WEST RIDGE — A new restaurant on Devon Avenue is standing out among the many other traditional eateries on the culturally diverse strip by giving classic American food a South Asian twist.
Mohammad Adnan, owner of F3 Grill at 2741 W. Devon Ave., said he wanted to offer something some Muslims don't order in restaurants: cheeseburgers, hot dogs and chicken wings.
How?
Adnan uses Halal meat butchered just three doors down — meaning it's allowed to be eaten by Muslims because of the humane way in which the animal was slaughtered, including a lack of meat byproducts.
Adnan, who came to the United States from Bangladesh in 1994, said in many cases if Muslims who abide by Halal rules crave a burger or wings, they buy the products themselves and cook at home.
"No one is selling Halal burgers on Devon Avenue," Adnan said. "So I saw there was a niche market for that because the majority of Muslims today are looking for Halal foods. That's why usually you don't see many Muslims going into the big chains for food."
The new fast-casual diner on Devon speaks to American favorites with inspiration from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, and orders can be made with or without Halal meat.
At F3 (which stands for Flavor Food Fast!), juicy one-third-pound burgers are topped with items like curry and cheddar, cilantro coleslaw, mango barbecue sauce, raita (a yogurt and cucumber sauce) and more.
The Devon Burger is made with Sriracha aioli, Chihuahua cheese and pickled red onions between a potato bun or naan bread for $6.75.
The restaurant's signature burger, the F3 Chutney Burger, is topped with provolone, fried onions and mango chutney.
The Devon Avenue grill is the second of Adnan's food ventures. He also owns Asada Mexican Grill at 180 N. Wells St.
The Surman Group, a restaurant and marketing consulting group, helped Adnan execute F3's overall concept and menu and is working with him on a third eatery in the suburbs.
F3 is open five days a week, but Adnan said he would consider staying open longer if there's a demand for it.
The restaurant is open from noon-8:30 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays), noon-9:30 Fridays and Saturdays, and noon-9 p.m. Sundays.
F3 Grill at 2741 W. Devon Ave. in West Ridge. [Provided/SurmanGroup.com]
The Mango Barbecue Cheddar Burger, with mango barbecue sauce, cheddar cheese and cilantro coleslaw. [Provided/SurmanGroup.com]
The Curry Cheese Burger with Raita. [Provided/SurmanGroup.com]
The "Adnan" Cheese Steak, named after owner Mohammad Adnan, includes chutney cream cheese, pickled red onions and grilled peppers. [Provided/SurmanGroup.com]
The Mango Tikka Quesadilla contains chicken tikka, cilantro and Chihuahua cheese in flour tortillas with a side of mango salsa. [Provided/SurmanGroup.com]
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