The Halal Guys

My favorite place for Halal food. I always tell people about The halal guys. The portions are so huge you can eat twice but I can’t do that anymore since i have a hard time not eating the entire thing in one sitting. Best halal food I have had to date.

Not as fresh as the cart and the portion here is smaller, but it’s closer than walking to 53^rd street.
I got the regular sized chicken over rice for $ 8 and had asked for extra white sauce, but didn’t get any extra. There were a lot of people in the kitchen and I was lucky to get there before there were lines, but they worked and moved fairly slow.

Don’t think I can say anything else except that it’s SO DELICIOUS!!!
big portion for a good price! I always get the chicken platter… food is always fresh and I always come when the line is short. The white sauce & the spicy sauce make a perfect combination.
Best late night food too… I always take the food and eat at home because the place is so small inside, not many seating.

I’ve heard lots of hype for this place. I was in the area heading back to the L train when I noticed the store. I decided to go in and try it myself.
Everything is done in a cafeteria type format. Stand in line, order your food, pick up your food, take your food to the cash register, then pay. This place is so crowded you can easily get your food and walk out without paying. That system really needs to be modified.
The food was decent. I didn’t really notice a difference between this food and the food I buy off the halal carts. I’ll give it another shot. It wasn’t anything memorable.

Chicken beef and salad over warm soft perfect rice. The spices just right, great sauce and open late in the east village.
It’s served in a takeout foil container with sliced fluffy pita bread.
This place is casual and has great food. It’s simple enough and I hope it’s always available because I will def want to eat this again and again. Small platters are $ 7 and large are $ 8. There’s fresh baklava too, delicious. You can opt for gyro pita sandwiches too but I was feenin’ for the orange/​yellow rice.

I LOVE this place. Of all the places I ate at in New York, this is probably the highest in terms of the price to taste to quantity ratio. You can get a sizable helping of delicious food at a very reasonable price (considering many places have the NY handicap).
In terms of ordering, I highly recommend the chicken beef combo with an ample dose of white sauce and a single dollop of red. Please remember this because the red sauce is actually super spicy. Just a smidgen of the stuff is enough to spread across the entire plate and provide just the right amount of kick to satiate your palate.
It’s also inspiring to see how the city of New York has adopted and assisted this business in its development of the American Dream. In case you weren’t aware, the Halal Guys started out small as a single food truck. As their food spread and the business began to rise in popularity, lines began to develop around the block, as people couldn’t get enough of this food. It then allowed for the business to open up other trucks, and physical locations too.
As of today, you can even find Halal Guys in Long Beach CA, and Orange County too! (although after tasting both, I can officially say the taste is of superior quality here in New York).
All in all, great job guys, and hopefully you continue to make good food at reasonable prices!

overrated!
as a cart, this place is great, as a store front, it was a let down. this place is messy. food was cold. pictures and menus didnt match. taste was fine, but we found a piece of plastic. for what its worth, you can find similar rice plates that is potentially better all around nyc. but i guess yall are reading this cuz the halal guys know how to market themselves better than most carts.

Don’t get me wrong, the food is still 5 stars. And they have beef here!!!
Just the portion is very small… We got a regular but still a lot smaller than what you will get on ⁵³⁄₆ :(
But it’s close to where I live so,

The halal is okay. I’ll give it that.
But the dudes on 53^rd & 6^th? They’re the best.
The franchise has made the white sauce more mainstream. Not like the way it is at 53^rd.
So, it’s close to my house but I’d preferably trek to 53^rd & 6^th if it were me.

This is the first time I try halal guys. I never tried the one near hilton the line is always insanely long and i am too lazy to wait.
The rating is based on al the things considered. If it is for the food it is great 5 stars.
It has a fast service, great people, but the place is small. Small little fast food restaurant. Not too clean but I can see why.
I just dont get the hype of this one, I know it is a good food, but to wait for more than 30 minutes I wont sweat it (probably because i lived near nyc), if you’re from somewhere else far try it u will fall in love with it.
The spicy sauce is SPICY… Love it ;)

Out of all the other delightful restaurants surrounding here (Artichoke Basille’s Pizza, Momofuku Ssam Bar, Num Pang Sandwich Shop, Buvette, Paulie Gee’s, etc…), I chose to venture out to Union Square just for one purpose: a small bowl of the chicken and lamb combo over rice. Even though the Manhattan bound N train wasn’t working and even though the bus schedule was very delayed, I continued on with this journey.
Unlike the other Halal Guys, this one is a dine in. The wait surprisingly, wasn’t a problem for me. I literally walked right in and ordered. Lucky me.
Now back to that combo. It was packed with chicken and lamb. A bit greasy, but what the heck, I added a bunch of white sauce and drizzled it with some hot sauce to get the full experience. I didn’t see any BBQ nor was I aware that they had it, but apparently white sauce and BBQ complements each other very well. I am definitely going to be back to finish that 1% of my 99% experience.

I love the Halal Guys.
I remember waiting in their super long line at their food cart. So glad they opened a restaurant too in East Village. The line is much shorter here. Service is still quick and friendly at this location. There is seating available as well, it does get packed in here though. I appreciate that their white and spicy sauces are in squeeze bottles so you can help yourself. They are located on the bottom shelf in the same area the bottled drinks are. Love their sauces, really adds great flavor to their meats and falafel.
Upon entering, stand in line and place your order. Once you get your food, you pay at the other counter where the baklava is. Their menu is straightforward. They offer platters, sandwiches, fries, hummus, and baklava. For their platters you have a choice of getting it with gyro meat, chicken, falafel, or a combo. This location gets 4 stars because they aren’t as generous with the portions here. It’s still a lot of food but their original location really piles it on, enough to share with a small village… lol. Same great flavors though.
Super excited to hear they will be opening 3 locations in Virginia (Fairfax, Vienna, Springfield) and 1 location in DC: D Can’t wait to get some of my fave NY eats closer to me!

I’ve been a loyal Halal Guys customer since 2009, and nothing has changed. Just now, I get to sit down and actually eat on a table. Great service, awesome food.
I do feel that the food tastes fresher here than at the carts. Lines are long, but they try to move it as quickly as possible.
Just the platters are like 1 $ more expensive in the stores but I’m going to say its for the store rental costs.
Perks is that they also serve hummus, which is like 3 $ for a large portion.

There’s something about it, but this place was just not as good as the OG in the Theater District. I would have preferred visiting the cart, however, we were in the area and I was determined to take Ruben for his first Halal Guys experience.
Downsides: Prices are a couple dollars more than what you’d pay at the cart. They put the sauces on your dish without asking you how much you actually want. Yes, you do have seating available to you, but I’d trade that for the better food experience.
I got my usual combination of Gyros and Falafel and Ruben got the Gyros and Chicken combination. Due to no control over the sauce, I ended up with WAY too much white sauce AND red sauce. Anyone who has experience with their red sauce knows that they’re not playing around with heat. It was a touch too spicy for me, thus making it difficult to fully enjoy. Similar with the white sauce drowning my food. I know there are some people that love it this way, but I just want to make my plate how I want it.
I wasn’t fond of my experience and even if I were in the area, I would spend the extra time traveling to their original cart rather than dine here again. Obviously, if you don’t have a choice, it’s still a fine destination, however, make sure you let them know how much sauce you want!

Rumored that Halal Guys is coming to Boston! Until that day, I will continue to drive 4hrs to NYC and get it! You cannot visit NYC and not have the Halal guys. $ 8 for a combo plate to go with extra white sauce and hot sauce on the side can definitely fill you up. Generous portions of meat, rice, and lettuce in a plate.
Warning: the hot sauce is like hellfire. If you’ve never had it, try a tiny dab first. Don’t make the same mistake like me, I honestly thought I could handle spice. But this hot sauce definitely kicked my ass.
Fast service. Cash only.

BLUF: If you have the chance, stop here and not at a random halal cart. You won’t regret it, plus you can avoid the cold.
At first, I was a bit skeptical about making my way to the halal guys when I could just find a random vendor on the street. Plus, this spot costs $ 2 more than the original stand. However, this place is just as good and worth it especially during the winter because you can dine in and avoid the cold.
I went with the chicken over rice and took a bottle of white sauce to do as I pleased. (Word of caution for those who are eating here for the first time: the hot sauce – red bottle – is deadly so make sure you taste a bit first to see how much you truly want.)
Will return when I’m in the area and craving for halal. Thanks guys.

Have to knock down a couple stars since my last review :(
— Price increased $ 1 on menu items: platter is now $ 7 for small, $ 8 for regular
— Halal Guys no longer uses lamb for the gyro meat — gyro is now beef (although this is common across all Halal Guys locations now)
— No longer sells canned sodas, so forced to buy more expensive bottles
— No longer accepting Belly rewards
There are better halal carts at a much cheaper price if you just walk a block west on 14^th St. Don’t think I’ll come back to this location anymore… if I’m going to drop by a Halal Guys, will probably only go to the one on 53^rd and 6^th Ave. Otherwise, plenty of other better quality halal food at much cheaper prices now; Halal Guys is more focused on expanding and going commercial than pumping out the same quality food from years ago.

WHOA! This is Genius. I can’t believe I hadn’t tried this until now. My taste buds were truly missing out. It kind of reminds me of a Mediterranean Chipotle bowl, but every bite is uhhhmazingggg! You have the option to choose a bowl or a wrap (but definitely get a bowl because the bowl comes with pita bread and is only like $ 2 more) and you can also choose different meats, create a combo or no meats for vegetarians. The whole concept of it is simple and amazing.
The best part is their red sauce. Its so spicy, but its DELICIOUS! I LOVE spicy and my eyes were watering, but it was still sooo good! If you can’t handle spicy, I would definitely recommend getting it on the side and even if you can handle spicy, I would still recommend getting it on the side so you have an idea of what you’re getting yourself into. Or you can be like me and just get it on top if you can handle it!

My girlfriend and I got a combo plate and a chicken plate. We asked for sauce separately and the cashier was nice enough to give us extra. The cashier was friendly and joked around with us.
The white sauce is amazing and the barbeque sauce is very good. The spicy sauce is very spicy so be careful when you put it on, I’d recommend a few drops. Overall, the food is delicious and I’ll make sure to get a plate the next time I visit New York.

HOT SAUCE! WHITE SAUCE! How in the world have I never reviewed one of my all time favorite restaurants in New York?! Everything that I’ve had here and at any of their carts (key word THEIR carts, watch for imposters) has been incredible. I don’t know what it is but these guys are the best in the biz for chicken over rice. I am so happy they are franchising because they are the Shake Shack of Halal Food. A must eat! The way they heat up the pita bread blows any competitor out of the water. Their hot sauce is very very hot, good, but hot and the white sauce is very very deliciousO. Go there ASAP if you haven’t been there before.

I decided to check out the storefront version instead of the cart since it was close to another place I was checking out. Had to try the famous Halal Guys while in New York, though I know they have expanded and have LA locations now too.
The store is great and has a menu printed on the wall, with the food served at the back. Order your food then pay at the register. There are also a few tables and a counter for eating in-​store.
It’s a great value since the standard entrees are between $ 5 – 7 (there are two sizes, small and regular) with moderate portions.
I did notice that the rice is very orange, as another Unilocaler mentioned that they use turmeric and not saffron to season their rice. Obviously, they are most famous for their white sauce, which definitely pairs well with the rice and chicken, as well as functioning as a semi-​salad dressing for the lettuce.
Word of caution: the spicy sauce is no joke! I can handle a moderate amount of spiciness, and Halal Guys’ hot sauce REALLY packs some heat!

I come here for lunch sometimes, and it’s almost always pretty empty at 1−2PM. I’ve always gotten a seat, but I may have been lucky.
It’s pretty much the same as the original cart. You have your combo plates between chicken and lamb with rice. Additional to the combo plates, they have pastries. The Baklava is actually quite good which is surprising since they’re not really known for this. Give it a try if you like Baklava!
The food is pretty much the same as the original cart, except they give you a choice of two sizes. The smaller platter is around $ 6.50. The larger platter is $ 7.50 I believe. I’m not sure as I never need that much food and have only ordered the big platter once. They give you pieces of pita bread along with your food and choice of white sauce and/​or hot (red) sauce. If you stay in, you can get more sauce from the fridge, which also has BBQ sauce. I’ve not tried it, as the white sauce with a tiny bit of red is just right for me.
If you want to take out, they will still give you sauce on the platter before they seal it, but you can also buy additional sauce packets for 50 cents. I’ve gotten a big platter to go with one on the side. Since the big platter is too much food for one sitting, you have the problem of reheating your platter and it being dry. But since you can buy the sauce packet, you can drizzle that onto the reheated platter. Makes it almost as good as it is fresh!
The only problem I have with this location is the limited seating. But that’s about it. It’s cold out now so it’s hard to just get a platter to go and eat in the park.
I will continue to indulge on this brick and mortar store of the awesome original cart!

Haven’t had Halal guys in the last few years but it’s still tasty as ever! Due to an incoming snow storm, made the trek to this location where there would be indoor seating. Thankfully, there weren’t too many people since the night was still young (before 11pm) and ordering the food was quick and easy.
One thing that did stand out to me in regards to this dish was the rice… Was the rice ever this lovely shade of red /​orangish color? Or did my memory of my first Halal meal from the 53^rd street cart failed me? Anyways, this dish was yum. Got falafel instead of meat and it proved to be quite tasty with its crunchiness and flavor. White sauce was on point as always and the pita and lettuce was quite fresh.
The crowd moves fairly quickly, so waiting for a spot to eat doesn’t take too long. Prices are still affordable and the portion size is still big enough to split if you’re not feeling too hungry. I really do like having the option to seat in a covered area after ordering your food. Makes it easier to shield your food from flying away or bugs fluttering about if you were to eat outside :)

I love this place. Nothing much you need to know except to get the mixed player with a lot of white sauce. Just do it. You’ll live and hate your life after afterword but it’ll be worth it.

Maybe I am just not into this kinda food when the city has so much more to offer. Their humus and pita bread were very fresh and tasted great. The chicken over rice was just regular and something I could execute in my own kitchen. I like my food with more seasonings besides black pepper and salt I guess.
Stay away from their red sauce if you don’t like very spicy food.

My girlfriend and I came here for valentine’s day. This was my Thanksgiving dinner.
Like passing ships in the night, or two guys at opposite ends of a wall of urinals, there is an unspoken bond that souls may share. Perhaps there are words for it in other languages, but I am a simple man and I know not what cultures may have found this bond worth naming in the past.
I do know, however, is that there is not a word I know to describe the cosmic connection that I share with the Halal Guys, and their food. This is where I brought my girlfriend on valentine’s day. This was also my thanksgiving dinner. The wonderful small moments and holidays in my life are celebrated with their food, because it is simply that divine. The guys themselves are all hilarious, and wonderful to talk to, though I regret I know none of them on a first name basis.
The regular size is huge. The hot sauce is spicy. Their Falafel is delicious. Their chicken is even better. But take not my word, take my hand, and journey in to Halal Guys to get lost in the experience. I say that figuratively, but more likely than not, I’ll be there chowing down too.

I’m morally against waiting in line for hours for food. That’s why I’ve still never had a cronut from Dominique Ansel and why, though I love a good chicken over rice, I’ve never visited the Halal Guys cart. Thank goodness they opened this brick and mortar store in the East Village. It’s still popular, but for some reason people don’t get as excited when the novelty of a cart is removed… which is great for me!
One late night after a show I stopped in and was able to get their famous dish immediately. I made sure to ask for bell peppers, since they don’t put them on there automatically. Doused in their popular white sauce, this was the perfect drunk food, satisfying and flavorful but not too grossly greasy like a slice from Artichoke’s down the way. But watch out for that hot sauce! They’re not joking around when they say it’s spicy. I could only handle a couple of drops before breaking a sweat.
The turnover in the spot is pretty quick so you’ll be able to get a table or stool at the bar if you’d like to eat like a civilized person instead of squatting on a street corner like you would if you had visited the cart. Sure, it’s not the original but it’s more than enough for me!

A chicken/​lamb platter from Halal Guys is the one tourist food I can never seem to tire of. This B&M location on 14^th street is a welcome addition to the ever-​expanding Halal Guys empire. The taste is pretty much the same as the one on 53^rd and 6^th, but now with some added bonuses:
— They take credit card!
— You have an option to get a smaller platter (which is still pretty substantive and filling) for $ 1 less
— Belly rewards on every visit to earn free stuff
— Indoor seating
— Convenient location relatively close to Union Square for those who live further from the other carts in Midtown
As with all of the Halal Guys, you get a generous portion of food for a bargain at almost any hour of the day. Love how they never try to rip you off on drinks either which are all reasonably priced. Always friendly and fast service.

First time trying halal guys was at this shop, and not the cart… so I’m not sure if that affects my initial response to the food. I just don’t really get how this is any different from the other halal carts around NYC apart from the hype.
Love the food and the portions and the price and I’m glad I came when there was no line whatsoever but I definitely wouldn’t wait in line for this. I love the meats and the sauces and the rice and salad :) :) just don’t get too much spicy sauce

I hate how there’s no Halal Guys near where I live T_​T because the one time I tried it in NY got me addicted! The hype did not disappoint and I’ve been craving it ever since. To have the best experience here, get the combo (three meats), add LOTS of white sauce, and use the hot sauce sparingly. I made the giant mistake of putting in too much hot sauce since I am nuts over spicy food and even milk couldn’t help me out after that. It was still delicious though.
Three words: Chicken and Rice!
P. S. There is finally a Halal Guys opening in Berkeley. Thank the lord!

Very good place to pick up chicken & rice platters to-​go, but you can also dine here as well, although there is limited seating (seats about 15 – 25 people?). They have a good selection of bottled and canned drinks that include sodas, Snapples, teas and more that aren’t available at the food trucks. Another great aspect is their baba ghanoush, which is delicious! Also, if you do not eat beef or lamb, they suggest the chicken or vegetarian options that are also available.
The line goes by quickly because they are always well-​staffed and they are especially friendly. They always make sure you have falafels included if you order a side of baba ghanoush or any platters. The cashiers are friendly (one time tried to persuade us to get the baklava dessert since he said it pairs well with our Starbucks coffee drink). Cash or debit/​credit card is accepted here (another pro compared to the outdoor food trucks).

HALAL FROM THE OTHER SIDEEEE (of 15^th St)
The Chicken & Rice Platter w/​white sauce was satisfying but far from life-​changing, even if the staff here were universally ignoring customers and/​or straight up nasty.
Their site hilariously has reservations, a cart, and separate pages for Location & Store Locator, but I digress.
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Thank goodness they got a storefront in union square because I have become too lazy to go all the way 53^rd Street for some good chicken and rice. I love that this place provides not only a regular and small size which «helps control» my waistline but it’s indoors which is great for those cold frigid nights! The quality of the food is just as good as the carts and the line to get to the food still exists, reaching all the way out of the store sometimes. Although it can get long, it goes relatively quick.
The Halal Guys will always be my first chicken and rice love!

HALAL GUYS’ food, so goood… it will drive you insane like the JOKER… haHALOL. seewhatididthere
anyway this is the brick-​and-​mortar version of the famed midtown food carts that sling Middle Eastern comfort eats and create line-​a-​paloozas on thos every biz-​y sidewalks in the 50s east and west.
the space itself is small to medium-​ish well-​lit walkdown. it is pretty clean for a place that gets a lot of lunch and nighttime foot traffic. there several two-​top tables scattered + some stools and inset high tables flush to the left wall. proceed further in there’s soft drink + water beverage options. the food ordering area is the back of the restaurant. order food. they assemble it. hand it to you. you head back towards the middle left of the restaurant to pay via cash or credit. there also a couple of dessert/​sweet options here like baklava etc. i’ve never seen anyone order it, but maybe it’s good. idk. maybe they should hand out samples instead of letting it sit there. hmmm
the food quality at the brick n mortar is solidly good like the original carts in midtown. the chicken. lamb, and beef are tender, savory, and fatty juicy. the high output of rice has not compromised its soft fluffiness n aromatic. the pita is still a soft edible comforter that soaks the meat and sauces. the veggies they throw in are still crunchy… aaaand the hot sauce is still pepper spray hot (ARGH!). the white sauce is still perfect and addictive. this joint stinks of spices. i like. nothing has been compromised between the cart experience to the retail location. well done TEAM HALA GUYS!
i will say the falafel quality better at the brick n mortar than the food carts. however i wouldn’t eat the falafel here anyways bc i don’t think it’s a strong point of HALAL GUYS. they seem to make it differently than other middle eastern joints. i also think falafel elsewhere downtown is better. i’m not a huge fan of falafel – vegetarian bla bla bla – i find it falaughable as an eat! ha.
they serve pita + protein + veggies + sauces. never had. assume it’s good
and of course the value is still there. a platter can still be at least a meal and a half if not two meals.
PRO TIP: get a platter for takeout and walk over to Union Square park or anywhere else to eat. people lolligag here especially at night. so tables are sometimes hard to get. or just take it home which is what i do.
the real challenge with HALAL GUYS is when you go. i go during non-​primetime hours: late lunch and not too late at night because this place is a where drunkaholics on Th, Fri, Sat, and other nights come to soak up their over-​boozing. i get why they do. food is tasty and priced well especially since it near all things NYU. so the late night crowd is going to be young sloppy loud and zombie like. avoid these sloshy happy herds at all cost. they order slow. crowd all the tables and recreate those famed midtown Halal Guys food cart lines at the wee hours. however if you’re willing to brave the lines and try and score a table — go for it.
though one of the last times i was here, some NYShrewer (err NYUer) had passed out at table and was farting up a storm. the place started to smell like undigested hotdogs and deviled eggs gone bad while the sound of flatulence seemed to punctuate every conversation in the place. it was bad. thankfully i exited quickly and got to share that story a million times to much laughter, so it was kinda worth it. hahaha
the staff here are super friendly and efficient. the guys work hard and genuinely try to make sure things don’t fall into chaos. i’ve also gotten delivery from here and that’s been good too.
drops mic, so can cradle this platter of rice n chi’k’n!
i out.
zzzz

I was a bit skeptical coming to this place — I was happy to find they had a restaurant instead of going to the food truck on 6^th ave.
I got the small combo, which had chicken and beef gyro over rice with lettuce and tomatoes. Can’t forget the white sauce and spicy sauce as well! The meat and rice were flavorful and the sauce just put it on the top.
I’m glad they opened up on in LA, now I have to take my husband :)

Just as good as the street cart but with less the line !
although this one is not at a cart, The Halal Guys from the famous 53^rd & 6^th food cart has managed to create the same halal taste in a brick and mortar store. Ive never been here during the day as my cravings have mostly been during the night when im full of gallons alcohol in my system, the Lamb over rice plates is the perfect cure to soak up all that nastiness when your a walking zombie.
Not quite the same ambiance because you dont get to anticipate the food for 30 minutes as you wait on a huge line a block long, but the taste is just the same !
… and yes they are different !

The Halal guys have got to be one of the most consistent halal food vendors in NYC which has led to their success. I have been to this location a few times and it is some of the better late night halal.
When coming in here late at night there will definitely be a line to the door but don’t fret it goes fast and do not be cheap get the bigger platter it is enough for 2 people or 1 bigger guy like myself. I have gotten the gyro, chicken, falafel which are all delicious but I prefer getting the combo of the gyro and falafel with the white sauce which is delicious. The food is incredible fresh because they have to constantly cook it for the long line of inebriated individuals. Another plus it is not greasy which makes it taste even better.
In addition to everything I just mentioned this is a great people watching place late night. This is not food you eat fast so you can see quite a lot here. The last time I was here I saw some guy trying to share his halal with girls in exchange for their phone numbers (no it did not work).
In short:
— Great late night food
— cheap
— friendly workers
— People watching at its best