New restaurant bringing halal burgers, hotdogs to Ann Arbor

ANN ARBOR, MI – A new halal restaurant is set to open in Ann Arbor in September, offering up burgers, chicken wings and hot dogs.

Taystee’s Burgers, 2689 Ann Arbor-Saline Road in Ann Arbor, will be opening in September or early October, according to owner Ali Jawad. Taystee’s Burgers also has locations in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights.

The restaurant, which will be primarily take-out and is adjacent to a Shell gas station, serves entirely halal food.

“We’re known for creating a little bit more out-of-the-box burgers,” Jawad said.

One of the more popular options is the “Ali’s Notch-Yo-Burger,” which features Doritos chips, American cheese, Swiss cheese, pepper jack cheese and hot sauce.

“It’s got a lot of going on, but when (customers) try it, we get the same answer every time: ‘best burger we ever had,’” Jawad said.

Other specialty burgers include:

  • Pizza Burger, which has pizza sauce, mozzarella sticks, Swiss cheese and ranch dressing
  • Taystee’s Special, featuring coleslaw, fries, a fried egg and American cheese
  • Mac Attack, with American cheese, macaroni and cheese bites, coleslaw and spicy mayo.

Taystee’s also carries chicken wings in six, 12 or 18 pieces, salad bowls, hot dogs and a vegan “fish” sandwich, as well as a “build your own” burger option.

Sandwiches and burgers are assembled in front of customers so they know their food is fresh, Jawad said.

“It’s really just an experience all in one, being able to see your food created in front of your eyes,” Jawad said. “We always like to try to treat all of our customers and our staff like family.”

Jawad was initially attracted to Ann Arbor because of his love for University of Michigan sports and has plans to bring Taystee’s Burgers to tailgates. The restaurant will also offer a Tailgate Box, featuring a dozen uncooked patties, buns and toppings for roughly $60.

“We’re really excited come to Ann Arbor,” Jawad said. “It’s always been a city I’ve always drweamed of coming to, and now it’s finally actually happening. So it’s really exciting.”