New York Street Food

(credit: NYSF)

There are some great food trucks in the city, but sometimes you just want a classic New York street food lunch. In midtown, the most well-known halal cart is at 53rd & 6th, with a big line during the day, and an even larger line at night.

What’s the first rule of street food? Long lines = fresh food.

The menu is simple: chicken, “lamb” or a combo over rice or on a pita, with white sauce and hot sauce at your option. The combo platter cost $6.

Even though the line was about 15 people long when I walked up, these guys work really fast, and I waited less than 10 minutes. In fact, the guys work so fast, I couldn’t tell him to leave the lid off in time, and it got a little smushed. That didn’t affect the taste though.

(credit: NYSF)

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I went to see Peter Gabriel at Radio City last night (great show!) and walked by the world-famous 53rd & 6th cart on the SW corner of 53rd St & 6th Ave.  They are only open from 7:30pm-4am, and when I walked by at 7:15, there was a line of over 20 people waiting before it even opened.

Even though the original cart is only open at night, they were so successful that they expanded and took over some of the daytime carts in the area.  You can tell the affiliated carts by the yellow shirts that say 6th Ave & 53rd St and the yellow plastic bags.  You can get the same food at one of the other 53rd & 6th carts during the day without such a long wait.  There are carts on the SW corner of 53rd St & 7th Ave and the one I went to on the NW corner of 52nd St & 6th Ave.  For the old-timers out there, this was the former Shendy’s cart before it was taken over by the 53rd & 6th guys.

lots of chicken grilling

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Muhammad Lila, a correspondent with CBC News in Toronto, wrote a loving story about Islam Elsayed, founder of the world-famous 53rd & 6th Halal Cart.

For those who have not had the opportunity to sample their wares, be ready to wait for up to an hour, and don’t go during the day.  The real 53rd & 6th Halal Cart is only open from 7:30pm – 4am.  The cart on that corner during the day is an imposter, trying to make a buck off the reputation of the original.

The money quotes: “It is the juiciest, messiest, greasiest, creamiest, stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth, garlicky smelling pile of food I’ve ever seen.  That night, as I lay in bed — having stuffed myself with the best $6 I’ve ever spent — I dreamt about the sauce.  And I knew I’d be back the next day.” [The Star (Toronto)]

Spoken like a true street food maven.  But what he didn’t mention was that people have been killed for cutting in line hoping to get Islam’s famous street food a little faster.

53rd and 6th Food Cart

The trial started yesterday in the infamous “falafel cart” slaying of October 2006.  According to news reports, a teenager and 2 friends cut in line at the well-known 53rd and 6th food cart.  One person in line left and got into their SUV, then drove up and stabbed and killed one of the line-cutters.    The man said he was acting in self-defense, but walking away and coming back to stab someone doesn’t exactly sound like self-defense.   The media calls it the “falafel cart” stabbing, but this cart doesn’t even serve falafel.  It was also 4am at the time.  I wonder if the defendant is going to end up cutting in line at the prison commisary. [Gothamist]

Did you ever have someone try to cut in line, and if so, what was the outcome?