Best Halal NYC Cart (The Halal Guys)

EGYPT 🇪🇬

Famous food cart on the southwest corner of this intersection, always has a loyal following and long lines no matter what time of night. Over the past few years they continue to streamline the process, so the wait is down to hardly anything many times. A chicken (or lamb) and rice platter will now set you back $6. Their pitas are so good that I usually just opt for the $5 platter that throws the meat in with extra pitas. Both come with the normal halal food cart salad. The sauces are all self serve now, which lessens the embarrassment when you completely smother everything in white sauce. What a beautiful white sauce it is.

They usually show up each night around 7.30pm, and people are already waiting around the intersection. The food is ready by 8pm, but it is best to give it at least 30 more minutes so that the meat can soak in all the juices from cooking. The days of long lines are over. The Halal Guys have created a well-oiled machine. Unfortunately the meat juices do not have as much time to soak, nor do the hungers in your belly have enough time to get you truly in the zone. When I started this site in 2008 I gave this cart five stars, 3.5 of which have been removed.

Things to keep in mind:
1) There are men during the day that have the same yellow bags and serve similar food, but somehow they are not affiliated. Their food is the standard NYC halal cart stuff. I am not entirely sure how they have not been beaten up for imitation.

2) Years ago this line was slow, languorous, and friendly. Since they started being more of a factory of pleasure it has taken a slightly soupnazi-ish feeling. Be ready to order, or they are a little jerky.

MIDTOWN Manhattan
53rd Street & 6th Avenue