This place is horrible compared to the one in Springfield. Forgot to give me and co workers sauce twice on both of our visits. Then tried to charge for the sauce they didn't give us. Worst service ever. Please hire new management and make your customer service better. 1 out of 5 stars. Also the hype seems to be over hyped. Nothing special. Meat was blah. Rice was skimp as ever. read more

Not sure what all the hype is about. Chicken was tasteless, the rice and salad were bland. Very disappointing.

I've been to the NY location (the best one obviously), the Costa Mesa, CA location which was also delicious and the Springfield, VA one which was a joke. This was my second time coming to this Merrifield location and most likely my last time. First off they put too much lettuce, like ungodly amounts. I presume this is to ensure that you think your platter is filled and they can skimp on rice. I asked for little lettuce and a lot of rice and they still managed to skimp. Move onto meat, I usually only get beef because it's heaping enough and their chicken always looks super suspect. Queue to my latest visit I see that their chicken looks a little less suspect and so I decide on the combo. They skimp on the beef and chicken and the chicken looked appalling. It was grey and purple colored in some areas and when eaten had the nastiest feedback when chewing, it was like rubber. I ended up swallowing most of it whole to avoid ruining my appetite eating rubbery chicken. I put two stars because I still love the NY location but it is clear as day they expanded and their quality control is not up to standard. I'd gladly pay more if they actually put more food but how they try and bamboozle you with the lettuce to make you think you got a lot of food is astonishing. For the price point go to Chipotle it'll be more filling and you'll get the amount of food you paid for. I never thought I'd be one of these uptight, pretentious yelpers but seeing how far the apple fell from the tree thee VA locations have from the original is disheartening. read more

I have tried them many times. I think their chicken is not great. However they have fresh falafels. They are not very generous while putting the BBQ sauce. You have to repeatedly ask them to pour more. read more

Good but not great. Service was good / quick. Chicken in the gyro was dry. Flavorful but also rather standard fare. Oklahoma Joes around the corner is better. read more

Amazing! Even better than the cart in New York. fresher and cleaner! Will definitely visit frequently!

They always hold me down and let me holler at mad red sauce, but care enough to let me know Imma hurt later.

The only reason they are getting 2 stars is because their customer service was awesome! Falafel patties were burned and old (dry/stale) and they doused my platter with red sauce (even though I said VERY VERY VERY little). It was so hot that I couldn't even taste the rice, salad or bread -- all I tasted was red sauce melting my esophagus. I eat spicy food but this was too much. I will try them again only because I didn't taste any of the food the first time but will get no hot sauce or sauce on the side. read more

First time here and I must say.... amazing service and really great food! Got the chicken bowl and man o' man was I stuffed afterwards, and the red sauce was amazing! There was a tall guy with spiked hair (must have been the manager) greeting and helping people to their tables. He really knew how to make the guys behind the counter work. He came and checked to see if I needed anything, and really made me feel at home. I am not from the area ( I live in Maryland) but next time I am down in VA I will most definitely be back, and I will bring my whole family too! Thanks Halal Guys you made my day today!! :) read more

The food was good, but the quality and quantity was nowhere close to the one in NYC. The chicken had some weird smell to it. Atleast they give additional white sauce packet for free, unlike the Springfield halal guys. read more

I had lunch from this place today. Chicken sandwich and fries. The chicken is very tender but needs seasoning! Also, the employees need to learn how to fold the bread and actually make a sandwich. The fries was really bad. no flavor ,cold, not cooked enough. Also, I tried ordering on line before I went there and it is not available and no one answers the phone at the store. I will try them again in a month to see if anything changes. read more

Much ado about nothing. Yet another fast food eatery that tosses some chicken or beef in a paper/tin bowl with lettuce and rice and calls it a meal. Why they have a line out the door is beyond me. Take my advice, wait until the excitement dies down, and then give them a try. If you're watching your weight, ask for the white sauce on the side, as just 2 tablespoons amount to 320 calories, and the staff appear to be squirting out half a gallon per bowl. As for the red sauce, it's very spicy, but nowhere near the five alarm fire that some are making it out to be. There are much spicier -- and far better tasting -- options down the street at Spice 6 Modern Indian. read more

I have been to their location in New York and found out about their location at the Dunn Lorning so went there to eat. I was expecting it to be the same taste and same portion, but the taste was awful and portion was small. The meat was too greasy. Nothing like the original one. I had the combo, but won't be going to this location again. Waste of money.. :( read more

How do you mess up a New York staple? Open up franchises all over and allow the franchise owners to ruin the reputation of the halal guys name. This location sells the white sauce in solo cups for 50 cents. Problem is it's 1/4 filled and the sauce tasted spoiled. Other locations have the white sauce in sealed packets. Also the red sauce just didn't taste the same either. Chicken is bland, rice is dry and half the platter is iceberg lettuce and tomatoes. I went through college in NY eating this stuff and I know when it's not done right. I don't know if it's just this location or all of them but I will say this. If this is what the world was introduced to instead of he original carts in NY, it would fail big time. Pardon me while I go sit on the toilet for a few hours read more

Honestly I have nothing bad to say about this location is just amazing the staffs are like family everyone always smiling showing the costumer a good energy you know that's what we like as costumers. Sometimes we have a bad day and we love to get treated right love this place .. I had the regular chicken platter it was amazing . I want to point out how amazing this short girl who works for u guys treated me (she wears glasses)She's so nice and lovely she clearly loves her job I didn't ask her name but I'll be definitely back . Thank u so much for such a nice job guys . read more

Ugh. Got a platter and got back to my apt to notice there is barely any meat. It's all rice and lettuce. I've had it from other stores where it was great but not worth it here. read more

I had high expectations based on previous reviews for the Halal Guys and left very disappointed. Chicken platter was okay, nothing spectacular. Do NOT get the hot sauce unless you want your mouth to be on fire. The white sauce is also terrible for you so order it on the side if you're even remotely health conscious. read more

The combo platter (chicken & gyro) was very good. As a warning the hot sauce was really hot. I wasn't a fan of the tahini sauce.

Not bad. Not as good as the NYC Halal Guys (food truck). They stopped their rewards program which is disappointing. The red sauce is great for those who don't mind an extra spice kick but don't ask for too much as it is extra hot. The famous white sauce is pretty good read more

My wife, son, and I just went to the soft opening. The staff is very cordial and welcoming. The food is perfect---very fresh and hot. I love combination of the white sauce and BBQ sauce with my gyro meat. One negative about this place, however, is there isn't a ton of room to sit down. Unfortunately, we had to take our food home to eat even though I wanted to eat there. Nonetheless, this place is fantastic, the food is plentiful, and the price is more than fair for the amount of food you are getting. We'll be coming back often when it officially opens up. read more

Being from the region where this food is suppose to be from I can tell you it's not good. Meat is flavorless, rice isn't even the best kind of rice like many other kabob or middle eastern places use. read more

Had high expectation coming in due to all the visits in NYC. This is nothing like street food in NYC because of where it is - suburb Virginia. The spicy sauce is way too spicy but lack of pepper favor. They give too much rice and less meat. read more

So excited to finally have the Halal Guys in the DMV! Although the chicken and rice platter does not taste identical to the notorious food cart, it is still amazing. The only thing that I would recommend is getting extra protein as they do not give you as much as the food cart does. read more

I was curious about this place because I drive by all the time and almost always see a line out the door. However, I recently ate there and was fairly disappointed. The servings are large and the prices are low, but other than that, the food is pretty bland and tasteless. They do have some good sauces that can seriously spice things up though. Overall, I would categorize Halal Guys as as a 'quantity' place. If you looking for a lot of food at a low price, this is a good place to go. However, the food here is nothing special. read more

Caution-- overrated and TINY establishment, with what tastes like dog food. Don't plan on eating inside this joint. There are only a couple of tables, it's noisy and cramped. After hearing all the hype, I was quite disappointed with the quality of the food...nothing special here. The chicken was pretty decent but the tiny gyro CRUMBS left A LOT to be desired (texture, appearance and flavor-wise). The red sauce is just ridiculously smoky and spicy and the white sauce has ZERO flavor. Also, buyer beware, the VIP event is NOT free or discounted food (it's $7 that you pay OUTSIDE the door...shady). I don't plan on going back ever again; too many better places right on the same block! For a couple more dollars at Moby Dick you can have a MUCH tastier and higher quality meal and enjoy the ambiance. What a disappointment...trying to warn all my friends before they waste any money here! read more

That had to be the worst Gyro I've ever had in my life. The lettuce was not fresh at all and the rice was store bought rice. And the white sauce was not good either. I would not recommend this place to anyone and I will not probably ever return. read more

Love the food. The meat is delicious and has a zippy flavor. They are our go-to place for a quick family meal. We usually get the small combo platter. The service is attentive and fast. read more

Ordered to go, ate my meal 45 minutes later - it was still hot!!!!!!!!! SO good! This place has been hyped up by many people. The Halal Guys deliver the hype!!!!!!!!! Love it. Will be back again. read more

Delicious! The small platter is a perfect size and the baklava was good too (though probably better when heated up a bit). only complaint, the store feels like you're in a walk in freezer. Jackets all around....even in summer! read more

This place was not impressive at all. My husband and I went here after hearing rave reviews we were excited to try the brand new location. First of all, the "combo plate" is served with what looked and tasted like Spanish rice out of a box, with ice burg lettuce shreds and diced tomato of your choosing. Also you get a selection of either chicken or Gyro meat. The chicken wasn't juicy and seemed a bit dry, and gyro meet was not in shreds like gyro is traditionally served. Neither blew me away the seasoning was not amazing. I'm pretty picky about Mediterranean fare, mind you. The combo plate was served in an aluminum carry-out container, pretty strange and not very appeasing. The food wasn't terrible but not GREAT. I also didn't appreciate the very loud uncensored rap music playing while I ate. We won't be returning. read more

It was good but not the best. If you go make sure to ask for more sauce because the food tastes very bland without it and they tend to give to little. read more

Small resturaunt but quick and efficient! Great food and great service! I specifically come to this resturaunt for the service, the other halal guys employees always seem to act like they hate their job :/ read more

Not sure why the other reviews are all so low, but there are few things in life that are more satisfying than a combo platter.

I got the chicken platter with the hot sauce. It was really hot but great tasting. Very impressed with what I had. I'll be coming back for more. Food trucks that make similar food don't come close to this. read more

Chicken is a bit more chunky compared to NYC. The main issue here is their staff are poorly trained. Staff are not familiar with the menu. When I told the first staff that I wanted regular size double-chicken over rice platter, she kept asking me whether I wanted gyro (beef). I didn't ask for a combo, I was asking only extra chicken over rice platter. And then the second staff didn't know I wanted extra chicken, because the first staff did not tell the second staff what I wanted. So I had to repeat my order over and over again to each staff that I wanted extra chicken, no beef. So tired of repeating my order. And how hard is it to train their staff when customers want only chicken, do not ask them whether they want gyro a million times? When the staff finally pack my food, they seldom ask me whether I want to dine in or not, so they always waste plastic bags when I eat there. Maybe they need to bring their staff to NYC to see how NYC staff complete an order. read more

Very impressed with this location, the food was great and by far the best customer service in the area, definitely recommended and will be coming back! read more

Let me start by saying I wanted to like this place- I saw the name and had to try it. And I know that this review contradicts most of the other reviews here. But endorsing the food here is like praising a bag of generic ramen- while edible, it's a long way from being good. I am a long time lover of doner kebabs, schwarma, and gyros- I have eaten them at joints and carts around the world. But sadly the food here is an absolute snooze. Bland, boring, and uninspired- a stripped down version of the original that has lost everything of interest in the adaptation. That is until you apply some of their industrial grade hot sauce. I have never tasted a heavier sauce, which only tastes strong- with no complexity in flavor- it hung on my palate far longer than I wanted. For the $17 my wife and I spent on a chicken platter and gyro, we could have eaten far better around the corner at District Taco, or at Kapnos in Mosaic, or Plaka in Vienna, or at any number of street carts in Philadelphia. The shop was fast food bright and cheery, the staff attentive, but the food was not worth the time it took to park the car. read more

Surprised by the reviews here. This food is so bland! I don't get it. The service was great, but I won't return.

Horrible experience! If I could give a 0 I would. The food had mold on it. Had to dump all four meals in the trash. What a wast of money & time. Never going back again. read more

The combo platter was rather tasty but the regular size was far more good than I needed. Next time I'll get the same thing, but a small. The service was very friendly as well! read more