Halal cart on 53rd and 6th
We ate here after a taping of Letterman and this place did not disappoint!
6 bucks for a huge plate of yumminess, is always welcome.
We stood in line for about half an hour, right around 745pm. We didn't venture across the steet to the other cart that is the same thing, we just stayed with the other locals and waited.
The hot sauce was HOT, so go easy on it. We had a lamb plate and a chicken plate. both with rice and pita bread. We walked back to our hotel, about 10 blocks and the food was still moist and hot when we got there.
I will definately go back again...and again
Great bargain and yummy food.
-
YUCK! I waited soooooo long to finally try this long anticipated culinary delight. It was awful and I am SO LET DOWN! The chicken was just plain boring, bordering on funky. The lamb was like chopped meat/taco crumbles and not only not special but just not good in anyway. I am so profoundly confused as to why so many seemingly are fans. It really makes me wonder if people just enjoy cheap bargain food. Because I love GOOD food over anything and this is not good food. So sad as was so excited to enjoy it. Never again.
›4 Replies-
re: pamim
The white sauce is actually quite tasty, though I agree about the meat in general. People love it because they are almost always drunk when they get it. Also, after waiting in line for so long, you trick yourself into liking it. It's called cognitive dissonance.
Don't give up on street food though. Try any of the carts in the Kwik Meal empire (I always go to the original on 45th/6th and I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy it if you really love good food. The lamb is excellent.
-
re: fooder
"People love it because they are almost always drunk when they get it"
If this is true then there are an awful lot of drunks working in those office towers in Mid-Town. The lines are just as long during lunch. I ate food the chicken and rice once a week for a year and I assure you I was never drunk and it had nothing to do with cognitive dissonance. I've waited on line for McDonald's as well I can tell you the food was always mediocre. You might not like the Halal Guys cart but don't tell the rest of us we are drunks or idiots.
-
re: KTinNYC
I actually do like the food there. It's good value for a large container of food, but that doesn't mean it's the best street meat in NYC by quality.
As for long lines at lunch time, where isn't there a long line at lunch time in Midtown? There's just a lot of people in Manhattan.
I also go to the daytime version of the cart at the SE corner and get the kofta kebab which is fresh made and actually quite good. However, the majority of the Halal Guys business comes past 10pm and most of those people probably wouldn't eat from there during the day or even know of the SE corner cart. Just because you are not part of that majority doesn't mean I can't make comments about them.
-
-
-
re: pamim
Miss Needle
Dec 15, 2009 09:09 AM
Sorry you weren't a fan. I will not go when the line is long -- food is not worth it IMHO. But it's OK if you go to the other satellite carts where the line is pretty short. I've liked the lamb but haven't been a fan of their chicken.
You should try the Trini-Pak cart on 43rd and 6th for their chicken. It's very flavorful; I don't think you'll be disappointed. I've only seen them on weekdays during lunch hours. If you get there early enough, they'll serve the chicken over rice with a small number of accoutrements like chickpeas, potatoes and cabbage. A few times I've been there after 2P and they've already run out. Be sure to ask for white rice and not yellow. The yellow rice is just plain regular rice (like the one you get at the 53rd and 6th cart). But the white rice is basmati and very aromatic.
For best lamb, my vote is for the Kwik Meal. It's the only place where they sell real cubes of lamb and not the pressed "gyroesque" stuff.
Wish I could find a way to combine the Trini-pak chicken and white rice and the Kwik Meal lamb in one container.
-
-
the 53rd and 6th halal carts have been a reliable and consistent favorite for many years now. the cart across the street is indeed the same thing, and after confirming this with the workers there i haven't waited in the long line since.
the carts have a website of their own at http://www.53rdand6th.com/
it's also known as 'platters'
›4 Replies-
re: ozmotion
I'm sorry but I think you are mistaken. The cart across the street is not the same. This has been confirmed on midtown lunch. The cart is in different locations from day to night but there is only one cart in that intersection and that website is not operated by the Halal guys. From the web site "This website is made by fans of the platter, and not by the the staff of the 53rd and 6th."
-
re: KTinNYC
Actually I think there is a small overlap period between the daytime cart on the SE corner and the nighttime cart on the SW corner. If you're having an early dinner and the SE corner one is still there, then that might be the only time you can be assured it's "the same thing."
I wouldn't confirm with the workers of any cart that they're the same. They have absolutely zero incentive to tell the truth. Of course they'll say yes! They want you to spend your money!
I thought the cart's official name was "Halal Gyro and Chicken" -- at least that is what the bags say. :) Although the Vendys site lists them as “The Best Halal” Team (Mustafa, Mohammed, Islam, Sam).
-
-
re: KTinNYC
This question always seems to bring out confusing responses. This is the official word on the geneology of the carts, day and night, courtesy of Midtown Lunch:
http://midtownlunch.com/2008/08/19/fa...
1) Look for the yellow plastic bag. The cart everyone is talking about uses yellow plastic bags that say "Delicious HALAL Tasty GYRO and CHICKEN" in a circular logo. Any cart that uses a non-yellow plastic bag is a different vendor.
2) There are now two (2) daytime carts. The original is located on the southEAST corner of 53rd and 6th Ave. The second daytime cart location, which started in August 2008, is on the southwest corner of 53rd and 7th (Seventh) Ave.
3) The cart on the SE corner remains there through the night.
4) The cart that is on the southwest corner of 53rd and 6th Ave during the day is not the same guys. It is a different vendor that uses generic white plastic bags.
4) At night, the yellow bag halal guys take over the SW corner of 53rd and 6th from the different daytime vendors. The shift occurs around 8 pm.
To wrap up: during the day, the SW and SE corner carts are different vendors. At night, the SW and SE corner carts are the same.
-
-
-
-
