Rafiqi’s Food Cart

Good prices, and good food. Not much else you can ask for from a Halal cart. Food tasted fresh and had good flavor. The do good business so the food isn’t sitting on the grill for hours like some of the other carts out there.

This place isn’t much like he infamous Halal Guys but it’s good in its own right. Prices are just about the same as most halal carts and they have the sauces you’d want (hot, BBQ, and white). They pile on the meat and are generous with sauce.
One thing I like about this place is the assortment of vegetables they have including olives and corn. Definitely different from other carts in that regard.
I’d definitely give this cart a shot. The one by FIT is convenient and has lots of steps nearby to sit.

Good food. The guys inside the cart were friendly, making sure we had our items customized as much as we wanted.
While the portions were huge and it’s definitely the best value in the area, it was annoying that when we went to pay we were asked for more because «prices recently went up but we just haven’t changed the sign yet»

Food is decent, but they do not manage flow very well. The last three times I have tried to order falafel, they did not have any ready, so they told me I had to wait 5 minutes so they could make more. Having to wait that long defeats one of the primary purposes of going to a food cart over a restaurant.

The chicken and rice here was ok but nowhere close to how good the usual halal carts I eat from are! The white sauce and hot sauce were decent but nothing Ill go back for. I am not sure whether I went at a time when they were running out of chicken but the portions were pretty small. Maybe because I didnt add any extra toppings, the entire chicken and rice and lettuce took up only about half my box. Ofcourse, it seems good enough to have a bite if you are close by but I am definitely not going back just for this.

Can’t say enough good about these guys. The meat is top quality. Always fresh, freshly cooked.
As others have stated, if you become a regular they repay the loyalty by always hooking you up with a good amount of meat. Always appreciated.
I have insane food allergies, so my order is always the same, and unusual. Just Lamb and Lettuce. Believe it or not this is a challenge for many carts. Others are all too quick to throw onions, peppers, sauces and whatever else is delicious but will make me very sick. These guys see me walking up and have my special order started.
The best. Try them, and you’ll see.

I had a falafel (twice) from here so I can only rate that item. If you wish to know the quality for the street meat, please read other reviews.
First off the prices are different depending on the location. My first time was from the corner of Charlton Street near Hudson and a falafel was $ 3. It was good but not something I would seek out. The second time was a few weeks later when Chipotle had a long line so I opted for the cart. This time the cart was at King & Varick and they charged $ 4 for the same falafel. WTF??? The taste was the same so why the price increase? Apparently each cart dictates its own price.
So while this is not the worst lunch choice, it would not be my first. Given a choice I would opt to eat from Taim’s truck and pay twice the price for a better tasting falafel.

Stories are written about food like this. I can truly say I never had a bad experience here, as I been going at least once a week for the last 2 – 3 months. This food may be the best deal in the city, and always cooked to perfection. the more you go, the more the guy begin to recognize you and always throw on extra meat and toppings that typically aren’t on the menu. Just today I had the chicken and lamb over rice, with not only extra meat but grilled onions and green sauce. I must say these guys are the best.

In recent years, there has been an abundance of Halal carts popping up (presumably after the success of the infamous 53^rd and 6^th cart). Nowadays, you’re likely to find just as many carts serving middle eastern fare as you would hot dog stands.
As with any type of food vendor, there will be good carts and bad carts. Rafiqi’s is one of the good ones.
I had the chicken and rice. Chicken was tender and the rice had a lot of flavor. White sauce was also delicious.
Price was right, too. About $ 6 for a decent sized platter.

Finding a cheap lunch in this area isn’t easy. For under 7 dollars you get get a GREAT meal. Fresh, good and cheap food!

Very cheap, authentic food, the Chicken/​Falafel over rice with salad is only $ 5.75, GREAT DEAL! I love to run out and get this every now and then for lunch, and the smell catches you from a block away. One of the more superior food carts in my opinion!

Good lord, I literally feel like Rafiqi’s was sent down from the cosmos to feed my hungry ass when money is tight. SOO GOOD! Chicken is nicely seasoned. Rice is perfect. Nice variety for the side salad. HUGE PORTION. Drenched in their white sauce. Good god, so goood! 5 bucks. You can not go wrong with these guys. I keep coming back.

Tasty!
I saw a line and decided it couldn’t be too bad (as with most lines for food in NY), and gave the chicken gyro over rice a try. Along with your rice, you can get a small dab of corn, tomato, onion, olives, and since the guy in front of me asked for cooked onions and the guy threw a bunch over the grill, I also benefited from his request and got some as well. Well seasoned — versus the sauce with the halal guys, Rafiqi seasons their meat and despite the oil (and oil, and lots of oil… let’s not calorie count), it’s super tasty!
Will be back…

Best Chicken pita ever! Make sure you get it with white and hot sauce (if you like spicy) it really hits the spot.
Its cheap ($ 5+), as food carts normally are and its a great portion. Not too small but not too big either. Im full but never overstuffed. When i get the chicken and rice though, i do wish there was more rice.
The chicken and salad is pretty decent too, you can 86 any veggies you like (black olives for me) and of course get the white sauce on it too.
I go to the Hudson street cart, located in front of the Pret a Manger. If youre running low on cash right before payday or even if you’re rolling in the dough… try this cart. There are several carts around the city and I’ve tried more than one and it’s the same quality. GREAT!

Yay! I had a nice lunch for $ 4 with Rafiqi’s halel food cart!
They had a special falafel platter for $ 4 and it really filled me up happy. :) 4 falafels with lots of veggies and rice with white sauce was scrumptious, yes! I do not buy food from the streets very often but Rafiqi’s is an exception. I think I will stop by again to taste their lamb gyro just to compare how they make it diferent from the one my neighborhood in Queens has. :D

Well, it seems Unilocal doesn’t have a listing for the 29^th & 7^th Ave cart, so I’ll have to review this one.
Rafiqi is my main dude! The only cart (company?) I’ve seen with shredded cheese, olives, corn, cilantro, etc. as toppings — all free. Occasionally I’ve gotten mild bubble-​gut from the place, but nothing that wasn’t worth the value for the money. Lamb or chicken with rice is $ 5, gyro is $ 4. The 29^th St. location recently added falafel sandwiches, but when I ordered it, it took 10 minutes to fry (it IS my lunch break after all — that time is precious). Maybe they’ve perfected it since then.
Sometimes the line can get long at random (try to beat the posse of construction workers), but otherwise it’s pretty quick. And the dudes are always friendly. Even though I eat at the AM & AL Deli more often for lunch these days, I still have a soft spot for Rafiqi’s.

Sorry, Rafiqi’s — Close but no Cigar
I’ve had chicken and rice from Halal carts with the rice better cooked (Not stale) and where they AREN’T stingy with the hot sauce/​white sauce. I figure most people here either haven’t walked farther for their chicken and rice so they just don’t know what they’re missing. In some respects, I like that the chicken is a bit meatier than other food carts. And in others, they don’t really cook it long enough to let the spices seep into the meat. You just end up with meat that’s sort of all over the place in quality and flavor; coulda used a lil’ more sauce here, shoulda’ put more meat there. Hey, I’m not TOO picky, but some seasoning the rice would have been nice, eh?
Yup, it’s an inadequate mess alright, and I’m sure you’re thinking «But for 5 bucks? C’mon…» I will say, though, I dig the cilantro. Flavor wise, it balanced everything out and was a nice touch…
Although, just sayin’…if I wanted cilantro, I could go to Chipotle…
(Okay, before you slam me for mentioning McMexican, just know that Rafiqi’s itself is a chain of food carts)
I will say this: for the most part, it IS edible, and it’s not all too terrible. The Lamb in the chicken and lamb combo is way too overpowering though. Perhaps I have high standards, or maybe I’m spoiled by the riches of Madison Avenue, but then again, I just love getting my chicken and rice with a falafel ball, french fries, a drink and a salad — it’s cheaper and such a better deal.

I look for Rafiqi’s Food cart on the corner of 26^th & 7^th when I’m desiring a flavorful food experience without any true nutritional value or when I’m really low on $$$.
I’ve had «chicken & rice» before and I do agree, theirs is better than this cart, but I’m not trekking 30 streets over for a meal when I have one around the corner from me. And I digress … large container packed with meat, food, veggies and rice. I generally get their chicken gyro over rice — SO good. I get a little bit of all their veggie options (this part they get stingy on) — tomato, lettuce, chick peas, olives, red onions, green peppers.
My friend always says that I’m «taking a chance» with these carts and I do have to say that I do agree. My last meal there really did a number on my stomach so I have to warn the sensitive stomachs out there.

So, I keep going back to my two pals in the aluminum box on 27^th Street.
But I’ve ventured away from my chicken and lamb on a pita. Recently it’s been chicken and lamb over rice (daring, I know). For $ 0.50 more than my usual order, I get quite a bounty: a very healthy portion of my meats of choice over rice (damned flavorful rice. I don’t love peas so much, but since this rice tastes so good, I forget about the peas) with grilled onions atop that, and the final crowning glory of sauce (just a little white… and they are finally learning that I really do mean only a tiny amount, then red, then green). It comes with salad too. And the tomatoes are great these days (owing to them being in season, of course). When you add chickpeas and black beans (if you want, of course), you can get even more protein.
This meal is huge and again, so damned cheap. Rafiqi and friends, I think I love you.

Rafiqi,
You are the mystery man. Thank you for sending out your missionaries to feed the hungry, broke ass masses of young professionals. We love you.
Awesome gyros (and I’m Mediterranean so trust), platters are huge, and although I have migrated thru NYC due to changes in job location the quality/​manageable price of the food has stayed consistent with each cart visited.
I agree ‘street meat’ is a scary concept but these guys are legit.