Saad's Halal Place

Isamel H

May 17, 2025•5 reviews

5

Been going here for years since I was little! All halal and always halal! I like ordering a cheesesteak and adding some of the fires in the sandwich! FIREMEN APPROVED!

I went there on 30 Oct 2018. Clearly seems like a halal shop inshAllah. Women in hijab. I ordered small philly cheesesteak but it's size was enough for 2 persons. Taste was amazing. It came with just bun meat and onion thats it, no more ingredients. French fries were one of the best I ever had anywhere. Definitely recommended.

Best falafel place. Owner is a nice person. 100% authentic, hand zabiha meat and chicken. Definitely recommend.

My husband and I went with a bunch of family and they were understanding of the noise with the little kids. We ordered (steak and cheese which was just ok though they were generous with the meat), fries (awesome), chicken wings (average), shawarma platter ( meaty and pretty good), baba ganoush (pretty good). There was lots of seating and there was a person constantly keeping things clean as soon as each person left. We heard a lot of great things about this place and though the food was good, it wasn\'t fabulous.

The food was good but nothing special. I recommend the steak Philly cheesesteak and the felafel sandwich. The kefta sandwich and fish platter were also good but I've had better. You will not find a place to sit here as it is super packed. not worth the hassle to eat here

We went here today and while waiting for our food saw a couple of small mice running under the tables. We weren\'t sure what to make of it but when we talked to the owner, he didn\'t seem to take much notice of it. We were not expecting him to do anything drastic but I think a quick check to make sure what was going on warranted. Either way, that was too much for our appetite and we left without eating.

This place is great. Its often very busy, so be aware of that. The Philly cheesesteak and the Chicken maroosh are amazing! We plan to go here every time we\'re in Philly. They were friendly, and everyone I know from Philly had recommended them, and after going I understand why. I also really like the atmosphere, but the restaurant is on the smaller side, so don\'t expect to go with a big group. Like I said, its often very busy, so plan accordingly.

Great food.

Great food but super busy/packed. I came here on a Saturday night and I had to wait about 20 minutes to get the food but also look for a place to sit and eat. The food was amazing though when it came out. The only thing that is kind of annoying is that he only accepts cash (there is an ATM inside) and debit card purchases $30 and up (not even credit cards). But I will def return back here if I am ever in Philly again!

Great, clean place to eat with friendly staff. There's a mosque across the street that you can pray at. Warning: They're closed during Ramadan.

We got the philly ceese steake. Service was timely and efficient, the staff was very friendly. The food was on point, very large portion serving size and the sandwich itself was delicious!

This place is way overrated.. I went there with family on Saturday evening after going to Philly zoo..Place is too small and congested and food is bland and undercooked. Surprisingly they were very busy and had 30 minute wait time. I wonder if high percentage of them are first time customers. I had ordered lamb shawarma, Philly cheese steak, chicken maroosh and chicken wings. Nothing was good OR palatable.. Only good part is the Customer service. I will certainly totally avoid this place but wish them good luck since they are busy and seem to have reputed business.

Reputation is well earned. Place was packed. Cash only establishment. Food was amazing. Was in Philly for 3 days and came to eat here everyday, but was closed Sunday.

AoA, after reading the reviews here, I drove about 30 minutes to go to this place. I will be dead honest here, Service = Excellent, Location/place: Excellent, Food = Poor. I ordered chicken philly steak and beef philly steak sandwiches. They were HUGE in quantity. I was so excited until I ate them. No taste watsoever. Cheese was non-existent. It was just plain chicken and beef with no seasoning, and the beef even smelled bad. I took couple of bites and ended up throwing away rest of the sandwiches. May be I selected the wrong stuff from the menu but it was terrible. I DEFINITELY do not recommend their philly cheese steak sandwiches.

Best chicken sandwich in Philly! Shish tawook ❤️ Marooosh ❤️

Their Chicken Maroosh sandwich is so, so good. Fries are delicious as well. From what else I've tried: the burger is pretty good, and the wings large and crispy (though come without sauce by default). I'm not as big on their Cheesesteak - it has a sweet-ish flavor to me. The platters are a bit on the expensive side ($14) but give a lot of food. Just get the Chicken Maroosh with fries - you won't be disappointed!

I tried their Philly cheesestake sandwich...it was very good.parking was a task.

Food is great. Iconic halal restaurant in Philly. Not so big on the cheesesteak. Think it could have more meat to compare with other steak shops. Great atmosphere. If you go enough times the owner will remember you name. They have a no talking on your cell phone rule, which I think is great. If you are in Philly it is a must stop

Even if you're not Muslim, go by Saad's and get the Philly Cheesesteak; because it's probably one the best you'll ever have. This place is Quality, Professional, and Delicious! Not one of those Halal Zabiha places you just tolerate in order to eat Halal; no, it's top Quality, masha'Allah! P.S. There's a delicious halal bakery right next to Saad's for desert, coffee, or healthy smoothies!

Really nice restaurant. Food is delis hours but a bit overpriced. Very clean establishment and directly across a beautiful mosque. I had the Philly cheesesteak and it was worth it. Recommend to any propel passing through.

Saad's is the best. Every time I go visit my sister we go here because it is delicious. The price is reasonable and quantity is excellent. Highly recommend.

Best Philly cheese steak of my life. MashaAllah a'layk!

If you are looking for a very authentic, halal Philly cheesesteak then look no further. Parking is a bit tricky here and the restaurant only takes cash, but the food is well worth it. Hint: when ordering the cheesesteak, request onions but refuse the ketchup topping. Also, keep in mind that the *large* cheesesteak (around $10) is enough for two people or one very hungry college student.

Good food. Clean facility & excellent service. My one gripe about this place is that they charge extra for everything that is added to the sandwiches. Slim's in Orlando, FL sells a much larger phiily cheesesteak with everything included + a serving of fries for $7.99 & I think it is jkust as good, if not better that the sandwich at Saad's.

I always stop here when I am in Philadelphia...

Positive: High quality, flavor-full meals served the "maroosh way". Negative: The surrounding area may seem somewhat run down if you are not from Philly. The owner is very busy and therefore may seem to be a bit unfriendly on some days. Overall: Excellent, Flavorful Middle Eastern and American dishes for which you would want to come back every time you visit Philly or go to school in the surrounding area.

For a great cheesesteak, go no further than Sa'ads! Their ingredients are always fresh and that is reflected in the quality of food. My recommendations are the cheesesteak (with mushrooms), fried chicken, and chicken maroosh (which is Sa'ad's own concoction). If you get the wings, ask for Monika's hot sauce--it's a mixed, fiery sauce that perfectly compliments those wings. :)

Everyone raves about saad's. We left a place early just to check it out and picked up our food at 945-- 15 minutes before closing. We decided to eat it at our hotel. I got the philly cheesesteak and my wife got the chicken falafel sandwich. The philly was soggy--presumably because of the 2 mile trek to the hotel but the chicken falafel sandwich was good. Remember the don't accept credit cards.

Alsalam 3alaikom.. This restaurant is one of the best restaurants I've visited till now in the USA.. The food is great, the place is clean the prices are OK.. I've ordered a cheesesteak sandwich and a Chicken maruosh sandwich.. We asked them about the food, just to make sure, and they said that it is completely Halal all the of them are Muslims there.. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Philadelphia..

Came here while visiting Philly. Nice and clean place. Had the chicken maroush which was OK, but I would probably try some of their other items next time. Also, it's across the street from a Masjid which is a great +. Overall a great experience and I will definately be back when in town.

The best place for a halal Philly cheese steak in the area! Also I like their chicken maroush, owner is friendly and the place is clean but need to be renewed.

The place is clean, very hot in the summers, and I hate the no cell phone rule. Most people, or atleast, I have the courtesy to not speak on a cell phone over your meal, but sometimes emergencies come up. The owner actually walked up to me and asked me to get off the phone, I wasn't even loud, and it was embarrassing. It felt like being the weird desi kid in middle school. I've never been back after that. I don't like the cheesesteaks too much, they're not really authentic to me. Mine didn't have cheese and was loaded with ketchup . My husband loves the maroush or something like that. I think it's good.

I came down here from my trip to NYC and ordered three different sandwiches: 1. The Philly Cheese (5 Stars) 2. Chicken Salad Sandwich (5 Stars) 3. Chicken Maroosh (3.5 Stars) Hands down the Best Philly Cheese-steak I ever had in my life-time. The price were about $7 each sandwich, but were enormous in portion sizes, enough for two people. I would recommend this place to anyone who is traveling to Philly or anywhere near East Cost, it would be worth the trip. I'm telling You!

Everything wonderful. I would recommend .

Saad's is a great choice if you are looking for an authentic Halal Philly Cheesesteak! Also, I the chicken maroush sandwich is AMAZING ! Saad, the owner is very friendly but has some house rules ! so don't get caught on your cell phone ! Saad only accepts cash and debit cards. For my review check our www.sameerseats.com !

We stopped here while on vacation from Washington State. I was very excited to try a Philly Cheese-Steak in Philly. I definitely wasn't disappointed, the sandwich was great and it was very filling, and I didn't even get the large size. I would definitely go back here if I visit Philly again.

Amazing steak and cheese sandwich - i ordered 5 more to take back to DC. Though the "No Cell Phones" signs may imply a little bit of a Soup Nazi culture, Saad's attitude is far from it - he's a personable guy who knows most of his patrons by name. Great service.

Love this place. It's one of the only places that never messes up the order :D

Best spot in the area. Specialize in everything they cook.

This place was recommended to my husband and I and we absolutely loved it. The Cheesestakes are excellent and one of the best we have had!

Great food. Cheese steaks are very good but the chicken maroush is maa shaa Allah excellent. Not the best part of West Philly. Very crowded on weekends so parking can be tough. The standard to compare Halal sandwich shops in Philly.

saad's has a yummy cheesesteak and chicken maroush. but don't get caught with a cell phone! he is the cheesesteak nazi! NO CHEESESTEAK FO YOU!

Excellent food but terrible area. The place isn't much in terms of atmosphere. Also when we went there they were out of a lot of things. I liked the cheesecake it was good. The other dishes also were excellent. Not much of a sitting area but better to get take out.

As-Salaamu Alaykum, Saad's food, although a little over priced is delicious and more important, halal. My favorite food is the Maroosh although I do intend on exploring other foods on his menu.

I like Saad's, though sometimes the food gives me indigestion. From time to time, it can get really busy and they won't answer the phone which makes calling ahead problematic. The Tawooq is my favorite.

We had heard great things about their rotisory chicken and went there couple times to try it nut were told that they were out. Third time was the charm but we were highly disapointed. Chicken was way too dry and rubbary and way too over priced. 20 for the whole chicken. Place is clean but little hot in the summer. Other food was avg at best.

My family and I visited Saad's on 7/10/09. I wasn't sure what we'd expect but we were pleasantly surprised! The place is extremely clean and well-kept; and does not have a greasy smell in the air. The service was great, they were very friendly and patient as we figured out our order. They did not rush us and we got our food pretty fast considering it was a Friday and a busy time for (after Jummah prayer). On to the food! We ordered the philly cheese steak hoagies - complete with onions, lettuce and tomatoes. Let's just say we were in heaven! The roll was not too crusty and hard and definitely not soggy - just perfect. The portions are huge - for my sisters, my mom and I, a half sandwich each was plenty. The steak was tender and very tasty - the way the sandwich was arranged on the plate was also very nice. Someone in our group ordered the fish platter and was also pleased. Besides that, we had wings, french fries and onion rings. All fresh, crispy and delicious. If you are a large group of people, plan on waiting at least 20 minutes for your order. However, it's definitely worth the wait - and the trip!

Saa'd's serves delicious and reasonably priced food. We always stop by when we go to Philadelphia. Their desserts are the fresh homemade kind, not the dry, stale, or greasy kind that is normally found in Middle Eastern restaurants.

Saad's food is delicious and the people are very friendly. My wife says they have the best french fries in the world. They seem to be closed every time I pass by recently, though - even in the middle of the day. (As are the rest of the shops and restaurants up the block towards Sansom.)

This place has the best halal cheesesteaks! The other items on the menu are excellent as well. I'd definately recommend Saad's to anyone looking for good halal food in Philly

Simply put - this is the best and most popular fast food place in Philly. Food is awesome, service is friendly. Weekends can get quite busy but even if you have to drive an hour there, its worth it!

BTW, initially we planned to go to SAADS which everyone was raving about since we came from NYC. WE went in the RAIN and the brother shoo'd us away like we were pigeons going after their crumbs. I was so hurt that someone did that to us, moreover a MUSLIM. His kids were laughing at us as we knocked on the window. I will never recommend this place and I will make it a purpose to tell those who suggested it of what happened.

I had heard so many great things about this place so maybe i had very high expectations...i did not enjoy it much. its more or less fast food, arabic style, good quantities but lacking in flavour or maybe i ordered the wrong things. shawarma was kinda soggy and so was the cheesesteak.

The food was pretty good, the brothers working behind the counter were very friendly and the establishment was pretty clean. The cheese steaks were made a little different than what I'm used to, but who am I to doubt the natives when it comes to cheese steaks.

OVERRATED! I guess it would be ok for people living in philly but compared to where i live (houston, tx where we have many halal places) the food was pretty overrated. I travel everywhere for work and have ate at many different places so after reading the reviews here i went and ordered chicken maroosh, philly cheesesteak and their fries. Maybe I'm not familiar with the area but isn't a philly cheesesteak suppose to have cheese in it? The owner saad looked at me all weird because i was telling who came from houston with me directions on the phone. He has rules listed that you cannot use cell phone in his place which i saw after i used it and than figured out why he was looking at me weird. I understand he can make his own rule but this has to be the stupidest rule ever and i don't understand why he has it. What if your eating and your family has emergency? If you make the rules than you should first follow them yourself but they kept taking orders over the phone the whole time. The neighborhood was wonderful though looked like a close and diverse muslim community surrounding the place.

Mashahallah. I loved it. the food was great. The steaks were good. But the chicken sandwish (i forget the exact name) was amazing. Maroosh was good too. I have to drive 100 somewhat miles to get there, and I am planning to make another trip there. If you are in Philly, try this place, you will not be disappointed

One of the best halal restaurants in philly. Food is great, owners are very friendly, very nice atmosphere.

This place has the best chicken maroosh in the city. Definitely go here if you want to eat a lot of zabihah food. As a student, this place is probably the best place to go for good halal food.

Excellent food and fast service.

This is an extremeley halal joint. Saad,the owner, visits the slaughter houses he buys from. Even the atmosphere is very halal. The service is quick friendly and the food taste great. Although, when there is high volume in the resteraunt the quality of food may suffer.

Saad's was a great halal place to eat at when I was at Univ. of the Sciences in Phila. The cheesesteaks were amazing. I've been back a few times since leaving Philly and have noticed portion sizes have gone done a little but still not severely. Although Saad was always extremely nice to me and the students, I did notice him to be a little short at times with some of the regulars but this may have just been because of stress from how busy things got for him sometimes.

no doubt that he is a cheesesteak nazi....but now doubt also that there food is very good and portions are large for thr price paid. It seems like he knows that he is abrupt and rude so he tries to control is instint and produces almost a funny situation. Food, however is awesome and that is why it is a busy place.

food is ok..saad (the owner) favors non muslims..more, hes nicer to them and is more responsive to their needs...very abrupt with the brothers...sad that he has to be like that b.c the food is good for philly standards...

Saad's has amazing cheesesteaks and my other favorite is the chicken maroosh. Saad's is professional and the staff is very friendly. My friends and I all love it and go there all the time!

I moved to Philadelphia 4 days ago and went to Saad's Halal place at my friend's recommendation. First and most important of all is halal food. Second, very friendly people, especially Abdu who takes your order. Third, food is really good, worth trying shwarma, and chicken steak.

A slight disappointment in that they didn't have beef steak, so we had the chicken cheese steak. However it was delicious, and the service was good, price was very fair, nice decor.

A staple if you live/go to school in West Philly. Saad is friendly and courteous. Philly cheesesteak is good. Chicken Maroush Way is very good. Best turkey sub I've ever had. However, my regular was the roasted chicken, but you had to make sure you got there early enough, because he runs out on the days he does have it (a few times a week). Decor is very Muslim oriented; although, not a place for a fancy dinner, great for friends to go out for lunch/dinner.

Salaams, I read the online reviews and on my last visit, I tried it out. I had the chicken maroosh (long sub sandwich that had chicken wings slices) and a lamb shawarma. Really good food and the service was excellent, very friendly people and had patience as we changed our minds often, so many good choices, it was a difficult decision to make, but a nice place. There is also a beautiful mosque across the street and I prayed my maghrib there and once again, the people there were very friendly. I'll definitely eat there again on my next trip to Philly.

Alhumdollah for this AWSOME halal resturant in the heart of West Philly, next to two musjids. The prices are just right, and the food is on point.

Really great tasting food but portions could be bigger (esp. the cheesesteak!). Some people here have said Saad is racist but I haven't experienced that. He's always nice to me (I'm black) and his staff is mixed. Plus, I haven't tasted one thing from them yet that didn't taste really good.

It is the best source of halal food I can think of when I am at Univ of the Sciences in Philly, and away from home. The food is good as well as affordable! The cheesesteaks rock! Although the staff can be a bit friendlier (it's not that bad though), and the restaurant is clean (except there are some tears in the furniture - which cannot be helped, I guess), I still enjoyed my meals there and highly recommend it to others!

Though I've tried some other Halal restaurants in the city, Saad's has got to be one of THE BEST places. The maroosh is absolutely incredible, so is the cheesesteak. Nice staff, nice prices, great food.

The food is good and halal; but the brother Saad was racist to my friend, and this was verified by another couple. Wallahu'alim.

Excellent cheesesteaks, but try the other dishes too. The babaghanoush is quite tasty. Also, the chicken maroosh is fantastic. The atmosphere is really warm and welcoming. This was one of the first places we went to after moving to Philly and Br. Saad welcomed us with open arms! Really, a great place.

Great food, good prices. Always good to have more halal food in Philly.

Saad's is the ne plus ultra of good, honest, accessible halal dining. I haven't been there since I "reverted", and I need to go back, and soon. Check out the Chicken Moroosh sandwich! And what a nice brother and staff too! An all around huge effort by all involved make this such the place to be. Gets way crowded after jummah, though.

Saad's has great American/Middle Eastern food. There are lots of veggie choices as well on their menu. All the food is halal and the owner is friendly. There is a mosque convienently across the street, so you can pray and eat easily. Some items are expensive but the portions are hefty!

You got to check out this place.I went there almost every week when I was studying at Drexel University.The food is tasty and the price is reasonable.A variety of food.The chicken is really good.It's all good.Don't forget to check out Mecca Market too.It's nearby and it's good food.

Very good one. I enjoy the food. Especially cheesstakes, maroosh.

"How could we live without you, Saad!? For students at the Univ. of PA, Saad's Halal Place is near and dear to the heart. Saad's halal cheesesteaks - beef, chicken and fish - rescue the hungry Muslim from his or her otherwise precarious inability to partake in Philly's finest delicacy. But not only does Saad serve excellent American fare, his Middle Eastern cuisine, including shawarmas, felafels, etc., are outstanding as well. Most importantly, Saad is a great guy to chat with. Across the street from two competing mosques, Saad's happens to be a regular, casual Muslim eating and gathering place in the traditional understanding of that term."

The best cheese steak in Philly. Has a combination of Middle Eastern and American cuisine.