Halal Cart

This does not get any better. For the longest time ever, I was heart broken that the 53^rd and 6^th Halal cart was so far away from me. I could not enjoy the aromatic essence of the meats, rice, and that WHITE SAUCE in the air. Lo and behold, there is one that finally arrived closer to my home! It’s finally nice to also have a location that is an indoor warm place so you can enjoy your chicken and rice without having to rush through your platter on the sidewalks. Everything is still the same– thank god. There is a little price hike, but it’s reasonable so I’m not going to complain. They also charge you extra if you ask for more sauce here, but simply just walk to the refrigerator after paying and just simply pour more of that godly white sauce!

Bless this place. He manages to take halal (which is already a great deal itself) to a completely different level. Part of me is sad that there are only 10 reviews about this place, but another part of me wants to keep this treasure to myself. First off, the traditional lamb/​chicken over rice is five dollars, pretty typical. However, it comes with a soda, pita AND curry potatoes. That by itself is a great deal but he also has a delicious green sauce that everyone who loves spicy food should try. I’ve brought friends to this truck and they all agree it’s the best one they’ve had, even compared to 53^rd and 6^th.

you might get the runs, but soo worth it

There used to be 4 halal carts on this street between union square and 3^rd ave. One is in front of dunking donuts and this review is not for that one because that one sucks. There used to be two in front of Trader Joe’s but I believe it’s just one now. I’ll talk about this one first and then get into the last cart. The one in front of Trader Joe was always the go to halal cart for my friends and I. It was open basically 24/​7, consistent, good quantity, delicious, one drink included, and used to be $ 4 but is now $ 5. Despite all the online chatter and debate about which cart is the best, I stand firm that this cart and the one I’ll discuss soon are THE top 2. The halal guys at midtown are only good for quantity, and considering how they charge you $ 7, I think the price to quantity ratio is about the same. Deliciousness, however, is biased towards the 14^th street halal kings. Also, with all the talk about how dirty halal carts are as they are stored in rodent infested warehouses at night, the fact that this cart is out ²⁴⁄₇ may imply the lack (or minimal) rodent contact. That being said, the fact that they’re always there leaves the question of when do they clean it?
The last cart on 14^th street is slightly to the west of the Trader Joe’s wineshop and in addition to having all the qualities of the cart I just wrote about, they provide free pita bread and potatoes (and you still get the soda)! They also have jalapeño and BBQ sauce if you prefer that. More food for the buck makes a budget strapped college kid happy. But I do think the cart in front of Trader Joe has better meat, so take ur pick between these two carts, ignore all others!

Alright so this review is for the Halal Cart closer to 3^rd Ave (where the drinks are self serve).
My usual is the combo plate which is only 5 dollars. I mean, where else are you gonna go to get a 5 dollar full blown meal with a drink (besides the cheaper pizza places).
In terms of the quality of the food, you can’t lose with the combo plate. Chicken and lamb tastes awesome, very well seasoned. I always ask for it to be a little extra spicy just because I like the kick. The white sauce topped on the meat afterwards, amazing. I don’t know what they put in that sauce but I wouldn’t be surprised if they sprinkled some crack in there because it just makes the whole plate taste amazing. Can’t eat it without it!
For the most part, there are subtle differences between the 3 carts in this area but I always stick to the one closest to 3^rd ave. This cart also gives you potatoes in the combo plate which is awesome.

Excellent. Simply great. $ 5.00 gets you a full meal + a free drink! I got the chicken over rice. Was FANTASTIC. Inexpensive too. Highly recommended. :) Will definitely be looking out for anymore Halal Carts in the future.

Definitely try a little bit of the jalopeno sauce (green sauce) on your platter!

I might be biased in my review, as this was the first halal cart I ate at, but I can tell you that they make their food really well. Every time I come here I order the Chicken over rice, and they make it well. Their white sauce is amazing, and their combination of rice+chicken+sauce is overwhelmingly good. It’s salty, but just right. Also, it comes with a free drink, so there’s not much to hate about this.
There’s about three halal carts on 14^th street, so go to the one on the very end near 3^rd avenue.

Sometimes I would head back to my building from class and be absolutely drained. Like, tired and really not feeling like putting in the effort to think about making or obtaining dinner. On those nights, the halal cart was always close by to provide a comforting and caloric meal at a dirt-​cheap price.
I always went to the cart further away from the corner. I prefer the taste of the meat for some reason, and plus the guy is friendly and eventually began to remember me after several visits. I love getting the $ 3 chicken gyro combo, which comes with a free drink. I like lots of white sauce and hot sauce on mine. This meal is enough to fill me up. A $ 4 chicken & rice/​lamb & rice combo will last me for two separate meals, though it does not taste as good after the white sauce gets all soaked up and dries away.
Heavy and rich, this is not the type of food that can be made into an everyday habit. But as a once-​in-​a-​while craving, it’s the best!

I got to this food cart alot lately. I have always ordered the Lamb over rice dishes but now I seem to have fell in love with the getting the Falafel and LAMB over rice combo. Here it is only $ 5 and it comes with a soda or water. Some carts Falafel I really like and some I don’t. This one I do like from the vendor here. I give the 53^rd and 6^th though a slight edge in Quality of the meat (at least for the lamb). Look at it this way, alot less wait than the place on 53^rd and 6^th though.
Whenever I come from a bar pretty much after 11pm on any night of the week, I try to check out this spot. It is closer to 3^rd avenue. There was another cart right at the end but it has disappeared in the past month or two. The guy fixes the lamb and falafel to me just right, I tell him well done and he lets it stay there a bit more.
This cart is past Trader JOE’s and like I said closer to third avenue on 14^th street. It does the job, whenever it is late night and I am a bit intoxicated Lamb and Falafel comes with rice and salad (I get it with green pepper too and a little bit of onion) does taste even better. It is a better food option than just going to McDonalds or White Castle that time of night. I mostly only get this at night like I said coming from a bar or club in the area, but I have come here at 2pm on a weekday and it was pretty much just as good. I guess the guy did not really make an effort to cook it a bit more since he was in the lunch rush crowd, that would have been my only complaint.
–Agreed as well, Yes– this guy cart is cheaper than the cart that is less than a block away or the two other carts that are right there. Chicken is good too, but I don’t prefer it. You can get Lamb over rice and salad straight up for $ 4 or like I do COMBO Falafel and Lamb for $ 5, THE extra soda or bottle of poland spring water thrown in the bag helps this review go from 4 STARS TO 5. I didn’t go this week for my weekly visit, I was just busy, but will be back next week. White sauce and Hot sauce on everything makes it taste better too as well.

Great for a quick bite after a workout.
FOOD:
–My usual is the $ 3 lamb+chicken gyro and bottle of spring water = WIN.
–I usually go the the cart closer to Trader Joes but tonight I tried the cart closer to 3^rd Ave. The differences I noted were how the lamb was cut. The cart closer to Trader Joe’s has a ground beef texture while the other cart has the lamb cut up in cubes.
–The cart closer to 3^rd ave is self-​serve for drinks while the other is not. While the differences are subtle, Unilocalers who have reviewed the Halal Cart have their preferences.
The Halal Carts always get me because at $ 3, I can get a satisfying meal with a drink. The only other place that comes close is 2 Bros Pizza with their $ 2.75 Two cheese slices + Soda deal in St. Marks.

Sorry, but the one closer to 3^rd is better. $ 4 for the best lamb on rice with a free soda.