicious. My husband, of course got the liver one (gross lol) and he loved that as well. Also, the woman who served us spoke Arabic, which made my husband very happy since he's still new in America from Morocco. Most of the places we have gone they don't speak Arabic, so we like that as well. There was a little area for prayer, I don't know if that was a worker who used it or if it was a customer but I thought I'd mention that. They have little private tables with curtains. I should've taken more pictures, but I'll be back and next time I'll take pictures! read more

Al-Rayan Restaurant - Lamb Shawarma Sandwich - Halal Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Hard pass on this one. I love middle eastern food, but this was awful. We had kebabs that were overcooked and underseasoned served with rice. They weren't even served as the menu described. The restaurant was empty, which should have been our first clue. The bathrooms were beyond disgusting. Hard pass. Go elsewhere. read more

Great food, friendly service, and pleasant ambiance. Can't be beat if you like Mediterranean food. I had saltah and Beiruti hummous and can recommend both. read more

Good food and service . Nice ambience and food is amazing . Their kababs and Mandi are the best read more

This place was so great! We got the mixed grill platter and the kabobs were soft, juicy, and delicious. Also, everything was halal which is always a plus! There's plenty of seating and floor seating as well. The woman who served us was very kind. I will definitely be coming back for more! read more

Al-Rayan Restaurant - Mixed grill platter - Halal Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Vegetarian-friendly. Get the red tea with milk, it's fresh. Everything here is fresh. The wait staff and kitchen staff were kind. The tabbouleh was also incredible. It smells so good right when you walk in. They play some nice music in the background, and there aren't TVs everywhere. The pita is huge, the food was presented in a stylistic way. My partner used the term "euphoric" to describe the experience. read more

Ordered the mixed platter via phone to pick up. Total $38. Comes with 8 skewers of meat and tons of rice. Its a half size foil pan usually used for catering. I was told 20 min. I arrived after 30 min. The guy went to the back to get my order and took another 5 min. They brought out 1 2 oz cup of yogurt sauce. I asked for more. He proceeded to take another person's order and answer the phone to take an order before going back to get my sauce. I get it, everyone is short staffed. I waited even longer for 2 more cups. This was Monday evening by the way about 8pm. There were quite a few people sitting inside. There is a nice fountain inside. Anyway to the food, the flavor was good. Better than taste of Dubai in my opinion. However the meat was a bit overcooked and dry. The rice was good. Oh also when I got home and tried the yogurt sauce, turns out it was spoiled. It was warm too. Super disappointed about that. Would probably give it 3.5 stars. read more

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This is, so far, the best Arab/middle eastern food I've found in Indy. I love Lebanese hummus, am not a big fan of Turkish hummus, and I LOVE this hummus - so take that for what you will. I guess I love Yemeni hummus, too! The bread is, almost always, cooked fresh and warm. This pita bread is different from what I've had at other places, and I love it. The falafel? Amazing. Cooked perfectly. Perfectly crispy outside, soft inside. Tahini is great with it. The lamb gyro pita? Oh my. Wow, the meat is so tender and with the sauce, it is so juicy...it is a delightful party in my mouth! Plenty of seating, including a row of tables along the wall where you can sit on the floor on a padded bench(?) and there are curtains for privacy. Make sure you take off your shoes before you go in there and sit down. Baklava - lots of it - is available for sale as well. The menu is huge and include breakfast. I'd love to try more things - the Yemeni breakfast option sounds wonderful. read more

Long story short, food was amazing! But there was NO service... Before leaving for the restaurant I called them to ask if they were open for dine-in. I called them twice but they didn't answer (during their business hours). I arrived there around noon, it was open, and there was no customer. There was no one at front. I wait there and a guy came out. No greeting or whatsoever. He just handed me menus and told me I could sit anywhere. I sat down and waited for my friend for about five minutes, but during this time no one came to my table to greet or take drink orders. Friend arrived and server brought us water in plastic cups. Took order. Food came quickly, and they were both so tasty. Server never came to our table, ever after that. Unfortunately this is one of the places where you have to pause eating, get up and look for your server to ask for anything- I dislike it. Our dish was sizzling in the stone pot but they gave us plastic utensils and predictably the spoon melted. We had to get up and ask for a silver spoon. Once we were done eating once again I had to get up and ask for boxes, then again for a check. I was very disappointed with their nonexistent service. We ate with at least 5 flies constantly flying in our sight, The women's restrooms were nasty( 1 stall out of order, two filthy, one was "okay"). I wish they took cleanliness and customer service more seriously. While food was full of flavor and seemed authentic, everything else was not remotely good or satisfactory. It's a shame... I would only go back there for takeout, but never dine-in :( read more

Al-Rayan Restaurant - Halal Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Took my meetup group there for a nice little dinner and we loved it. We came early on a Monday night and were the only customers in the place. However, we noticed a lot of folks coming in to pick up some carry-out. I had some sort of adventurous moment and ordered the Lebon Shneenah, lived to regret that too... Let's say it's not bad, but I simply wasn't prepared for it. It kind of tastes like plain yogurt but a bit more intense and of course liquid. Others tried the Adani (tea) and were quite happy with that. We sampled a few appetizers. The hummus was very creamy and smooth, served with huge flat breads... delicious. Grape leaves were visually pleasing and deemed yummy. Fattoush with lemon was my next choice. Simply put it's a salad with lemon based dressing. Tasty. The falafels were huge, a whole plate full and green on the inside. Quite good though, even so the vibrant green color threw me off a little. My main dish was the Fahsa. Ever since I first had it, I must have it. This dish is a smaller portion than all their other dishes and basically just meat served with the flat bread on the side. Trust me, this is worth it though. This is basically shredded lamb served in a claypot. The whole thing is sizzling in juices. You can scoop it directly out of the pot with help of the flat bread, but after several burns, I am taking the easy way out and using a fork to collect some meat and deposit it on the bread. The flavor of the meat is what will get you. It has a hint of curry, but it's not hot and spicy, savory, just so full of flavor... I can't even describe it... you have to taste this stuff if you get a chance... it's just sooo good. According to my guests the Mandi chicken was very well received. It's basically half a chicken on rice, better be hungry. The various kebabs were also quite popular, as was the lamb. Somebody ordered the variety platter and I think he's going to eat on that for the rest of the week. That could easily be a meal for two or more people. In short if you want good hearty food and lots of it at a reasonable prices, this is the place for you. Taking a star off though, because while advertised there was no ice cream or dessert to be had. For real, sad face... not that we could have eaten another bite, but it's the principle. Oh and allot some time if you're coming here, it may take a little while. read more

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I want to preface this with I think we just came on a bad day because they were used to buffet diners during the hours we came. We wanted to order off the menu, which you're still able to do, but the service is poor during this time because they just weren't staffed for it. I ordered the Lamb Shawarma which is one of my favorite go to orders at most middle eastern places, but this one was subpar. The lamb was greasy and left a bad after taste in my mouth. The fries were too crunchy, probably over fried, but could've also been left too long before they were served. I was wholly underwhelmed and unimpressed by this place. read more

Al-Rayan Restaurant - Lamb Shawarma Sandwich - Halal Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

I heard about this restaurant on WRTV. A friend and I went this weekend and the food was fabulous! We had Hummus Beiruti, she had Chicken Shawarma, and I had Mendi Chicken and rice. The service was excellent as well. read more

Al Rayan is the best restaurant in Indy that you've never heard of. This is some of the most flavorful food I have ever had. Start with the Beiruti hummus. It's regular hummus injected with garlic flavor and cream tahini. The mixed platter is a perfect option for a first time visitor. You get a sampling of minced meat and whole muscle kabobs with rice. I'd also recommend the lab roast called the Mendi Lamb and rice. It's a whole muscle roast of lamb that is fall-off-the-bone tender. Some of the best lamb I've ever had. Oh, and I haven't even talked about their rice. It's perfectly cooked, moist without being sticky, and incredibly flavorful. read more

Al-Rayan Restaurant - Hummus Beiruti and Tabbouleh - Halal Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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I had Chicken Kufta Kabab, the food was so good!! We loved the foods and enjoyed them so much, but the waiting time was too long. The order was back and fort and did not complete at one time. We needed to ask them like, this thing was missing could you give us. Overall, foods were great but if you want to eat there you need to be very patient~~ read more

Al-Rayan Restaurant - Chicken Kafta Kabab - Halal Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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The food was amazing & the service was perfect. This is a hidden gem on the west side of Indy. We'll definitely go back!

loved the atmosphere and food here. Every staff member greeted us with a smile and were very welcoming and helpfu.

That falafel knocked my socks off. I've had two pleasant visits to Rayan Restaurant and figured its high time I give them the Yelp love they deserve. Fun note before you enter, take a peek in the window to the left to see the baking space they use to create pita for several local businesses including their own restaurant. From the outside you'll see that this appears to be another one of the treasure chest strip malls of the International Marketplace neighborhood. On the inside you'll find that they have turned what was once an Old Country Buffet into a bright and shiny new space that features both booths and floor seating with pillows and private curtains to offer diners an intimate and private experience. As recommended by our dining mate this last round, I would recommend the sweet black tea. Yes, it has caffeine and yes its full of sugar and yes it's delicious. Following the tea, we pretty much ordered everything else on the menu. Of those items, the standouts were the falafel (perfect balance of crispy outside and soft inside - not overly friend to taste like a fried blob) and the rice. No matter what meat/veggie platter you order, make certain their is a generous order of the flavor-packed rice. We enjoyed the tabouleh and chicken kebab (both soft and flavorful). Service was very friendly and hospitable. If you're craving dessert, take note of the huge platters of baklava and other Middle Eastern treats on the front counter. They're made in house. I'll give them a try next time and report back ;) read more

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5 stars for two reasons: 1. Banana milk smoothie - real banana (of course!), super creamy, cold, sweet and frothy 2. Chicken shawarma "sandwich" - the chicken in this thing is unreal! Tangy, salty, packed with flavor, great contrast with the pickles and other fillings. More of a wrap than a sandwich, though. The space is new with a bakery attached. The dining area includes some cozy floor seating options with look pretty exotic. The kitchen is in plain sight from your table so you can rest easy that everything is clean. This is a great spot for lunch or dinner. You might not think to try it for the first time based on how the restaurant looks from the outside. It's in a pretty nondescript strip mall. Take a leap of faith and give it a try! read more

Al-Rayan Restaurant - Beef kabab shawarma sandwich with the rest of my banana milk in the background - Halal Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

The food here is excellent. Service is good, and I really like the private booths. The only issue is that I had a restaurant.com coupon and they refused to honor it. If they don't want to honor their coupons, then get off the website. read more

The food is OK, but you can tell most of it is pre-made (my chicken and rice was lukewarm at best). Also, the service is SLOW and uninterested. There are only 2 other tables at lunch and it took forever to get our bill. read more

Al-Rayan Restaurant - Halal Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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