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53rd and 6th Halal Cart
Categories: Restaurants Food Stands Restaurants Halal Food Street Vendors Food Stands, Halal, Street Vendors
53rd St & 6th AveNew York, NY 10019
Neighborhoods: Midtown West, Theater District
- Nearest Transit:
-
7 Av (B, D, E)
57 St (F)
57 St - 7 Av (N, Q, R)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 7:30 pm - 4 am
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
2393 reviews for 53rd and 6th Halal Cart
Review Highlights
"The white sauce is Mmmmm MMMM good."
(in 1049 reviews)
"Conclusion: Their chicken and rice was amazing."
(in 455 reviews)
"and I've eaten a lot of street meat."
(in 105 reviews)
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2393 reviews in English
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Review from Sunil S.
2/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
After the Giants won the Super Bowl, my friend who just graduated medical school suggested we walk a few blocks and get some food at the 53rd and 6th "Famous chicken and rice" cart. All I gotta say, is that this place hits the spot. A classic flavor of New York City and American immigrant life. Hard-working people, great street food, working all hours day and night. Very much loved the chicken and the flavored yellow rice. Add a generous portion of BBQ, horseradish or VERY HOT sauce and it completes the meal. Be warned though, that hot sauce can be very, very spicy so go easy on it...even if you love the spicy food.
If you find yourself in midtown Manhattan and you're a tourist, you have to check out this street cart. Long time New Yorkers who go out and get the bagel/coffee in the mornings or the hot dogs/kabobs in the afternoons and evenings, you would be remiss if you haven't dined here yet as well. Bar crawlers-- You will not regret coming here, who cares how cold it is, that doesn't matter. The fact that it was early February and near freezing helped us out for the sole fact there weren't terribly long lines we had to deal with. From what I hear, these lines can wrap around the block...but this is one of those places that's worth the wait. If you've been to those type of places, then this is a line you definitely need to get in. -
Review from Carson Y.
New York, NY
2/7/2012 2 Check-ins Here
This cart is infamous for many reasons. People can hate on them, and I totally understand why. If you judge their chicken and rice solely based on flavor then I would say it's lacking. But people don't love this place for the flavor. I'm going to try to explain the reasons why we keep coming back for more.
The line: the experience alone will make it that much more exciting
The hours: it's always open, you can have some before and after you go out
The pita: no one's giving you pita on your platter
The sauce: you can add as much sauce as you please, that's unheard of
The portions: for $6, the girls can share a combo
The crowd: you wanna be part of the in, that's just pure psychology
The experience: one of a kind -
Review from Dustin Brawler P.
Fountain Valley, CA
2/7/2012
Let me star off by saying that I visit the "hypebeast" cart everytime I am in NYC.. The cart still amazes me til this day, but I do have to say that the "halal" experience is not the same.. The chicken and lamb use to be cooked in front of you...If you missed out on that experience then you don't know what the real experience feels like!!JK
Must admit that it still darn good.. Especially the hot sauce... Its freaking spicy!!
It still lives up to the name but definitely not as good as before... -
Review from Jennifer O.
La Jolla, CA
2/5/2012 2 Check-ins Here
On my trip to New York that lasted a week, I ate at this halal cart three times.
My first time was an interesting one to say the least. It was a combination of both intense pain and pleasure. I was instantly hooked by the first bite I took...then my tongue was engulfed in flames. People weren't kidding when they said that the red sauce is HOT. I was sweating and gasping for watering...yet I couldn't stop eating. It was that good.
For the final two dinners of my trip, I ate from this cart because I wouldn't be able to eat it any time soon. Oh halal cart, now that I'm back in California, I miss you terribly... -
Review from Shibin M.
Norwood, NJ
2/7/2012
This cart used to have a 5 star rating for me when the meat was cooked in front of you and not pulled out the back of a truck in foil trays. Also when you could put your platter down for a while and the rice not solidify do to the amount of grease they cook with.
If you have never been its a spot to try, just so you know what the hype is about but, in all honesty the food is OK for a sober palate. And its really easy to understand why so many ppl love it after a night of drinking. It's greasy food and when your drunk nothing else could possibly taste better.
Seriously though if your sober you most likely will not enjoy the amount of oil in your rice let alone the meat. And if you really insist on going get the lamb and rice. Lamb is seasoned and just the perfect crisp. Chicken tastes like pieces of boiled chicken with no seasoning at all. Make sure you try the white sauce with your platter and a little bit of hot sauce. Be careful with the hot sauce though. Its ridiculously hot. Oh and the place across the street (6th) is owned by the same guys. They even take turns working both carts so don't be a fool and wait on line an extra hour and a half because the food is no different. They pull the meat out of the same truck. And if you talk to the guys at either cart they will tell you the same too. -
Review from Andreas H.
New York, NY
2/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
What can you say that hasn't already been said. One of the best Halal carts in the city with one huge downside - the line is always WAY too long at the main cart. Is it worth the wait? No. BUT...
Just head across the street to the SE corner and you'll find the SAME deliciousness with 1/4 the line. Awesomesauce! -
Review from Nancy S.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2012
On my trip to NY, I needed to know what this food truck hype was all about. I always see falafel trucks around the financial district here in SF, and since everyone's been telling me that this truck is THE truck to go to, I really wanted to try it right when I got here!
Walking distance from our hotel, and boy was I excited to have found them! No line...weird, but I think we just beat the lunch rush.
I could've smelled the meats cooking on the grill as I was walking up to them. They were so nice and kind that they offered to take pictures with us. Anyways, food was great! Large portion and tasty meats! We got the combo with chicken and lamb, but I think I still prefer the chicken over lamb.
It was hot and juicy, and tasted great along with the white and red sauce they served on top. The red sauce was reallllly spicy, but got a good kick to this cold weather.
My brother said it was only about $6 and I was like, whaaaaat?! So cheap, and good! No wonder everyone always get lunches from these food trucks. This would literally last me for 3 meals. -
Review from Ashraful H.
Newark, DE
2/6/2012
One of the best chicken and rice platters. Absolutely loved it. I go here everytime I'm in the city.
Amazing drunk food. -
Review from Joyce Y.
1/31/2012
I first found out about this halal cart because a New Yorker referenced it when she wrote a review of a kebap place in Berlin, Germany. I loved that kebap place in Germany. So I researched the 56th and 3rd halal cart and bookmarked it if I was ever to go to NYC again.
I really wanted to like this more and give it more stars but came out a bit disappointed.
Food is cheap!! $6 for a big plate. Hubby and I shared a lamb and beef combo plate, that comes with rice, and lettuce on the bottom, topped with pita bread.
They also give you that white sauce that everyone talks about. Sauce was good. Kinda like a mixture of mayonnaise and ranch sauce. But it made the plate more flavorful.
Plate was ok. Perhaps we ate it at the wrong time of the year since it was freezing NYC cold and it made our plate cold. Made it difficult to enjoy the plate. I didn't taste much flavor of the lamb and beef and rice was a little dry. Had to dump a lot of the white sauce on it to get flavor.
Didn't pour any red sauce since I read on yelp that it burns.
Overall, just ok. I would try it again if I'm ever back in NYC. But this doesn't compare to the kebap place in Berlin. Now that was delicious. -
Review from Josh A.
Goose Creek, SC
2/8/2012 4 Check-ins Here
Don't be intimidated by the line here, it moves very fast. This was probably one of the best deals I got while in NYC last week. Only $6 for a ton of food, couldn't finish it. On top of that, it was freakin' awesome! Be careful with the hot sauce though, it's very hot and can be dangerous. I wish they had something like this down in Charleston.
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Review from Mansoor K.
Babylon, NY
2/8/2012
The food is very good.
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Review from Rob K.
1/21/2012
Yummm street meat.....
Brought my girlfriend here once after a night of partying. She wasn't impressed.
Brought my old boss here once and he found a metal spring in his chicken. He wasn't impressed.
Brought a good friend here once... Let's just say he had a serious bowel problem. He was not impressed.
***Shrug my shoulders***
Brought myself here once a week when I worked on 56th street.
Mixed plate with white sauce and red sauce, please.
Always impressed. -
Review from Anna A.
Upper East Side, Manhattan, NY
1/26/2012
Okay first of all I would like to start off by saying that people have a big misconception about what's going on on the corners surrounding the 53rd and 6th Cart. The line goes wayyyy down the block for this guy, but no one ever seems to notice that there's this little guy with a big gray container that takes all the meat from that 1 cart that everyone seems to favor and delivers it over to the other carts whose line might I add is like half the size.
The food is the same people! Trust me. Just wait on the shorter line.
Now back to the food. Ahhh the perfect meal to satisfy my late night craving. I always get the lamb platter (lamb over rice with lettuce and cut up pitas) and I drench it in that amazing white sauce whatever it is I don't care it tastes awesome. The meat has a nice touch of spice to it and I like to add 1 drop of the spicy sauce (and I mean 1 drop that ish is spicy). I saw this poor girl on her first time squeezing that red sauce all over her platter and then as I watched her eat it she became redder and redder until she had to throw it all out =(
Stay away from the chicken it's just boring and dry. -
Review from Steven C.
Teaneck, NJ
1/25/2012
Theres over 2000 reviews and this place has almost 5 stars on yelp.
Therefore enough said. -
Review from Eddy B.
Brooklyn, NY
2/6/2012
Best platter ever. Only $6 for the novelty. Cannot be finished in one shot. Crazy lines. Crazy hot sauce. Get it on the side if you aren't from a culture where you leave the seeds in your tiny peppers.
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Review from Dexter V.
Paterson, NJ
1/26/2012
It's ironic that one of the most satisfying dish in NYC is a plate of lamb and beef from an obscure cart in the middle of the city next to a Hilton Hotel. There is always a line that fills as quickly as it dissipates at this site and the ebb and flow of customers lining up to have their fill of this deliciousness is mind-boggling. As a frequent customer, and one who has ventured into the city from New Jersey in the middle of the night or early morning just to grab a bite countless times, this writer can safely say every visit is worth it.
This site is easy to notice and there is always a line of individuals waiting to place their orders. They offer a choice of three different meats (chicken, lamb, and beef or a combination of either three) with rice, side salad, and pita bread all for $6. Very inexpensive and very, very filling. The portion is enough to feed two or three individuals but save yourself the heartache and order one for each--it's simply that delicious. As for the sauce, it's their own secret blend. The best ratio is 5 tablespoon of white sauce, 3 tablespoon of BBQ sauce, and two squirts (note that, two squirts) of hot sauce. A word of caution to spice fanatics. Although you may have tried hotter peppers, as I certainly have, putting a lot of hot sauce on the dish might mask its subtle flavors therefore go easy and you'll be rewarded.
And to put this debate to rest, the other cart across the street and the one on the corner of 52nd is owned by the same owner. There is no difference between any of the three. Check that--the only difference is the line that seems to exist at the original one. If you haven't tried this place out yet, it's time to join the masses and experience what you have been missing. -
Review from Tom W.
Anaheim, CA
1/24/2012
Absolutely outstanding. The sauces were amazing. The red sauce definitely has a kick, so be careful!
You might want to bring drinks with you, I think they have a side business selling expensive drinks at a drink cart next to their cart, which is a bit pricey imo. -
Review from Eugene K.
Updated - 1/17/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Food's good, don't get me wrong, but something different has happened here.
Now, they rush you and don't even pack up your food EVEN WHEN YOU TELL THEM it's to go. They hand you the plate, plate cover, fork, and brush you off to the side, pointing to the hot sauce, white sauce and bags. When you try to grab the packaged white/hot sauce, I swear the guy(s) gave me an ill kung-fu-grip stare.
The lack of packaged sauce makes you fumble to the side of the cart, over doing it with the hot sauce (which, I've finally determined is the cause for the bathrooms trips - don't OD on it. I know it tastes good and you'll sweat up a storm but seriously, this is what makes you go boom - literally). And I don't know why, but they've added barbecue sauce to the collection now. Well if you're drunk, as 98% of the people who wait for this food are, you can't tell the difference between the hot sauce and barbecue sauce. When you get home, bet your ass you will. Get it, ass, hot sauce, bathroom, toilet, your ass will thank you...
Ok.
I miss the days when I would hand the guy $8 and he would give me back $2 saying "you gave me too much."
Now, I just want to grab the hot sauce, squirt it in their eyes, and take all the prepackaged hot/white sauce home with me.
But that sounds a little dramatic.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/5/2010
Every time I come here, I feel like a crack whore.
You clearly get your bang for your buck but of… Read more »
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Review from Christopher Y.
Los Angeles, CA
1/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
Some of the most amazing tastes I have ever experienced.
This is just flat out one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted in my life. I've seen and heard people talking about the halal cart on 53rd and 6th for forever, but I never knew what it was (being from Los Angeles). I finally had the chance to try it this winter with some pretty high expectations and Halal exceeded them by leaps and bounds.
I stuck with just the chicken for my first trial. The line wasn't too bad, 5 or 6 people ahead of me in queue, but maybe it had something to do with it being 20 degrees outside. That's cold for an Angeleno. They have sodas, waters, snapples etc in front of the line while you wait. Don't mind if I do. Then it came time to order: Chicken? lamb? Can't go wrong with chicken.
Service was quick and easy. Some rice, some chicken, some lettuce. I noticed a lot of people had some white sauce on theirs. What was this? Seemed like everyone was getting it so I put some on to see what it tasted like. It turns out it tastes like pure heaven. I don't know what it is, but it's some type of mayonnaise I'm sure with some spices in it. Whatever it is, it made the chicken and rice 100000X better tasting. I also added some of the red hot sauce, but beware, it's EXTREMELY hot. I LOVE spicy food and this was very, very spicy. Have water on hand if you're going to try it.
It was so good, I came back 2 days later to have it again. New Yorkers are so lucky to have this at their disposal. It's like karma for not having In N Out. -
Review from Bumble B.
San Diego, CA
1/27/2012
Thanks for the great recommendation Mr Yelp ;) Being extreamly jetlagged, this was the best option to have my supper/breakfast at 3am...!! PLUS the food is super yummy~ (Need to becareful of the hot sauce, a little goes a loong way)
p.s There's about 3 stores on the same corner (53th and 6th) safest bet is to go to the one with the longest line... But it might all be the same... im not sure. -
Review from Diana W.
Best after drinks food ever! Also awesome food before hand too. Apparently, 7:30pm shift until after is the real deal but this place is open before 7:30pm too.
Order to $6 Combo! Option of ranch, bbq, and spicy sauce! If you haven't tasted the spicy sauce, then try it first before the drench your whole combo with it. They will drench it with whatever sauce you ask for.
Also, apparently the workers here are "supppposedly" staff rotation of other halal chicken rice carts in the area. O wells, its like sushi......you don't go to a non-crowded place for fresh food haha
And yes it is a tourist hot spot.
- no seats
- stand up or find seating by fountain
- to go food but best eaten fresh there
- long lines1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/14/2009
Love this place! (from California)
Yeah, you can't get any chicken and rice better then this place… Read more »
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Review from Joey S.
1/24/2012
I feel like I have had a decent amount of chicken and rice platters at this point in my life and I have to say this is hands down the best I have ever had. I was super skeptical of just how good this cart could be, but that first bite of the delicious chicken and rice from the 53rd and 6th cart shut me up pretty quickly.
The white sauce is perfect and I would probably take a bath in it if I could, and one huge platter at 6 bucks is a pretty good deal (and makes me feel a little bit better about paying a cab from Union Square to eat there). Lastly, I have really taken a liking to spicy stuff after hating spicy foods for a while. Despite my limited experience eating hot sauce I have to believe the red sauce at this cart sets the gold standard. Just be warned, a little of that sauce goes a long way.
I thought my ex and her friends were crazy because they would drive into the city at like 3 am from NJ for these platters. After experiencing one of those bad boys fresh I realize that I was the crazy one all along for not joining them. -
Review from Wen V.
New York, NY
1/27/2012
Geez louise, who does the PR for this guy? Not saying the food isn't great, it's just as good and tastes the same like all the other million Halal food carts in NYC. I can't really hate on 53rd and 6th Halal Cart, anytime I'm with my ex-boyfriend and we have a friend from out of town, this is where we take them. Gives us a chance to mingle with all the other drunk people after a late night at the bars. The chicken and rice is definitely satisfying for any drunkard.
If you really want to get to know real NYC street food, check out the King of Falafel out in Queens, who won the Vendy Cup and the People's Choice Award. -
Review from William D.
Bronx, NY
2/5/2012
In my opinion, the food here tastes better than the food on 53rd. Try it.
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Review from Mimi Z.
Minneapolis, MN
1/28/2012
YUM. One of the best food truck meals we've had. We got the combo plate (chicken/lamb with rice, lettuce, and pita) and finished everything even though we had Chinese for dinner only two hours earlier. For $7, very happy.
Hot sauce SUPER HOT. -
Review from AngryYoungMan X.
Rockville, MD
1/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
Much like foldable, thin crust NY pizza and kathi rolls at McDougal Street, Halal Guy cart is a NYC tradition.
How do you go wrong with pile of steaming hot, well-seasoned, minced lamb (or chicken) on rice and pita bread at 3am?? Just make sure you pick the right cart since there are 200 of those in a 4 block radius. Hint: The one with long line is the correct one.
For comfortable seating, bring your own car. -
Review from Danielle C.
Hoboken, NJ
1/20/2012
Ah, the infamous cart. Their selling point is that white sauce. WHAT IS IN THAT?! It's like a mixture of ranch, mayo, plain yogurt, spices, I don't know what, but it keeps you coming back for more. And I've also read that the spicy sauce is the sauce of death, so please don't drown your food in that sauce. But the white sauce, by all means, do it!
But if you take away the white sauce, there's just a lot of yellow rice, lettuce, and your meat of choice. I actually find the other part of the meal very medicore. Sometimes the rice and/or the chicken is dry, and the chicken really isn't that flavorful. And of course the lettuce is iceberg. I actually would just want to raid the white sauce from the cart here and put it on my own chicken and rice.
So to average out: white sauce is amazing but the food itself is very so-so. -
Review from Siu N.
1/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
You have not LIVED until you have tried the food at 53rd and 6th Halal Cart. Don't be fooled by the imitations that park themselves around that corner to try to get the innocent. Make sure you actually get to the south corners of 53rd Street and 6th Avenue. If you see insanely long lines, especially after a night of clubbing, you know you're at the right place.
My dish of choice is the combo over rice. For only $6, you get a mountain of rice, a heap of lamb and chicken, lettuce and pieces of bread. They now have bottles and take-out containers (very smart of them) of the infamous white sauce and hot sauce. Let me emphasize: there is NO such thing as too much white sauce. I always literally douse my plate with white sauce until you can barely see the actual dish underneath. The hot sauce is a different story. You should NOT douse your plate with hot sauce unless you're prepared to have some serious runs the next morning. It is THAT spicy, but I am a huge fan of spiciness (as you can tell from my other reviews), so I always make sure to sprinkle at least one small container of it into my food. Usually one small container is enough. If you are feeling adventurous, try two and let me know how your bathroom session is the next day.
Of course, it's not a formal restaurant, so you're going to have to find a place to sit outside. I'm glad there is now a public seating area about 20 steps away from the southeast cart.
Oh, just a side note, they charge an extra $1 if you ask them for another aluminum tray. Erf? -
Review from Hiya C.
Austin, TX
1/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
OH MY GOODNESS THIS CART WAS SO DELICIOUS. YES I AM YELLING. IT IS SO TASTY.
It was a very, very cold January afternoon at around 25 degrees. That's like, twice as cold for people from Texas so standing in this line took every ounce of my will to eat. And boy am I glad I waited it out. It was pretty confusing to figure out which cart was the actual right one since there are a couple on this street, but just look for the logo you see in the yelp pictures and the one with the longest line and it's your place.
I tried both the chicken and lamb and they actually taste very different. I preferred the chicken but the lamb was good too. Pick up some extra white and red sauce, but be warned that the red sauce is REALLY INTENSE. Even as an Indian girl who loves to scorch her mouth, I could only handle a little bit more than they already put on it.
We did end up sneaking into the Hilton across the street to eat it in their lobby secretly because it was just so damn cold. But when we got inside, there were quite a few other people doing exactly what we were so I don't feel guilty about my Hilton lobby exploitation. -
Review from Paul H.
1/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Probably the best halal for portion to price.
Little do people know, there are actually four carts.
Cart 1 is the most popular, you will know because there is a long ass line.
Cart 2 prepares the meat and brings it to Cart 1,3 & 4.
Cart 3 is next to the drinks cart.
Cart 4 is across the street (which has almost no wait)
As K C. mentioned, the guys here have dealt with so many tourists so they aren't the friendliest but you can't complain cause they serve so many people daily.
I prefer getting the combination of chicken and lamb. Avoid getting chicken alone because it is dry. This will make you buy a drink which are overpriced.
Hot sauce: I don't know how my friends can smother this all over. This sauce is FIRE. The white sauce is great but I try to limit even though I'm already eating unhealthy as it is. -
Review from Khai T.
San Jose, CA
1/23/2012
The famous Chicken and Rice cart on 53rd.
Coming all the way from Cali my friend suggested that I must hit up the street food. My initial reaction to this was,"you crazy!!!" After tasting the delicate cuisine it turns out I'm the crazy one. It was sooo bomb. The line was super long for any kind of business, but well worth it. Best believe the next time im in NYC I'm hittin' up the 53! -
Review from Imran G.
Tempe, AZ
1/13/2012
I really hate places like these, because you will never find anything like it anywhere else.
After trying a couple of "halal carts", none of which were really worthy enough for a review, we decided to come back to yelp for some help. Halal guys cart wasn't too far away from where we were at the time so we decided to give it a shot. When we got there around 7:30 the line was quite long, and it moves a little slow considering how many carts they have set up.
There are two carts where all the food is served, a cart where all the gyro meat is prepared, a cart with the drinks, and then more carts scattered everywhere on this corner. You are literally in their territory. They practically own that corner and the adjacent corner.
The food is nothing short of spectacular. Seriously, it is quite amazing. The famed white sauce lived up to expectations, and it went really well with the hot sauce on the "chicken over rice". My fiancee and I got a chicken over rice platter with a gyro sandwich for $10 and had quite a bit of trouble trying to finish it. In terms of value you cannot beat this place.
Their gyro isn't the traditional thick slices of meat. Rather, they seem to chop it up into smaller pieces which almost seems like it might take away from experience. However, this was quite possibly one of the best gyros I've ever had. It was almost a half a pound of meat wrapped in a pita. Nothing short of spectacular.
If you want to try cart food, you must stop by this place. -
Review from Asha S.
San Francisco, CA
On my trip to New York between 12/30-1/3, I was on a mission to figure out which Halal Cart served THE "Meat & Rice w/White Sauce" plate that was truly worthy of the calories.
I tried variations of "Chicken Rice w/White Sauce" & "Combo Rice w/White Sauce" at no less than SIX places. They're listed below in order of my likeliness of returning.
NOTE: I always ask for EXTRA WHITE SAUCE & RED SAUCE both on top & on the side.
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#1. 49TH & 6TH HALAL FOOD TRUCK (49th St at 6th Ave, across Radio City Music Hall) - 5/5*
*** Flavor: 5/5 - Really tasty!
*** Spiciness: 4.5/5
*** Price: $6 for Combo Rice
*** Portion: 2x of #4, #5, Slightly More than #3, Similar to #2
*** Speed: PiL= 6 / ToA to ToO = 10mins / ToO to ToR = Less than 5mins
*** Staff: 2 People (1 to Cook/Reheat, 1 to Plate/Sauce/Pack)
#2. KWIK MEAL (45th St at 6th Ave, by Citibank across Room-Mate Grace) - 4.5/5*
*** Flavor: 4.5/5
*** Spiciness: 4/5
*** Price: $12 for Combo Rice (Was $6 a year ago, went there on 1/1, so that might've contributed to the price increase.)
*** Portion: Biggest of all, 2.5x the Portion of #4, #5, Slightly More than #1
*** Speed: PiL= 1 / ToA to ToO = 3mins+ / ToO to ToR = +/-5mins
*** Staff: 1 Person
---------- NOTE: Really good Green Sauce. Ask for extra of that, too. Also, I learned during this trip that Bobby Flay won the falafel throwdown after his lesson with the guy from Kwik Meal. Accepts Credit Cards.
#3. THE HALAL GUYS (53rd St at 6th Ave, by statue across Hilton) - 4/5*
*** Flavor: 4/5
*** Spiciness: 5/5
*** Price: $6 for Combo Rice w/Pita
*** Portion: Slightly less food than #1, #2
*** Speed: PiL= 0 / ToA to ToO = 2mins / ToO to ToR = 2mins
*** Staff: 3 People (2 to Cook/Reheat, 1 to Plate/Sauce/Pack)
---------- NOTE: It was freezing cold, hence the lack of patrons at 10pm. That could've contributed to diminished flavor, or their recipe's changed a bit & people aren't such big fans anymore.
#4. HALAL CART (Wall St at Water St, by the AT&T & Sprint) - 3/5*
*** Flavor: 3/5 - Bland w/2x the White Sauce & Equal Amt of Red Sauce as #2
*** Spiciness: 3/5
*** Price: $5 for Chicken Rice
*** Portion: 1/2 the Portion of #1, #2, #3
*** Speed: PiL= 2 / ToA to ToO = 5mins / ToO to ToR = 5mins
*** Staff: 1 Person
---------- NOTE: The guy behind the counter had a really warm smile.
#5. HALAL CART (Gouverneur St at Water St, next to Duane Reade) - 3/5*
*** Flavor: 3/5 - Bland w/2x the White Sauce & Equal Amt of Red Sauce as #2
*** Spiciness: 2/5
*** Price: $5 for Combo Rice
*** Portion: 1/2 the Portion of #1, #2, #3
*** Speed: PiL= 2 / ToA to ToO = 10mins+ / ToO to ToR = 15mins+
*** Staff: 1 Person
---------- NOTE: They took much longer than the others, but the lamb did not come from a doner/vertical spit & was very soft & juicy compared to the other places I tried.
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GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS:
PiL: People in Line Before Me
ToA: Time of Arrival
ToO: Time of Order
ToR: Time of Receiving Plate
ToC: Time of Consumption
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Review from Sara P.
San Francisco, CA
1/4/2012
A visit to NY has to include chicken & rice from this cart.
I have dreams about their red/white sauce.
I will stay in Midtown just to be closer to them.
I'm a little obsessed.
Even though I didn't stay in Midtown this time, my manfriend drove me there and bought me a plate to bring with me on my flight. I am a lucky girl.Listed in: The Big Apple
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Review from Dan A.
1/5/2012
When I talk to my friends about NYC (especially food), they always seem to ask if I'd been to the "Chicken and Rice Guy." So this guy is like a local celebrity...and for good reason... the food here is great.
How great? Well.... late at night, there was still a line at least a block long. I was scared I'd be waiting forever, but they got serving down to an art form here. Everything went by very efficiently and smoothly. Portions were pretty decent and were great for a late night snack. I had some leftover and let me tell you, it also makes a good breakfast haha.
At the end of the day, yeah, it's still street food... but it's really good street food--so much so that no trip to New York should be without a pitstop here. -
Review from Ahmad A.
PRINCE, NY
2/4/2012
So, try to get there late night, and try a mix of hot and white sauce.
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Review from Hector C.
Secaucus, NJ
2/4/2012
My wife and I happened to be walking by this food stand and were overwhelmed with the aromas. Though we weren't really hungry, as we had had a Thai meal a couple of hours earlier, we simply couldn't resist.
We waited our turn in line and ordered a lamb gyro. very, very good stuff and the price was also great. -
Review from Markus M.
Cupertino, CA
1/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
Definitely a must when visiting NYC!
NYC is full of amazing street-cart food and with that, you could imagine how many halal carts there are. However there is nothing that amounts to how amazing the 53rd & 6th chicken and rice halal cart is.
Not only was it cheap, roughly $6 for a bowl larger than chipotle's, but it was super delicious. Our first time going was after watching Wicked and around 11PM there was a huge line! Waiting in line however is never a problem because it moves real quick.
The menu is small, but everyone (including me) would recommend the lamb&chicken rice combo, if this is your first time. When you go back, you can try the other things on the menu. But lamb&chicken is a must!
Cons:
Cash only - but then again, which cart isn't?
Not much seating around the area -
Review from LilMiss S.
Alhambra, CA
1/10/2012
When you see a long line from a food cart near the streets, you'll know you found it. It's right down from MOMA.
This place is just to fill my tummy after MOMA nearby. As you notice from other reviews here, the cost of it is cheap, taste is plain as can be (like a body builder's diet), but it's the big bowl of servings that gets people coming here, and a long line but quick.
Didn't get the chance to finish the complete bowl because I was full, and I needed to go back to the hotel to empty my waste (since MOMA was closed and it's extremely hard to find public restrooms with more than one toilet).
How the heck you New Yorkers do it with very few public restrooms? -
Review from Lindsey C.
Manhattan, NY
1/11/2012
This place is great, but please take this tip.... There's morethan one "Halal Guys" so if you come upon a long line, look across the street, (or directly next to the cart, theres ont there too) its the same guys in the same shirts serving the same food, with NO WAIT!
There's actually several Halal Guys in the area, so don't look like a tool standing on a long line in the rain or snow, or you dont want to deal with 100 stupid tourists, just look around. :)
