Here’s What You Need To Know About Halal Cart Culture In NYC
SHARE
@carolinas_sweettea
Whether you’re a New York City native or a tourist, you can’t miss the abundance of halal carts scattered around the city. They’re on just about every corner. There’s that strong, familiar aroma of onions and grilled meat that overwhelms the air each time you pass by.
Some people refer to halal as “street meat,” while others see the cart food as basically a religion. Only a few short decades ago, halal carts mainly catered to the Muslim population in New York City. Now you’ll see just about everyone lined up for those iconic foil dishes densely packed with lamb, chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, rice and pita, smothered in white sauce.
Out of all the halal carts in the city, there’s one that seems to get the most foot traffic with a never-ending line in Midtown and in-your-face bright yellow and red umbrellas. The Halal Guys started out with a hot dog cart on West 53rd and 6th Avenue in Manhattan. The original demand came from Muslim cab drivers looking for halal food that could be eaten quickly and on-the-go. This demand put a stop to the hot dogs and the famous platter of chicken or gyro over rice came to fruition. The most popular platter comes with a combination of chicken and lamb gyro meat on top of rice, tomatoes, lettuce and pita. It’s finished with a drizzle of both red and white sauces.
With serious street cred and a huge presence throughout the city, The Halal Guys have expanded to five carts. (There are plenty of imposter carts that claim to be the OG cart so watch out.) And now, there are two brick-and-mortar restaurants in the city.
The Halal Guys are also known for creating the gold standard of white sauce. The secret tangy white sauce, which can be compared to Greek tzatziki, sets them apart from the rest. While it’s pretty impossible to crack the ingredient code, Thrillist did some experimenting and found that the famous white sauce is mayo-based and includes spices like caraway, turmeric, cardamom and sumac. And, if you like hot sauce enough to the point where you want to cry, have The Halal Guys douse your chicken platter with the secret red sauce. It’s a variation of harissa sauce made with all different kinds of red peppers and spices.
Grubstreet did a ranking of some of the best halal carts in the city that are holding their own next to The Halal Guys. When you want all the chicken and rice platters, falafel and biryani, check out Kwik Meal, Royal Halal, Sammy’s Halal and Rafiqi’s.
Halal carts are often run by Egyptian immigrants, but the food isn’t exactly Egyptian street food. It’ll usually be some form of halal meat, rice and greens. Halal, which is basically the Islamic version of Kosher, refers to the process of an animal being slaughtered, specifically by a Muslim, with a prayer beforehand according to Islamic law. Oddly enough, even though Kosher and Halal are both rooted in religious practices, people who keep kosher can’t actually eat halal food. Over the years, halal has taken on a whole new meaning and it’s become a category of food native to New York City.
There’s a feeling of comradery that you get when you’re standing in the line for the cart food. It feels right. You always know you’re going to get a meal that’s comforting, satisfying and cheap. That’s the NYC dream, after all.
Next on
