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Stories from the kitchen

Halal food, Turkish kumpir and late nights in Allston

FRIES B4 GUYS is a halal late-night restaurant at 485 Cambridge Street in Allston, Boston. We serve hand-cut Dutch-style fries, Turkish kumpir (in-store only) from an oven shipped from Turkey, halal burgers on buns baked in-house every morning, and Belgian waffles. Open daily 12 PM to 2 AM. This blog is written by Maaz Shaikh with interviews of Chef Ahmet, and covers how we actually cook: the Dutch double-fry technique, kumpir made the Ortaköy way, the signature sauce that took 10 tries to get right, and a guide to late-night food near BU and BC.

A loaded Turkish kumpir baked potato at FRIES B4 GUYS, a Turkish halal kitchen in Allston, Boston In the kitchen

Turkish food in Boston, and the gap between Turkish and Turkish-ish

Search Turkish food in Boston and you will mostly be handed kebab. Kebab is Turkish. It is also about as complete a picture of Turkey as a burger is of America.

Kebab is the half of Turkey that travels well: skewers hold at service temperature and a spit portions itself, which is what a restaurant kitchen most needs from a dish. The street-food half mostly stays home, and kumpir is the tell. Written from a kitchen whose oven came from Turkey, about what that does and does not make us.

By Maaz Shaikh · With Chef Ahmet · 6 min read Read the story →
Burgers

The best burger in Boston, and the questions no list bothers to ask

A burger is finished about four minutes after it meets the flame. Nearly everything that decides whether it was worth ordering already happened by then.

A burger with purple cabbage and house sauce next to hand-cut Dutch-style fries on the table at FRIES B4 GUYS in Allston
Halal burgers

The best halal burger in Boston, according to the people who ate it

27 of the 42 most recent Google reviews mention the burger. All 27 are five-star, and 15 call it the best they’ve had. Quoted word for word, with names and dates.

Halal beef burgers cooking over the open flame grill at FRIES B4 GUYS in Allston
Halal in Boston

Halal restaurants in Boston, and how to spot the fully halal ones

Most halal spots in Boston confirm the chicken and stay quiet on the beef. Here is how to spot the ones that are fully halal, and what a fully halal menu in Allston actually looks like.

Fries B4 Guys halal late-night storefront in Allston
Halal in Boston

Halal food in Boston that is actually worth it

Every item at FRIES B4 GUYS is halal. The beef, the fries, the sauces. The beef comes from a halal-certified butcher, ground fresh the same morning, and the kitchen stays open until 2 AM in Allston.

Halal double cheeseburger close-up
In the kitchen

What is kumpir? A Turkish baked potato, made in Allston

Kumpir is street food from Ortakoy, Istanbul. A big potato baked for an hour, mashed with butter and cheese in its skin, then loaded with whatever toppings you want. We brought the oven over from Turkey.

Loaded kumpir with olives, corn, and sauces

Common questions

quick answers, straight from the kitchen

What is kumpir?

Kumpir is a Turkish street food. A large baked potato is mashed inside its skin with cheese and butter, then loaded with toppings like haydari, tabbouleh, olives, corn, and jalapeños. The dish comes from Istanbul's Ortaköy neighborhood, where rows of kiosks have served the same recipe since the 1980s. FRIES B4 GUYS at 485 Cambridge Street in Allston is one of the only places in Boston serving Turkish kumpir. Our cuisine and our oven both come from Turkey, baked the Ortaköy way. Kumpir is available in-store only, not for delivery.

Where can I get Dutch-style fries in Boston?

FRIES B4 GUYS at 485 Cambridge Street in Allston serves Dutch-style fries, hand-cut daily and double-fried using the traditional Belgian-Dutch technique. The fries are cooked once at a lower temperature, cooled, then fried again hotter. The result is a crispy outside and fluffy inside that stays crisp even after sauce hits the plate.

What is open late near BU and BC in Allston?

FRIES B4 GUYS is open daily from 12 PM to 2 AM at 485 Cambridge Street in Allston, serving halal burgers, hand-cut Dutch-style fries, Turkish kumpir (in-store only), and Belgian waffles. The location is walking distance from Boston University and a short ride from Boston College, which makes it a convenient option for students grabbing food after a study session or late at night.

Can I order kumpir for delivery?

No. Turkish kumpir is available in-store only at our Allston shop. It isn't available on DoorDash, Uber Eats, or any delivery service. Kumpir is best served right out of the oven, and our oven is at 485 Cambridge Street. Walk in, sit down, pick your toppings. The rest of our menu, including halal burgers, hand-cut Dutch-style fries, and Belgian waffles, is available for delivery.

Who writes the FRIES B4 GUYS blog?

The FRIES B4 GUYS blog is written by Maaz Shaikh of Honey Bridge, with interviews and recipe details from Chef Ahmet, the co-founder of FRIES B4 GUYS. Every story comes from inside the kitchen, based on how the food is actually made. Read more about us.