Hamza & Madina

Pretty good. Love the onions mixed into the chicken. I usually just get chicken but recently noticed they have been giving smaller portions of chicken. Workers are Courteous. Better than the other place next to Pizza Hut those workers are rude and mean

AMAAZZZIINNGGG You must try it. Best value, amazing food, and whats more if your trying to go healthy they can customize it with just meat and salad. If you are ever on a budget and want an entire meal that tastes great this is the place for you.

This is the cart that is right outside of cvs. The food here is always fresh and delicious. I’ve tried the other carts and they don’t even compare to how good this one is. Definitely get the combo with pita instead of rice and both hot and white sauces

Been getting trays from these guys for a few years now. With atleast 3 other carts scattered around the intersection of little neck pkwy and hillside, this cart is consistently more busy and for good reason. Id be careful coming Friday/​Saturday around midnight because you can easily find yourself waiting 20 minutes to get your food
I get the lamb over rice. I tried the chicken once, it was fine. However, their lamb is always juicy with a slight crunch on the outside and a soft perfect inside. Their white sauce is incredible and I recommend getting 2 lines of the red sauce. It’ll be spicy but that’s where the nice cold Coke comes in handy. These guys are always friendly and well deserving of a $ 2 tip because I’ve seen some really annoying customers they’re forced to deal with.
Don’t get curious and venture to the other carts. There’s a reason hamza is the busiest one.

So everyone knows NYC is littered with halal food carts. Even out-​of-​towners fly in and ask «hey, can we grab ‘chicken and rice?!?’». Seasoned eaters know some of the best carts can be found in Manhattan, with (arguably) the most famous being The Halal Guys on 6^th Ave. & 53^rd Street. Whether you’re a fan of cheap eats, eats to go, or ethnic/​halal food, such carts usually fit the bill. The only problem is that you don’t always have the time or energy to trek into the city, especially when you live on the eastern edge of Queens.
For such occasions, you can just venture over to the intersection of Hillside Ave. and Little Neck Pkwy. Here, you have multiple carts from which to choose. Within about two blocks, there are three separate carts. My current favorite is this HAMZA & MADINA cart which is parked on Hillside Avenue, just in front of CVS Pharmacy. I’ve also tried the Madina Halal Cart located by the Pizza hut across the street and also the Sahara Halal Cart by the New Al-​Habib Halal Meat Market but I find that HAMZA & MADINA has a slight edge.
Unlike the halal carts in the city which usually serve up their offerings in round aluminum trays, HAMZA & MADINA serves it up in rectangular styrofoam boxes. I mention that because some people like the extra insulation that the styro offers and which makes it easier to handle when you are not able to eat off a table. They also don’t throw in pita bread as many carts in the city do (but that’s no biggie at all to me).
My standard choice is usually the combo over rice (chopped chicken & lamb over rice with a little salad on the side) topped with a generous — if not copious– amount of white sauce and a dash of hot sauce. Be warned that the hot sauce does pack ample heat so don’t be a hero and ask for a ton extra lest you set your tongue (and other parts not to be named) on fire. I wish I could give you a more thorough review and include other items they offer but this is my go-​to selection and by which I judge the various carts I’ve tried.
I find that HAMZA & MADINA’s cart offers slightly fresher tasting items and the server is more friendly than found at other local carts. I’m guessing if you’re a regular at any of them that you may disagree but I’m talking about when you don’t have a longstanding or frequent enough relationship with a particular cart.
The combo over rice plus a drink comes out to $ 6.00 and that’s pretty hard to beaT for fresh, generously-​portioned food that you can grab and go with a few minutes… unless there is a line of people waiting that is.
I won’t hesitate to try out the other carts again but when in doubt or I’m not feeling like experimenting, I’ll cone back to HAMZA & MADINA unless given a reason not to.

We have had many a meal from this street car of wonderfulness, but this is my first review. I have no idea why it has taken me so long to sing their praises but I sing loud and they are so good that you will drive past other carts in other neighborhoods to get the food here.
I once asked the guys what made their food so good, the response was classic and heartfelt… they cook with love. They love the food they cook and they love the customers. Sometimes you will pass by and the line will be 10+ deep. People will be double parked and walking from down the street to get the food here.
You ask for extra anything and they give it to you with a smile. Where else can you get such an amazingly huge meal for $ 6.00 with a drink?
Even sometimes with the long lines, no one complains about the wait… it’s so good it is worth waiting a few minutes for your turn. The white sauce here is the best I have ever tasted. The freshness is never questioned, they cook with love and quite frankly I don’t know how they keep up with the demand. These guys must be exhausted at the end of the day.
So if your in the neighborhood, or not, this is the place for your to go halal food! And please leave a tip for the guys.

Good Food, If you ask for extra white sauce they do put extra.
Good Service.

In front of the CVS, which is necessary information as there are other carts at the intersection.
Service was quick with a combo lamb/​chicken over rice and salad at $ 6 with a soda.
The rice was moist and pilowy. The lamb even has chunks of fat in it, offering layers of flavors with the meat along with the roast on both the lamb and the chicken. A really well executed halal cart, which comes as a pleasant surprise for a place that seems to get little street traffic.

I love this cart food. I have been to various carts throughout NYC (except for the famous Halal Guys of them all), but so far, I will say Hamza & Madina serves the best chicken & rice and lamb & rice that I have ever had.
Firstly, the rice itself has so much flavor, it’s not your typical white rice that you get on most carts. This tastes like something you get from an Afghani restaurant. Such a nice aroma that tastes like it’s been slow-​cooked.
The chicken and lamb have a lot of flavor. Chicken is very flavorful and is my personal preference. The lamb is gyro meat, but it’s moist and tender which makes it also a win (keep in mind, I am not a big lamb gyro fan). Everything tastes so fresh and the prices are unbeatable. Truck food can’t get much better than this.
When I see people asking for more white sauce, I’m like WTF, the food already has so much flavor, you are masking it by putting so much. Don’t be mistaken, you do want some white sauce though, just not where it covers the entire food. I also LOVE the hot sauce. It’s spicy where it will burn your tongue but it is so delicious so get enough but not too much.
The guy who helps out is sometimes very nice, sometimes a prick, but honestly, he’s working in a small truck all day long so I cut him some slack.

Hamza and Madina Halal food. We are open ²⁴⁄₇ and are located on Hillside Ave and Little Neck Parkway right on the corner in front of the CVS pharmacy. Don’t get it confused with the other carts. It’s fresh, tasty, fast, and the price is just right. Hamza and Madina Halal food cart was also nominated as one of the top vendors in 2012 and was nominated for the Vendy Awards. So whenever you are in the mood for chicken over rice or a gyro just come to Hamza and Madinas.

Holy moly this might be better than the hicksville cart. Packed with street meat and a bunch of rice with the best sauce (all expected from hamza and madina of course). White sauce is nice and light and the hot sauce is mouth watering — take caution it will lead to addiction. 5 stars 2 thumbs up

Me and my girlfriend love trying different kinds of halal meat and we finally found one that is our go to spot. This place is open all the time I think it’s 24 hours. Be careful with the hot sauce though. I always get the lamb n rice and my GF gets the chicken n rice you can’t go wrong with either. Make sure to get the pita bread chopped up. These guys are the best out here in queens.

There’s about 4 different halal carts within 2 blocks of this corner, but Hamza & Madina on Hillside in front of the CVS is the only one that’s legit.

Its awesome to have this halal place a couple of blocks from me. I always get the lamb!!!

If you’re looking for some Christmas meats, Hamza good, but Turkeys are better. Because any Muslims and Jews that might come over for Xmas, would not appreciate Hams. However Turkeys would probably be okay. So remember — Hamza good, Turkeys better.
In reality I prefer hams but let’s get on with the review.
What to get: Combo with all the sauces, no salad
What else: If I eat it in bed, I’m in bed with Medina
I had high hopes for this place, I have to be honest. Some of the reviews waxed lyrical to the degree that I was half-​expecting the taste to rival Sammy’s Halal in the heart of Jackson Heights. Unfortunately, it did not. Hamza-​Madina doesn’t really register on my «fave Halal Carts» toplist, which is populated by Sammy’s, then Biryani Cart, then Rafiqi’s, then King of Falafel & Shawarma in Astoria, and then Halal Guys and Adels and Tony Dragonas and so on. H & M would be outside the top ten, but that’s not to say it’s not good.
In fact, it’s cheap (under $ 7), filling, and tasty. And it’s way out in the nether regions of Queens, near where Long Island proper begins. So for that reason, it’s great to have a late night Halal Cart in this area. It’s open extremely late too. In a neighborhood where you wouldn’t expect a Halal Cart to be open so late. Excellent.
However, because it just didn’t taste as good as all my fave Carts, I’ll keep it at a 4. Still great value, but not my favourite. Still tastes great and is filling, but you can do significantly better if you’re seeking out the best Halal Cart stuff.
And if you really don’t like it, just get some deli meat and some bread from the kitchen, and make yourself a Hamza-​ndwich.

Chicken and lamb with white and red sauce combo cannot be beat. I stopped by here at 1 am on the way to my grandparent’s house on last visit to NY. It is a great deal for the money. Some great halal street meat at Hamza and Madina.
Last meal that I ate knowing that my dad was still alive. This will forever haunt me.

An amazing little halal cart at the corner of Little neck.
I’ve seen a lot of people writing «C&R», don’t be confused because it’s chicken over rice not chicken and rice. I have a history where I learned the difference between the two, when I was first introduced to chicken over rice.
If you want to satisfy your C&R craving, then this is where you want to go. Order a little white tray of yummy goodness that would either put you to sleep or have you running for the restroom, depending on how well you handle hot sauce.
I come here once every two weeks to grab chicken over rice for everyone in my office. My coworkers just can’t wait for the week to get up to C&R day. Each person has their own taste and Hamza & Madina (can we go with H&M?) is able to satisfy each person’s flavor preference.
The rice here is always moist, complimenting the chicken or lamb without becoming too noticeable. The chicken is seasoned to perfection, sometimes you feel that sauce isn’t even needed but you always get it because the sauce completes the dish. White sauce, hot sauce or BBQ sauce? Take your pick, make your dish pop some flavor into your mouth. Be a little careful with the hot sauce, it can always sneak up on you in more than one way. The lamb is amazingly soft and still fully cooked while staying moist. Put it all together and you get a delicious meal!
The pricing is pretty decent, a regular tray of food is priced at $ 6. That $ 6 includes a drink, there’s not a huge selection but enough to choose from to pick your favorite of: Coke, Diet Coke, Brisk, Ginger Ale, orange Sunkist and Poland Spring water. The amount of food they give you is a large serving but if you want double meat, it will cost you an extra $ 2.
There seems to be a huge confusion between everyone, about which vendy cart this is. No, not all three halal carts on the corners of Little Neck and Hillside are the same. There’s one by the subways, one by the Pizza Hut and one by CVS. H&M aka Hamza & Madina is the one by the CVS. If you go on their facebook, they list the two locations they have. One being by the CVS and another being the first halal cart on Long Island in Hicksville.
Next time you are stopping by for a white foam gift box filled with a meal to last the entire day, take a glance at the sign and remember this is the halal cart you want to come back to, H&M.

LOTS of the reviews here is for Madina Halal truck located in the Pizza Hut parking lot. Hamza & Madina is the one by the CVS drug store on Hillside Avenue. This review is for Hamza & Madina!
So I’ve eaten the lamb and chicken over rice and it comes with a salad that has some tomatoes and a little purple cabbage. I’ve ordered here twice and I never get the free? pita bread. Is this something I need to request? $ 6 pretty sweet deal w. soda.
Across the street, at the Pizza Hut parking lot is another Halal truck, named Madina. They charge $ 5, and the basmati rice is yellow colored. (see my review on Madina). Not sure what makes it that color and the salad is basically just lettuce. I’ve had them 3x and I never get the free pita bread here either. And diagonally across this place is another halal food truck, named Sahara?. Out of the 3, this one and the Pizza hut one has the longest lines. So far, I prefer Hamza & Madina at this intersection.

MADINA better than the halal guys
I’ve tried probably 50 different halal carts in the last 2years and no I’m not obese! Lol but I think by far madina on hillside is the best they’re located adjacent to Pizza Hut don’t get confused there are about 4 halal carts in that intersection!
They marinate their chicken the best it’s mouth watering I can eat this for dinner and lunch the next day it’s huge proportions and also they were voted for one of the best halal carts in nyc! Would definitely come here more often!

In a nutshell: Best Chicken and white sauce in NYC… found in Eastern Queens.
To all NYC tourists: when you visit NYC, here’s the list of foods other tourists tell you to find:
Ray’s Pizza
Junior Cheesecake
Katz Deli
That’s all well and good, but that’s one meal. Here are the cuisines and spots I would suggest:
Juliana’s Pizza (next door to Grimaldi’s…review pending)
Eileen’s Cheesecake
Jamaican food (Jamaican Flavors on Jamaica Ave.)
Halal food… mainly Chicken and rice with white sauce!!!
Dominican food
Dumplings in Chinatown
…the list goes on.
Point of the list is to ask a New Yorker where to eat.
The Madina truck is directly across from a Halal meat market in Bellerose, which also has it’s own truck outside.
Parking ⁴⁄₅
Plenty of parking at the Pizza Hut which you are not supposed to park at. Park there anyway because no one goes to the Pizza Hut.
Service ⁴⁄₅
No need to have a conversation with this guy. Just tell him what you want and move aside.
Wait time ³⁄₅
The fact that it was like 10 degrees and windy was not their fault. It literally hurt to wait for the food, though.
Food ⁵⁄₅
Got the combo (lamb and chicken) over rice with white sauce and hot sauce. Chicken and lamb were super tender and delicious. My plate did not survive for long when we got home.
Overall ⁵⁄₅
Bomb. I know there’s a well-​known Halal truck on 57^th and 3^rd, but go here one day if you’re in Queens.