New York Street Food

Since I first reviewed Rafiqi’s back in March, there have been many more of their carts seen on the street, and new ones seem to be popping up all over the place.   I can’t keep track of them all – there must be at least 10 Rafiqi’s at this point, which makes putting them on our map an ever-evolving challenge.

I recently noticed one on the north side of Union Square, at the NE corner of 17th & Broadway.  Rafiqi’s is probably the largest food cart vendor in New York, but are they one of the best?  Find out after the jump.  Today’s Lunch is the chicken/gyro combo over rice for $5.50.

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One of the stalwarts of the New York Street Food scene is Rafiqi’s, who have several locations around Manhattan.  They have one on Park Ave and 52nd St, one on 32nd and Park, one on 47th and Madison, and the one I went to on 5th Ave and 13th St.  I was told Rafiqi means “friend”, but forgot to ask what language that’s in.

I told the guy that I hadn’t been there before, and asked what he recommended.  Instead of suggesting something, he put a piece of chicken and a piece of gyro meat on a fork and handed them to me to taste.  The gyro meat was too salty for me, but the chicken was really good, if a little salty also.

I could see the chicken breasts with some sort of rub on them ready to go on the grill, and the cooked chicken on the grill was getting chopped up as I decided what to order.  Seeing the freshness of the chicken, I went for the classic chicken over rice for Today’s Lunch.  An excellent deal at $4.75.

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Rafiqi's

Sabrina Smith from the Baruch College School of Journalism investigated street food safety in New York and filed the following report:

From the smell of spicy Halal food to the delicious taste of indulgent cupcakes, vendors look forward to the next customer transaction. But there is one thing that these street-smart businessmen and women do not hope for: the visit from a government official.  “The inspections are surprises, it could be anyone, anywhere and anytime coming to inspect the cart,” said Teriza Ebid, a vendor who works the Halal Food cart located on Park and Lexington Avenue.

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