Express Power Lunch

Weak but cheap. X over rice with a soda for $ 5 but the hot sauce isnt hot and the white sauce isnt white by the time you eat it. Rice was under done. Chicken was bland. Lamb was mediocre. Chick peas were a nice touch though.

$ 5.00 for meat over rice platter and a soda… great food and best deal in the financial district.

Price was excellent, it filled me up and didn’t make me want to cry with disappointment.
There are definitely better halal carts in the city but I was overall satisfied with the quality of the meal. Veg were fresh, it wasn’t too greasy and they give you a decent amount of chicken. I like that they also give you chickpeas if you want them. Portion sizes were small compared to most other halal carts, but definitely adequate. Can’t really complain at the price.

Good «street meat» platter for $ 5 and comes with your selection of a drink at no additional cost.
I had the combo platter (chicken & lamb) with rice, chick peas and a small salad (iceberg lettuce and a tomato) … Not how sure they do this for $ 5, but a great deal for NYC’s FiDi.
It filled me up, overall taste was good with the white and hot sauce added. Not too much food but not too little… Just about right.
Line was around 10 deep when I arrived at 12:25pm but the line moved fast as these guys are efficient.
I brought my box lunch to the elevated acre and enjoyed my street meat ‘al fresco’ style.
Give it a try… Your wallet & your belly will thank you. Just don’t eat this more than 1X per week, unless you want to gain weight.
Give it a try.

I eat at this place three times a week, and the other 4 days I’m craving their lamb over rice. After a few weeks I also discovered that the chicken or lamb meals ($ 5) come with a free drink. Clutch. Great food, great guys, now that’s what I call occupying Wall Street.

Only $ 5 for a chicken and lamb combo, veggies, and a soda? Sign me up. The guys are always so nice and it’s usually pretty fast, even with a line. You can’t go wrong with the chicken or the lamb, but when in doubt, order the combo.

$ 5 for Chicken and Rice AND soda! Perfect portion and the chicken is the right amount of spicey!
Plus, they cart guys are super friendly and have change for large bills :) Highly recommend! Be prepared for a long-​ish line — since they’re one of the best lunch spots in FiDi!

I just had a really good lunch from here. The rice and meat were both cooked perfectly. The spice level was good for me, but I need something a little less spicy then others. They people in the truck were super nice and $ 5 for lunch is awesome! I’ll definitely be going here again and again!

Tastes just like any other halal cart, except you get a free drink with your purchase (the guys were very friendly and worked hard to remind me of my free drink!) plus the option of chickpeas on top.

My coworker introduced me to this foodcart and he did all the ordering.
We had the chicken over rice with kebab and chickpeas (w/​hot sauce and green sauce– no white sauce). This was amazing. The chicken and kebab were flavorful and tender. Despite the hot sauce, the dish wasn’t super spicy.
I hestiated to review this place, because I don’t want the lines to get too long.

This is far from average.
Although I do feel if you like MILD halal, this is the cart for you. I on the otherhand like ALOT of spice and alot of white sauce. On the walk home the white sauce had dissappeared into my lamb over rice.
Long Live the 56^th Street Halal Cart (which reigns the king of NYC for Halal carts).

I don’t come here as often as I probably should when I’m in the mood for Halal food, but it’s one of my favorite in downtown Manhattan. Not only is it only $ 5.00 for chicken with rice, lamb with rice or a combo, but it also comes with a free drink! These days not many Halal carts give a free drink for a $ 5.00 plate. Like I said, it’s one of my favorites, but with so much competition within the downtown area it’s hard to really choose.
As for the food, I’ve tried both the chicken with rice and lamb with rice. I don’t have much recollection of the chicken, however I can’t recall it being bad either. As for the lamb they cut the meat into small square pieces. The lamb is really tender and moist and the white sauce compliments the meat perfectly. You can’t beat the bang for the buck here and if you’re looking for a cheap lunch (which is very hard to find) this is a good option.

the BEST halal chicken over rice I’ve had. EVER.
$ 5 for chicken over rice + soda
$ 0.50 extra if you want chick peas
Rice is cooked so that it’s perfect — not hard nor dried nor soft.
Chicken is very well seasoned. Just right amount of flavor.
I also got pita on the side. This was just okay.
And SODA?! all for $ 5 total? Holy dang.
Yes please. Again please.

Quick & filling, nice & friendly guys!
I got the usual chicken over rice, and one of the guys in the truck asked if I liked chickpeas. I said sure, and he poured a bunch of them over my chicken over rice! Never had that happen before. It was a pretty good combination, I must admit.
My box was $ 5 and another guy explained it comes with a can of soda or a bottle of water. I got my box, walked down to the pier, devoured it, finished my bottle of water, and left pretty satisfied.
I liked how I got more chicken than rice, too! Much appreciated.

After a long hiatus from going out for lunch (mainly due to weight loss efforts), I had the urge to break away from my daily healthy, cold, and boring salad because my taste buds finally had enough.
Of all the options, the taste I wanted in my belly most was Express Power Lunch’s Chicken and Rice combo. I kept remembering to the times when I always used to go out for lunch and Express Power Lunch was a frequent choice of mine. Their chicken was always so flavorful and cooked perfectly. I even liked their rice over other chicken and rice carts.
It was only morning and I was already daydreaming about lunch with lots of excitement and anticipation. 12 PM finally rolled around and I headed out for lunch. My other co-​workers had been frequenting other Halal/​Chicken and Rice carts but I would always boast of how Express Power Lunch was the best and it was the one I’d keep coming back to.
Fast forward to being back at my desk about to devour the first non-​salad lunch I’ve had in months. My first bite and I realize that it isn’t as good as I remember. The chicken is dry and not as flavorful as I remember. Even the rice isn’t exciting me as it used to. The salad is not that fresh, the lettuce is wilting and the tomato is runny. This is perhaps why the line isn’t as long for this cart anymore compared to other carts that sell the same thing. I might have to join my co-​workers to where they go the next time I’m craving chicken and rice.

ehhhh
I think the cold rice killed it for me. I don’t get why they they scoop the rice into the box before it’s served. It wasn’t even busy when I ordered it. As for flavor, I guess it’s better than your average chicken and rice. I think it’s just hype, I don’t get it.

I love coming to this Halal cart! It’s amazing! There are always lines here whenever I come here to get lunch. This shows you how delicious the food is here!
I usually get the chicken and rice with white sauce. I’ve been coming here since April when I started at my new job downtown. I come here at least once a week and the man memorized my order to the point where I dont’ even have to say anything! He just asks «chicken and rice with white sauce?» I’m like «YES!» LOL! The white sauce is sooo good!
Besides the fact that the food is delicious, it’s also cheap! $ 5 for a chicken and rice! And it comes with a soda! And it’s also really filling!
You can’t go wrong with coming to this Halal cart! It’s awesome! :)

EXPRESS POWER LUNCH GETS YOU FULL FAST!
As mentioned in another review, what differentiates this Halal truck from the others on the block is that this one is inspired by more Indian and Pakistani spices. If you find a large pod in your food, PLEASE STAY CALM!!! There is nothing to be afraid of and this is NOT what your imagination might be telling you that it could be. Their food is spiced with cardamon which is a common ingredient in Indian cooking. This is the most flavorful lunch on the block that you’re likely to find for the low price of $ 5.00!
This places offers more than chicken or lamb over rice. Unlike most carts, this offers true vegetarian choices that just as flavorful as their featured menus items. But if you get there early you find a treat not offered at any other Halal truck in the area. Tipped off by a friend of mine I learned that EPL offers kabobs as an additional meat choice. But better make sure to get there early if you even want to consider the kabobs as an option. The line can quickly run a steady length of 10 – 12 people during lunch hour, so if you get there after 1pm, you may have to try another day to try something new.
Dishes are typically served with one or two meats over rice with a small salad. They even throw in your choice of soda or bottled water too. All of this for just $ 5.00? Well, what about flavor? You have your choice white sauce, BBQ sauce, or their tangy hot sauce. The hot sauce has more flavor than just spice, so I often tell them to give me «white sauce and extra extra hot sauce.» This is just to make sure that they are not light on it and only give me a single squirt. When I roll up, I mean business, so you better be squirting twice for me, because you know that I’m watching.
I can scarf down a full tray in 10 – 15 minutes, but it definitely keeps me full all day. It’s great to grab between meetings and doesn’t give me the itis (the drowsy sleepy feeling you get after eating a large meal) like some other places do. One of my favorite food trucks to hit at least once a week.

I could complain that they take forever to make a lamb Gyro, but I would be a typical myopic and whiny Unilocaler if I did. These guys less make them than craft them. They take their time and it shows in all aspects of the product.
The meat is the perfect combination of thick juicy cubes and that «duck con-​fit» style of shredded tips left on the grill until good and crisp. The bread is authentic, not some grocery store brand crap. The onions are an accompaniment, not part of the main course. Tomatoes to add a contrast of temp and texture, not to make the wrap look fuller.
Bottom line; you aren’t going to do better for $ 4 anywhere in the city, let alone in the FiDi.
Par excellent all around.

I’ve been running out of food stands to go to in the downtown area for lunch, so I’ve decided to give another XPL cart a chance since I’ve heard the one on Wall St. & Pearl (South-​east corner) was a bit better than the others. Plus, I’ve heard that this cart still gives you a can of soda with your platter for $ 5.
So on to my ventures in single digit weather (it’s been brutal these past few days in NYC). There was a decent line of 8 – 10 people waiting in line to order. As I waited, I took a look at the side of the cart and there was no mention of a free can of soda so I closely observed the people in front of me. Most seemed to order a platter and take a can of soda. So what amounted to 2 – 3 minutes, YES, the two guys in the cart truly stand up to their name of ‘Express Power Lunch’, I ordered Chicken over Rice with my usual likings, white sauce and a little hot sauce. In 30 seconds, my platter was filled, I gave the man a $ 5 and along the left side of the cart, I took a can of soda and was on my way. So, I’m going to say, although they don’t advertise the free can of soda, take a chance, and grab a can of soda since I believe that is the norm.
Opening the white styrofoam tray, I noticed portions were skimp, with about one-​third of the tray empty. A bit disappointed but I guess the smaller portions were for the free can of soda. Inside was what amounted to ~1.5 scoops of long-​grain yellow rice, similar to that of basmati rice, that was decently seasoned. The cubes of chicken, orange in color, were slightly dry and a bit bland, though very delish with the mayoey white sauce. I did encounter two small bone fragments in the chicken, which only put a minor delay in me scarfing down this dish. Complimented with the chicken, were diced onions and a few remnants (barely noticeable) of diced green pepper. The hot sauce packed little to no heat, so I’ll say to any spice lovers, to go crazy here as you won’t find yourself looking for that glass of water. (No one can compete with the hot sauce at 53^rd and 6^th.). Also included, were sparse portions of salad consisting of slightly browning lettuce and 2 – 3 thin quartered slices of tomato, and a few bits of cucumber. After engulfing the slightly smaller than average portions, the bottom of the tray was noticeably oily. Blah, it’s street meat.
This XPL cart is definitely better by a long shot than the other XPL’s in the near vicinity, but still does not compare to my favorite Halal cart in the downtown area, Adel’s Halal Cart (see my review here:
).