Aekella..<>
Islam is not a fast food guide, which would rate/recommend Mcdonald or Burger King or flafels places. It encourages you to eat meat which is not of a haram animal, like pork and others. Then it encourages you to kill the permitted animal in Islamic manner, that is to pronounce the name of Allah, on while killing it. Here is aya
"So eat of that (meat) on which Allâh's Name has been pronounced (while slaughtering the animal), if you are believers in His Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.)"
Al Inam-118
Many would tell you that if the name of 'AnyOne' (?) is not mentioned in any animal, it is ok to eat it. This is contrary to Qura~nic teachings as the next aya reveals:
"Eat not (O believers) of that (meat) on which Allâh's Name has not been pronounced (at the time of the slaughtering of the animal), for sure it is Fisq (a sin and disobedience of Allâh).
Al-Inam 121
So Allah's name must be mentioned on the animal which is being killed for eating.
Your next worry is the manner in which an animal is killed. For this also, it is recommended that the animal should be killed with sharp knife/object by cutting throat, like jugular vain, thus draining all the blood as eating of flowing blood is haram too. Here is the aya forbiding blood:
"He has forbidden you only the Maytatah (dead animals), and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that which is slaughtered as a scrifice for others than Allâh (or has been slaughtered for idols, etc., on which Allâh's Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering)."
A-Baqra 173
As regard to the mention of Bismillah before eating it and not before killing it, is concerned, it is very simple, as the aya above, suggest that the name of Allah must be mentioned BEFORE EATING, and not necessarily BEFORE KILLING. So the story mentioned by someone over waddu etc... sure is very funny and I must say that this is how the additions keep coming into the Islam and people start following someone'e interpretation, instead of what is actualy prescribed.
As a matter of fact Prophet Mohammad, pbuh, when asked if one could eat meat of the animal which is killed by NON MUSLIMS, (mind you, this may include kaafirs and other non believers too-which would definately exclude Christians and Jews). He replied, "Mention the name of Allah and eat it." (Trans)
When all is said and done, I would also like to mention another importan aspect of eating and that is wholesome and hygein. If a Muslim who sells Islamicaly halal meat in a sub standard manner, like most of the Indian Paki stores in USA, I would rather buy meat from American Supermarket and pronounce Allah's name on it and eat.
Wasalaam