From a Family Butcher Shop in Bell: How Cedar's Tacos Is Taking Halal Mexican Street Food to Orange County

A taco stand that began as a side hustle outside a family butcher shop in the Los Angeles suburb of Bell is preparing to open its first permanent restaurant, this time nearly an hour south in Orange County. Cedar's Tacos was founded by Mohamad Nabir Farhat, who was 18 and studying biology at UCLA when he set up a grill in front of his father's meat market on Florence Avenue in Bell. The idea was simple but distinctive: take the Mexican street-food format that defines food culture across South Los Angeles — tacos, quesatacos, mulitas, burritos — and make every bit of it halal, built on his family's existing supply of zabiha, grass-fed beef. That combination reflects the neighborhood itself. South LA and nearby cities like Bell sit at a crossroads of Latino and Arab immigrant communities, and Farhat has said the concept grew directly out of watching both food cultures operate side by side. Customers get the same double-tortilla tacos, spicy salsas and asada fries found at any taco stand in the region, but with meat sourced and prepared under halal requirements — no pork, no alcohol in preparation, and animals slaughtered according to Islamic practice. The stand built a loyal following well beyond its own block. It has been featured in the Los Angeles Times' roundup of top halal restaurants in Southern California, and its catering arm says it has worked more than 300 events — weddings, birthdays, corporate functions and school gatherings — across LA, San Fernando, San Bernardino, San Gabriel and Orange County. The menu has expanded along the way to include chicken, birria and steak options for catering, alongside the core tortilla-based lineup. According to the company's own announcement, Cedar's Tacos is now moving beyond its pop-up roots and into a permanent Orange County location, a region the business already serves heavily through catering. As of this month, Cedar's Tacos has not released a street address, opening date or hours for the new spot, and hasn't detailed whether the restaurant's menu or size will differ from the original Bell stand. The original Florence Avenue location continues operating in the meantime. The expansion would put Cedar's Tacos into a market already thick with halal dining options — Orange County's halal restaurant directory lists more than 300 establishments, from Mediterranean spots to dedicated halal butchers — meaning Farhat's bet is less about filling a void and more about building a recognizable brand in a crowded field. For a business that started as an 18-year-old's grill outside his dad's shop, a permanent second location would mark a clear step from neighborhood fixture toward regional chain. No timeline has been set for the Orange County opening, and Cedar's Tacos says updates will come through its website and social channels as plans firm up.