A new halal soul food restaurant is coming to Hamtramck

Hamtramck is one of Metro Detroit’s most eclectic dining enclaves, with Polish, Bangladeshi, Yemeni and Bosnian cuisine all within blocks of each other. Save for maybe some of the offerings at Captain Jay’s or Chicken Shack, however, and it’s harder to find some touches of Southern cuisine unless you jump right back into Detroit. (And if you do, head northeast to Nunn’s on Conant, or south to Park’s in the North End.)

That’ll change soon. Hamtown Soul Food, located at the corner of Caniff and Lumpkin, is on its way, with signage announcing its impending debut. And true to the changing demographics of Hamtramck, the menu will be halal.

Halal foods are specifically prepared for the Muslim community, which obviously has implications on how meat-heavy soul food dishes are served. Animals whose meat is to be consumed must be slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law, meaning the animal must be slaughtered while mentioning the name of Allah. There are also restrictions on how an animal must be slaughtered; it cannot be tortured, and all of the blood must be drained from the carcass before being prepared. (It’ll still taste the same, of course.)

Hamtramck is home to a number of Muslim communities, particularly Black Muslims, Bengali Muslims and Arab Muslims. It is also the only city in the U.S. with a Muslim-majority city council.

We’ll keep you posted on an opening date.