A halal cart that has delighted the taste buds of the State College community for the past six years has expanded and diversified with a new restaurant.
Sher Hot Chicken opened Thursday at 145 S. Allen St. The space in the Baroutsis Building previously housed Woodring’s Floral Gardens, which closed its State College location in 2022.
The restaurant is the second location for owner Nanat Rahmaa, who operates his Sher Halal Gyro and Grill at the corner of South Pugh Street and East Beaver Avenue.
As the name suggests, Sher Hot Chicken offers a different kind of menu, albeit one that is still halal. While the cart offers gyros and chicken, lamb and falafel with rice, the restaurant has more of what manager Ali Hazrat described as a fast-food menu.
And although a cheeseburger and fries are on the menu, it’s not exactly your typical fast food.
The highlight, of course, is the spicy chicken, which comes in a variety of pieces, burgers and tenders and can be ordered spicy or mild. The tenders, Hazrat said, use a different breading than the fried chicken.
Hazrat said they were inspired by a cousin who runs restaurants in Philadelphia specializing in the Nashville-style dish and decided to offer their own version of it.
He added that while there are plenty of options for frying chicken in State College, few offer spicy chicken.
“The students love the food at the stand and I hope they will enjoy the fried chicken as well,” Hazrat said. “We were inspired by (his cousin) to offer this different menu and another option for people… So if someone doesn’t want the rice or the gyros (at the stand), they can come here and have another choice.”
The menu also includes cheesesteaks, both Philly-style and chicken (again, spicy or mild), as well as burgers. In addition to cheeseburgers and chicken burgers, the menu also includes a kebab burger.
“It’s basically a Pakistani-style burger. The meat is ground and mixed with various spices,” said Hazrat.
Other specialties include halal leg of lamb, rice and shawarma.
For dessert, Sher Hot Chicken offers Italian ice cream in three flavors: Arabic, vanilla and mango.
The restaurant is suitable for both takeaway and those who want to sit inside and enjoy their meal.
“We value both,” Hazrat said. “If someone wants to come in and eat, and they want to sit down and eat, there’s a good atmosphere for them. If they want to listen to a little music, watch games, or watch the news, it’s all there for them. Or if they’re in a rush and want to take the food and go home, takeout is available as well.”
Starting Monday, Sher’s opening hours will be Monday to Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m.
