This New Halal Hot Chicken Spot Focuses on a Purely Southern Hot Chicken Menu

Ara’s Hot Chicken (@arashotchicken) is the first halal restaurant that features a Southern-style hot chicken menu in New Jersey. They feature bone-in chicken, sandwiches, tendies, house-made corn bread and mac, and chicken and waffles. You can also choose your spice level for your chicken.

Hot Chicken Sandwich, Gouda Mac and Cheese, Bone-in Chicken

Food: 9/10
What we really like the most about Ara’s is that the chicken is crispy, flavorful, and well-seasoned. You won’t find chicken that is greasy or dripping in excess sauce - talking specifically about the sandwich. It’s portioned just right with crunchy coleslaw. The tenders are colossal and the waffle was mildly sweet, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The house-made cornbread was moist and delicious. The gouda mac and cheese as we were told is prepared fresh daily. It was really gouda *ba dum tss*. The bone-in chicken are also great - again, no grease. Need to mention that we also ordered the food with Ara’s House Sauce and while the sauce was good, we really didn’t need it because the chicken itself was good on its own!

Price: 8.5/10
Prices are pretty generous for the portion size. A chicken sandwich is $7. Tendies are 3 for $10. Sides are $2.50-$5.

Atmosphere: 10/10
Aside from great food, it’s situated in a very cafe-like duplex atmosphere. Plenty of seating and there’s an area for prayer.

Service: 10/10
You order up at the cash register and you’re given a number to pick up. Food is made at reasonable timing. Also - it is family-owned. You can feel the love in the atmosphere.

Ara’s Hot Chicken
323 Raritan Ave
Highland Park, NJ 08904

Chicken Tendies on Waffle

Gouda Mac and Cheese

Hot Chicken Sandwich