Celebrating Ramadan? Have iftar at these Stockton halal restaurants
For Muslims in Stockton and around the world, Ramadan is a time to deepen their relationship with God.
Ramadan, the ninth and most sacred month of the lunar-based Islamic calendar, is the month when Muslims believe the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, focus on prayer and helping those in need.
"In Ramadan, our rewards (from God) are multiplied," said Melissa Abarca, a new Muslim observing her second Ramadan. "Even just by reciting one word from the Quran, our rewards are being multiplied so we use this time to focus on reciting the Quran, memorizing the Quran, and trying to understand its meaning."
Francisco Nava, a convert to Islam, said Ramadan serves as a reminder for Muslims to be thankful. He added that Muslims do good deeds like giving zakat — or donating to charity — during the month.
“Going through our day-to-day life, we start to forget the blessings that we have,” Nava said. “I can take a few steps to my fridge, open it and grab a bottle of water or food. But there are people around the world who don’t always have access to water or food.”
This year, Ramadan began on March 22 in the United States and continues through April 21, ending in the holiday Eid al-Fitr.
"A lot of people think that during Ramadan, Muslims just abstain from food and water, and they think it's crazy that we don't even drink water," Abarca said. "But Ramadan is about so much more than just fasting. We come together as a community and we really help each other become better versions of ourselves."
Nava agreed.
"You feel such a strong sense of community," he said. “My favorite way to celebrate Ramadan is to go to the mosque and break my fast with the brothers at the mosque."
It is also common for family and friends to have iftar — the sunset meal that breaks the fast — at one of their area’s halal restaurants. Halal is an Arabic word that means “permissible.” Halal foods contain ingredients that are allowed under Islamic law.
Stockton is home to several halal restaurants that offer a variety of options for Muslims and all to enjoy, from hot chicken sandwiches to flavor-packed surf and turf burritos.
In the spirit of Ramadan, we're sharing our guide to the top halal restaurants to grab a bite in Stockton.
Angry Chickz
Angry Chickz is bringing the heat to tenders and sliders in California and Nevada.
The first Angry Chickz location, a 900-square-foot storefront in LA's East Hollywood neighborhood, opened its doors in 2018. Since then, the chain famous for its Nashville-inspired hot chicken sandwiches and "angry" seasoning has expanded to over 20 locations.
The Stockton restaurant — located at the Eastland Plaza shopping center at 678 N. Wilson Way — started taking orders for heat-loving foodies last summer. The menu is simple with only four combos, starting at $15 without a drink. Drinks are $2.50. There are eight different sides for customers to choose from: angry mac, mac, hangry fix, coleslaw, rice, fries, extra tender or extra slider. Sides range in price from $4.50 to $15.
Customers can also adjust the spice on their chicken to their liking. Angry Chickz offers six different spice levels ranging from country (no heat) to angry, which is so hot it requires customers to sign a waiver to try.
Feeling hangry? Get your fix at Angry Chickz today!
Business hours: Open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
For more information: angrychickz.com
Go Falafel Greek Food
Family-owned and operated, Go Falafel Greek Food has been serving Greek and Lebanese specialities on the Miracle Mile at 236 W. Alpine Ave. since 2014. The restaurant offers classics like crispy falafel balls, traditional Greek gyros, hummus, rice, salad and tangy tzatziki sauce.
The most popular item on the menu, without surprise, is the gyro wrap — classic beef and lamb gyro wrapped in pita bread with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and tzatziki sauce. A gyro wrap will cost you $10. Other wrap options include the chicken shawarma wrap, falafel wrap and beef shawarma wrap, which all cost about the same price.
Not feeling a wrap? Try a plate instead! Go Falafel Greek Food's combination plate has a little bit of everything for just $13.99 — gyro, chicken, falafel and dolma over rice with salad, hummus, tzatziki sauce and pita bread.
And don't forget the baklava for dessert.
Business hours: Open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday; closed on Sunday.
For more information: gofalafelinc.com
Maharaja Indian Cuisine
From chicken tikka masala curry to lamb vindaloo, Maharaja Indian Cuisine serves up traditional dishes to give Stockton a taste of India. The restaurant — located at the Eastland Plaza shopping center at 678 N. Wilson Way, Suite #42 — is known for its flavor-packed dishes that incorporate South and North Indian-inspired curries.
Maharaja Indian Cuisine has a wide selection of main dishes that diners can choose from based on their preferences. For meat lovers, the chicken makhanwala curry priced at $15.99 and the lamb rice biryani priced at $18.99 are fan favorites. For those who prefer fish, the fish tikka kebab — fish cubes marinated in yogurt, ginger and spices and roasted on skewers — is a popular choice.
Maharaja Indian Cuisine also offers a vegetarian menu featuring dishes like chana masala curry — chickpeas with fresh tomatoes and herbs in mildly spiced gravy — and vegetable rice biryani — saffron basmati rice cooked with fresh seasonal vegetables, peas and nuts.
Delicious appetizers like vegetable samosas and fish pakora can be enjoyed before your meal. Pillowy soft and tender naan can be purchased for $3.49 to mop up curries. Wash it all down with iced chai or mango lassi.
Business hours: Open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
For more information: maharajaindianca.com
Mikey's
Mikey's has made a splash in downtown Stockton. Miguel Ventura, the owner of the food truck, can be found serving up surf and turf dishes at 101-161 W. Weber Ave. right on the waterfront. Since opening in 2019, Mikey's has quickly become a favorite for halal foodies craving Mexican-inspired dishes.
Mikey's menu is split into four different parts: the fish and shrimp menu, the taqueria menu, the seafood boil menu, and the value menu.
On the fish and shrimp menu, customers can choose between quesadillas or tortas. Either can be filled with fish or shrimp, and topped with cabbage, pico de gallo, spicy onions, red salsa and signature sauce.
The taqueria menu offers a wide variety of options, from mulitas (sandwich tacos that originated in Mexico) to quesatacos to burritos to loaded fries. Mikey's has two choices of halal meat for taqueria-style items: carne asada and chicken. Taqueria-style items can be topped with onions, cilantro, red salsa, green salsa or both.
Menu items range in price from $3 to $14. Items on the seafood boil menu — shrimp, snow crab legs, king crab legs and mussels — are sold at market price.
And to quench your thirst, try Mikey's hibiscus tea made with real pineapples.
Business hours: Open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at downtown location; open from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday and Friday at 2245 Learned Ave.; closed on Saturday and Sunday.
For more information: tinyurl.com/bdhtuw9t
Nash + Tender
While Nash + Tender isn't new to Stockton, it's new to the halal food scene. The restaurant — which opened for business next to the downtown Regal movie theater at 222 N. El Dorado St. in 2019 — started serving halal food in October.
The eatery is known for being Stockton's first real Nashville-style hot chicken restaurant, but its creative menu doesn't stop at hot chicken sliders and crinkle-cut fries. On the menu are experimental and fun dishes like "nashritos" — hot chicken breakfast burritos with coleslaw, mac and cheese, eggs, fries and special sauce — and "tender tacos" — classic chicken tacos topped with coleslaw, pickles, and special sauce over a flour tortilla.
Other popular items include hot chicken and waffles, hot tender salad, and the famous Nash + Tender fries — loaded with mac and cheese, coleslaw, chicken, pickles and special sauce. Menu items start at $5 and go up to $16.99. Fountain drinks can be purchased for $2 and fresh lemonade for $2.50.
Can't make it to the Stockton location? Nash + Tender also operates a food truck dubbed the "Hot Tender Station." The truck can be found at the Lathrop Food Plaza at 16201 S. Harlan Road. The truck offers most of the items that the Stockton location offers, except the secret menu. Schedule and wait times can be found on the Hot Tender Station's Instagram account.
Business hours: Open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday; open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
For more information: nashandtender.com
Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Where to break your Ramadan fast in Stockton
