Middle Eastern cuisine: the best places to taste it in New York City

"this is basically a food truck on the 6th avenue but when i reached there i saw a long long line of people....the service was so efficient that my..."

Gaurav Chawla

"Really good food, loved thier chicken gyro and chicken over rice they have copious servings and really good quality, not to spicy for an Indian..."

Food Ninja

"I waited patiently for 1 hour (long queue on Dec) for this and it was worth all my time. knowing NYC cold weather, need to quickly finish the food..."

Clarinsa Fan

"The beef melts in your mouth and the yoghurt sauce is very tasty. Got served fast. I will go..."

Elsa Tardy

"I've been going to Halal Guys since 2002 - when they were just the "popular" cart on 53rd and 6th and didn't even have a name. It was a once a week..."

Henna Navid

"it is fantastic place to bring a date. i have done it last month and it was so amazing that we again visited this week too. i like this place very..."

Raha Babu

"It was such an amazing food. I have never had that much fun be enjoying the food.The three delicious complete meals with rice , chicken , lamb ,beef..."

Nak Phang

"Needed a quick dinner so tried Halal Guys...wow! This was our favorite meal during our entire trip! Three delicious complete meals with one with..."

Ritik Babbar

"Good food is good mood😋😋.Once you have had a taste, you will understand why New Yorkers and tourists alike have stood in the city’s..."

Asish Das

"A must wen you r in nyc, dis street cart has to b my favvvv , love love love it ..! Ate here every day whilst on our holiday. ..everythin on d menu..."

Bis Khan

"We love this place there food was amazing different many variety tasty is very good .Service are good there worker is speak very polite and..."

Sumit

"I was recommended by many people to visit this place and this place fulfils all the promises. There are not much variety in the menu. I ordered..."

Shrinjay_Prasad

"A famous food truck in NYC.I ordered the combo platter consisting of beef and chicken. I found it to be quite good.Food:..."

Ideafluencer

"Another famous food truck on the NY scene. It's around the 6th avenue and 53 Rd street. If you aren't sure, go against the adage and follow the..."

Goody Foodie

"AMAZING NY EXPERIENCE! A friend brought me here to try this famous food truck while we were walking around 5th av. I got the..."

Ohgodjmrocks

"Very good food and I really liked the concept of the food, nice packaging for the food, the food tastes really nice and the stall is strategically..."

Sombit Chowdhury

"I always order the combo platter which consists of beef and chicken. It costs $8 and can be good for sharing. I never finish a whole serving. One of..."

EvanBernice

"Always ordered this when in New York. Must food to try in NYC despite the heavy rain. The order was very quick. No need to wait for long time..."

Fazrul Ikraam

"Though the staff and food was amazing. I like the staff behaviour and environment that they have settled over there. Thanks THE HALAL GUYS for making..."

Ankit Malik

"After a good walk throughout time square , Late night dinner at halal guy is a best option , meat or chicken with rice , pita bread & lettuce , they..."

Fathima Afrah @in_n_out_ontario

"This was some great classic street vendor food. A must try for the visitor to NYC. When we arrived, we were like the line is too long. Lucky us,..."

Suman Shyam

"My SUPER DUPER FAVORITE food in New York! Will never miss this whenever I come to New York! Be careful with the red sauce, it's SUPER spicy! Really..."

SKeat

"A must visit place in New York! Serving up legendary plates of meat with rice& falaffel and lip smacking sandwich . The halal guys are all about the..."

Shravan

"Still the best lamb gyro compared to any other place I’ve tried. The white sauce and hot sauce is just amazing and made the whole experience an..."

BGN

"Visiting NYC would not be complete without trying Halal Guys. Order the combo platter to enjoy the experience. That white sauce just made my life...."

Jv Oliva

"Man, this had to have been the busiest restaurant I've ever walked into. It was so busy that I immediately thought of just leaving as I didn't want..."

Mirnova Elana

"Had the Chicken Platter. It was nice, hot, and full of flavors with the white sauce. A good option for late night food in Manhattan. There's usually..."

Sanjay Khan Nagra

"My favorite street cart in the city! The portions are large and the sauces are delicious. It's just outside the MOMA, so you can grab a bite before..."

@gemgelato

"We heard that we needed to try the combo platter and it didn’t disappoint. The white sauce definitely made the dish and the hot sauce had a ton of..."

Jae Lee

"Hands down I will give it 5 stars. What happens when chicken rice pita bread and lettuce come together, its a party!!!!! Chicken over rice is..."

Shrikant Limaye

"With all the fame surrounding the Halal Guys, we couldn't missed it. We tried the chicken and rice and it was amazing!There are so many..."

Joana Coelho Canhoto

"Heard the reviews for this small street food vendor and it didn’t disappoint. Had the beef gyro sandwich. (Meat on top of a pita wrap with salad..."

Mukhtar Dharsey

"I loveeeeeeeeeeee this food too much. Porsinya banyak banget, 1 portion is enough for 3 person. I love everything they have, the chicken, meat. And I..."

💐 DINDA

"Only word I have for them is 'Amazing'. Completely worth the penny you spend there. The different sized portions makes sense. My all time favorite is..."

Sravani Rao Potlapalli

"I saw so many people recommending this that I had to try. I ordered the chicken gyro and yes, I like it. It's a very simple dish - shredded..."

Ana Serra

"The value for your dollar is great at this place. I got a huge plate of food for only a few bucks, and it was delicious. Hands down the best food..."

Kevin Cleroux

"Never thought that halal food could be so tasty. The biryani race was perfect, paired with minced chicken and lamb, with all the garlicky sauces on..."

Ferry Gondo

"Rice, Grilled chicken, steamed khuboos, garlic sauce, hot sauce! Fresh, juicy, cheap, filling, fun! A perfect multicultural NYC experience, eating..."

Frugal Hiker

"The Lamb Combo Over Rice by these guys is something that's known for, and rightly so. Check out the original guys, because a lot of other versions of..."

Carlton Dsilva

"Best food cart ever in down town. Tasty platters, cheapest price, and super spicy hot sauce. Long line but the service is fast. Surely will come back..."

Zoomangie

"The best place on this planet for halal food. This place is an epitome for amazing street food. The chicken over rice is my personal favorite. The..."

Shreyas Revankar

"OMG this is the best food cart in the whole NY for chicken over rice, lamb over rice and falafel over rice. It is cheap and the quantity that you get..."

Harshvardhan

"a must try when you visit new york city.tried both the ones near MOMA and the one at East Village.loved the sauce especially the spicy one and the..."

Mary A.

"Best middle eastern food EVER!!! Had the chicken platter for 8$. Nothing can beat the taste and quantity. White Sauce was so good. But i would..."

Raunak Das

"Always awesome food here !huge portions!there hot sauce is ridiculous 🔥🔥,white sauce is fantastic!all in all great value must try while in the..."

Evesen Jay Moodley

"Big plates delicious chicken reasonable price very good option for turkish visitors as well as muslims. Smell of the food attracts you in the first..."

Bengiamo

"Price/performance unbelievable. Chicken with rice was best especially with their sauces. Just long line and waiting was negative point of Halal Guys...."

KaimBros

"As they are famous in New York downtown. Many friends of mine suggest me this place to have a chicken combo. It's difficult to find the right one..."

Shreya

"This was the first time I ever had Halal and I am not a big fan for lamb. Upon trying their lamb, it was not too gamey for my taste and it tasted..."

Pamela Rubin

"This place needs no more introduction..7 bucks for Chicken over Rice and 5 for a wrap...nowhere you get such decent over filling stuff in..."

Samrat Dutta

"Anyone near Moma must go to this placeYou can't even miss it as there are three carts. Open till 4am in the morning it's a partygoers..."

Luv Mukhi

"Like any other tourists, whenever someone tells me of something good I'd like to try it. There are a couple of Halal stores along the street. The..."

Voneats

"Visited during my two weeks in Manhattan. I think in total we had Halal Guys 3-4 times because it's THAT good. Thought their hot sauce would be like..."

Iisforina

"Ordered the mixed beef and chicken gyro. Just nice on a winter night, the meal was served hot and very delicious. Added the hot sauce and it was the..."

Justin Wong

"Came there at a winter evening and saw the long line. Idk because of the coldness or the truth I was so hungry, the burrito tastes like HEAVEN!!!..."

Siyang Gao

"Love their chicken over rice. The quantity can easily fill 2 people . They are quick and the taste is great. Have 2 sauces. On a regular day , you..."

Anu K

"Get amazing chicken over rice and more better is the combo over rice. However it needs to be eaten hot and then itself cause warming the food in the..."

Sudhir

"We lined up to try Halal Guys because we have heard of good reviews about it. I had the Chicken/Gyro Combo with rice and some falafel with it. The..."

Iris St. Denis

"Perfect street food place to be at.. The lines are huge but the wait is just worth it. I love the spicy sauce they have and the quantity is..."

Fakhry

"I agree with the sentiment, the best 'chicken and rice stand in New York'. Loved it! With the fiery hot sauce and spiced rice and delicious chicken..."

Kan Do

"One of theeeee best food trucks I have visited...... Unlimited sauces and generous portions of meats........ It was winter time and the Chilli ..."

Sheldon Fernandes

"Chicken and lamb combo is so good! Loaded with hot sauce and was one happy guy. And it's easy to eat here on a budget and leave filling satiated. It..."

Moses Crites

"If you have been to New York or are a New Yorker, you must have seen tons of food carts sprawling around the city. Out of them, I think ‘The..."

Smiling Notes

"It's so good - there's a reason it's #1. For the price, you won't get better food in the city. The line is obviously insane but it makes for a good..."

Paulkillingsworth71

"Definitely a great place for cheap eats. You will get a lot for $7 here. I got the chicken beef combo. The chicken was great, the beef felt a lil..."

Danny Le

"Best food in Times square. Penne ala vodka & Ceaser salad is a total winner. Their fresh breads are so good one could just have them over and over..."

Manuel Cossio

"This is a must try when in New York City. The chicken and gyro platter was very tasty. It is good for sharing as the serving is pretty big. Be..."

Ted

"Considered one of the best (shake shacks), do not know why the others branches doesn't have the same delicious taste ..... Have a juicy..."

Adam Salviani

"What to say about it! Was my staple food throughout my college times. Be it during finals or commencement day this is the place where I get my fix of..."

Pranit Trivedi

"The Halal Guys is definitely worth the hype! This is some of the most authentic Middle Eastern street food you can find, and for the price, you..."

Brittany Puller

"If you have been to New York or are a New Yorker, you must have seen tons of food carts sprawling around the city. Out of them, I think ‘The..."

Smiling Notes

"Affectionately known as "street meat," sidewalk vendors and foodtrucks are all over New York City. One of the most sought-after is The Halal Guys,..."

Candace Nelson

"Since we had never been to New York we really wanted to enjoy the street food experience, we read about the Halal Guys in a couple of places and..."

Catarina Félix

"Affectionately known as "street meat," sidewalk vendors and foodtrucks are all over New York City. One of the most sought-after is The Halal Guys,..."

Candace Nelson

"Before visiting here I was not very found of food on truck. This food truck on 53rd street has surprised me so much that I have been here numerous..."

Pragna

"Hari ke-1 : falafel over riceHari ke-2 : chicken & gyro over riceCampuran white sauce, red sauce, & barbecue sauce nya betul2 membuat..."

Adhi Dhairyanto

"One of the best falafels I've had in NYC and it's quick and cheap $5 for a falafel sandwich. My friend suggested going here after a really busy night..."

Xtine

"We were in NYC during the cold winter so when we went to try out The Halal Guys, there was no queue at all, which was great. However, maybe the..."

Foodbook

"Your NY trip is incomplete unless you visit this guys. They are the best, simply the best. I've never seen any street food vendor is so popular that..."

Kunal

"Love the Chicken Over Rice so much! It's always crowded. Have to queue for more than 20 minutes on cold winter day but totally worth it! Portion is..."

Lisa Octavia Chen

"Great food. Quick service. I decided for the Chicken Rice ($7), and it didn't disappoint. It's very well served (enough for two). The sauce it's..."

Andreia Silva

"YUMMM. We randomly came across here the first night we arrived in NYC. I ordered a lamb platter and my friend got a beef platter and it was delish!..."

R

"So I was pretty skeptical about this place. I had heard all the hype and all the buzz but I wasn't completely sold. One day walking thru the streets,..."

The Compulsive Eater

"In manhattan, but never had a food truck experience? Never make that mistake I was about to, until my colleagues intervened. They took me to the..."

Abhirup Saha

"This place is unbelievable.. I dont know how many times i pulled my car on the street and waited for this heaven like chicken over rice with of..."

Surf&Turf

"I finally witnessed myself The Halal Guys cart phenomenon in 53rd and 6th. This is the must visit and must try chicken and gyro over rice for New..."

Primada Hudayani

"You just cannot miss this when you're visiting New York! No place better than some lovely hot rice platter during winter on the streets of Manhattan...."

Harsh Chandarana

"This is the only food truck stop i made while i flew from Dubai to NY for 2 nights. I read and watched alot of reviews before deciding to see what..."

LaamK90

"New York'tayım ve rehberimizin anlatımı ike dikkatimizi çekti. Zaten kuyruğu görmemek zor. Jairo denilen dürümleri ve pilav üstü et ve..."

Ahu

"Very good food. Value for money. We ordered chicken rice and damask rice. Both were for 7 dollars each with big portion sizes. Taste was amazing..."

Mohsina Siddiqui

"Very long queue but it's all worth it! $7 for such a big portion is superb for sharing if you're a small eater. The meat has so much..."

Sam Kuek

"Very nice experience in a amazing context near the park. Great food for a really good price. You know it's going to be good when there is a long..."

Diego Mutti

"No food trip in New York is complete without experiencing lining up under the sun for Halal Guys. Just look at the crowd! The people has spoken!...."

FinestDish.com

"Wow the line up is long but the food is worth it. I got the mixed plate and the white sauce makes this dish so tasty. The portion size is huge for..."

Cowtown Foodie

"So we first tried the famous chicken over rice inspired by the Halal Guys at an upscale restaurant in Dubai called Tresind when they featured it on..."

Tanisha

"Comfort food at its finest! I had the best mixed chicken and gyro over rice for $7. It's crazy how this particular food cart never runs out of..."

Stephyy Martinez

"I'm usually picky about the food carts I visit, but I would go to these guys at 10 am everyday. This food never is bad NEVER if it's 8pm on a..."

Roy Michael Allen

"My relatives mentioned that there are long queues until 3 am and it was true! When we reached there, I thought it would take long but it went quick...."

Nazish Munir

" This place was my no. 1 'must eat' and I was totally not disappointed. I've even visited it 3 times during my trip. I also put lots and lots of the..."

Estreyuh

"We ordered one chicken rice and a mix of chicken, beef, lettuce and bread with rice it was good but I added too much of their spicy sauce and it..."

Wafa Alfalasi

"Certainly great food at a great price. There's a tremendous amount of food in the platter. So much so I was to full too finish. Beware the hot..."

EmptyBee

"If you are from the middle east and you miss traditional foods, you should visit there. You can eat delicious lamb shish served with white rice and..."

Caner Acer

"Our favourite street food in NYC!!! You can't go wrong with this food cart. $7 for a packed tray of mixed meat, rice, lettuce and pita. Can we talk..."

Fork.it

"The bestest spiciest tastiest street food in all of New York city! (I am from India and eat super spicy food usually.. So this was manna from heaven..."

Chinmayee

"Can't go wrong with Halal Guys! Get yourself a mixed platter and rice and you'll be well fed for the rest of the night. Chicken is well flavored..."

Jai Andrew Lawrence

"just like you cant miss the sights and sounds of New York while you are there, you CANT MISS the chicken over rice/ lamb over rice..."

Ravi Kiran Arepalli

"This was my first halal guys experience. I think the waiting in line was more fun to me than the food itself. Very friendly new yorkers shared their..."

Soojin Lee

"Yes. Every tourist has to come here at least once twice thrice. I went to see what all the fuss is about and for that price oh man that's some..."

JJ Wong

"Gyro. The BEST gyro I have ever had...get the spicy sauce! GREAT food..."

Kevin

"Yes, it is that good!. Some of the best middle east food I have EVER eaten! And when you consider what you get for the price, it cannot be beat. A..."

MinnesotaFoodie

"The hype is for real!. There was a long line, but I would say it went by fast enough. I ordered chicken over rice for just $6 and I even had left..."

Foodieelove

"Are at this location at least 5 times in two weeks and was always..."

Jayme

"At 3AM this place shines like the lighthouse of Alexandria. One of the best drunk stops in the area. Skip the 9pm or 10pm line and go to one of the..."

Hison

"Every time I come to New York I stop and grab a mix platter from here. Great Good even better..."

Edward Liberatore

"Exceeds your expectations. Not much else to add to what everyone else's praise. Worth the wait. Had the sandwich and the meat over rice....prefer the..."

Greg

"Chicken and Gyro Mix with the works peppers, white and hot sauce is the way to go. Certainly not the best food in town, but tasty. They have great..."

The Blue Collar Gourmet

"A Must! I come back every time I'm in Manhattan. Mixed chicken & gyro over rice w white sauce is absolutely worth waiting in line for. Especially..."

Toni Speer

"Cheap, Tasty, and Good. This is the stuff. There is a reason that people wait in line in the heat, the cold and the wind. This is great food and no..."

Lepricano

"Best food stand in Manhattan. The food is simply delicious! Fast and efficient, great price. Highly recommend..."

Can

"This is..."

Debbie

"This is possibly the best and cheapest meal you will have in NYC. Everytime someone comes to visit, I make it a point to take them here. The portion..."

Dylan White

"For $6, you can't beat the Lamb Platter! Great flavor & big..."

Kramer

"AMAZING CHEAP FOOD, LONG LINE, BUT WORTH THE WAIT!!!. It's nothing more than chicken and lamb with yellow rice and some white sauce, BUT WOW!!!..."

FoodPilot

"THEY SHOULD OFFER A CITYPASS FOR THIS SPOT!. I was brought to this place by my friend who lives in NY during my visit to the city - was told that..."

Grace Teng

"O marmitex!! Kkkk Muito..."

Juliana Dantas Da Costa

"Amazing place. Lines around the block, but worth the weight. Hard to beat for late night food. Great prices, tasty..."

Robert

"Addictingly Good. At first glace, a typical platter doesn't look like anything special. While waiting in line, you'll probably see plenty of people..."

Tony Montero

"It's a myth that good food is always expensive. For USD$6, you can get a delicious meal that's enough to feed two. Go early or expect a line! ..."

Goodeatsfinder

"The meat in the wrap was delicious. The lamb was incredibly tender and juicy and the chicken had great..."

David Aldridge

" It may not look too pretty in the picture, but this was one of my favourite meals in NYC. Kebab meat drenched in white sauce, with rice, tomato and..."

Sheepish

"The real draw of the place is their "white sauce" which is described as similar to a tzatziki sauce, yogurt based goodness that you drown the whole..."

Han And Diana

"AMAZING! You've got to try it here! The food is delicious and service is pretty fast. This is probably one of the best meals in New York City (and..."

Peachgirl

"Chicken and Rice so good! Good think I took a pic cause I don’t remember the side of falafel. Halal Guys is where it’s at late..."

Dave Nguyen Foodhipster206.com

"WOW! It was so unique, so tasty, so spicy (not as in hot spicy…but as in flavorful spicy). The meat was tender. Clearly marinated and then..."

Fairfield County Foodie

"The legend says that these guys are so profitable that they turned down a $1 million offer on their license! After seeing the number of people..."

I Just Want To Eat

"Six bucks gets you a heaping mound of food. We got the combo with half gyro meat and half chicken. I actually preferred the gyro. The white sauce..."

Mary Jo Luppino

"...huge piles of rice, meat and pita ready and kept warm on the..."

Edda

"It was a battle between pizza and chicken & rice. Since there was no pizza immediately available, we walked to 53rd and 6th the site of the famous..."

Lady T

"From street culture to fast-food joint, the Halal Guys are set to dominate. Cult descriptions of nuclear red rice topped with pieces of meat and..."

WenY

"One of the many benefits of staying at 55th & 7th during my recent trip to NYC was its proximity to 53rd & 6th. For those of you not familiar, this..."

Paul Rados

"The 53rd and 6th Halal Cart current has 965 reviews on Yelp with a 4.5 star average rating. 94% of people “liked” it on Urbanspoon. It even has..."

Foodforfel

"One of the things I also wanted to try in NYC was street food. I was told that the Halal Guys on 53rd and 6th were the best! They even had a website!..."

BiteMe

"Dear Food Diary: Last night we had a girls night out. It was a Recession Proof Night. Started off at the Hottest Woman of Comedy show ($4 tix). I..."

ChubbyChineseGirl

"Located in Midtown and identified by the large rock landmark, the 53rd and 6th street Halal Cart is a veritable New York City institution. For the..."

TastyChomps.com Orlando Food

"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..."

Eat The World NYC

"Lineups are strange things. I’ve seen people get in line for something they had no idea they were lining up for. Lineups make the destination seem..."

F O O D O S O P H Y

"Recently during my trip to NYC, I had visited, ‘The Halal Guys' yellow food cart, in Manhattan, New York, which is an iconic destination that lives..."

Ayesha A.

"Finally, flew 7000 miles and got to try the famous halal guys platter. Luckily, there was no queue, but beware the lunch hour line which is super..."

cdtz82

"As a tourist from over 7000+ miles away, the food here absolutely blew my mind. The spice and the bowl is a taste you shouldn't miss. Be careful with..."

Rishi Ramesh

"I've been wanting to come to this place for quite some time now. I did not make the rain come between me and my combo plate. The line was shorter..."

Don Frasco

"Does it worth waiting in the line? YES! No doubt it’s a successful business. It provides good quality and healthy food with good taste. I..."

Michelle Ahm

"This is the original Halal Guys food cart. It is probably still the best tasting and freshest Halal food in its business. The guys working here..."

C Neon

"One of the best mix platter in the city, the chicken and beef Gyro platter is one of the best things to eat in New York City specially from Halal..."

Mohammed A

"At last, after years waiting, I finally made it to enjoy the legendary platter from the Halal Guys. I really enjoyed it and it's a must go for those..."

Iván Maldonado

"The first thing you need to know about this place is that the line is LONG. I came here at 9:30 and waited in line for an hour before getting my..."

Anthea Cavallaro

"I was amazed to see the fleet of carts lined up Together …. One cart is dedicated to soda and water other for assemble and last for prep work...."

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Middle Eastern cuisine: the best places to taste it in New York City

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Brenda D'Souza

Ericka Buyco

Avinash Salgam (Avi)

Ye Zhao

Graham Parker

Sharadh Bhaskharan

Jamie Lai

Pooja Desai

Ask Imee

Andy Stark

Gregor J. Rothfuss

bhaskar roy

Chi Wai Cheung

Daniel Tasman

Eyal Peled

Jeff

David S Mandel

Staci Myer-Klein

Riley Sullivan

Ysf Bog

Ait Ighess Lahcen

Hrusikesh Patra

Mostafa Eddyrani

Becca Kellner

Linda G

Szymon Krasucki

Justin Hayworth

Alon Grinshpoon

Udit Anand

Cassia Attard

Melody Craig

Johnny Novo

Julia

Raphael Gorjian

Mrudula sathe

Nicole Sparacio

Suraj

Samantha Cole

Jan Ezer Dominguez

Martina Ruseva

Shah Jahan

CH Bobby

Adeel Younis

Javier Kohen

Shachar Ashkenazi

Ibu Wenda

Malcolm PADMORE

David

Kenneth Oku

Sanela Hart

Max Goldberg

ASJ KJ

Quint