LAST UPDATED: SEPTEMBER 2026 | ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AUGUST 2013
2026 STATUS: STILL PARKED ON 40TH STREET
- Where: W 40th St just east of Broadway, about a block west of Bryant Park and a 5-minute walk from Times Square
- How to spot it: The truck no longer says “La Baguette Cafe” anywhere and the Parisian awning is gone. Look for the halal truck on that block; the menu and the crew are the same.
- Order this: Falafel over rice, hot sauce on the side
- Price: $5 on our last review; check the menu board for 2026 pricing and bring cash as a backup
KEY TAKEAWAY
La Baguette Cafe is an old-school halal truck on W 40th St near Times Square, and its falafel platter (six large, deep-fried falafel over yellow rice with salad) is one of the best-value lunches in Midtown. The falafel is solid rather than spectacular. If you want falafel from a dedicated specialist, Moshe’s Falafel truck at 1411 Broadway is a 5-minute walk away.
Is La Baguette Cafe’s Falafel Platter Worth It?
Yes, for value: La Baguette Cafe’s falafel over rice is a filling, reliable, low-cost lunch near Times Square, with six oversized falafel and a genuinely hot hot sauce. It’s not the best falafel in Manhattan, but it’s one of the best deals within walking distance of Bryant Park.
Needing to be near Times Square around lunchtime, we stopped by an old school vendor we haven’t been to in a very long time – La Baguette Cafe.
The truck is still on 40th St just east of Broadway, but the awning that made it look (a little) like a Parisian cafe is gone. There is nothing on the truck that says La Baguette Cafe, but the menu and the people are the same.
We were in the mood for falafel over rice, and theirs is only $5, one of the better lunch deals around. After asking for white sauce and hot sauce, we were on our way, although he had to press down on the container lid to close it because the falafel were that large.
What Do You Get in a La Baguette Cafe Falafel Platter?
You get six large, deep-fried falafel over yellow rice, a side salad with pickles, and your choice of mayo-based white sauce and a very hot red sauce. The portion is big enough that the lid barely closes.
OUR EXPERIENCE (2013 VISIT)
Opening the container back at our office, we saw 6 sizable falafel over yellow rice. On the side was a nice looking salad.
There were 2 things immediately apparent on our first bite. The falafel were decent, and the hot sauce was HOT!
The falafel was deeply-fried on the outside, and had an herby taste inside. It could have been a little moister, but we wouldn’t call the falafel overly dry.
The yellow rice was ok, if somewhat bland. A little more seasoning would have helped pick up the rice.
Six big falafel balls is plenty for lunch, especially over rice. We won’t be hungry for a long time after this lunch.
The salad was fresh, although we don’t really like white sauce as a salad dressing unless it’s yogurt based. This white sauce is mayo based. We did enjoy the pickles in the salad though.
That mayo white sauce is the standard halal cart condiment, and it’s the reason we’d tweak the order. Mayo-based sauce is built for chicken over rice, not falafel. The full story of why is in our NYC halal cart sauce guide.
Tourist maps send you to the flashiest food around Times Square; the best-value falafel on the block comes out of an unmarked truck on 40th Street that hasn’t bothered with a sign in years.
La Baguette Cafe or Moshe’s Falafel: Which Midtown Falafel Should You Choose?
Choose La Baguette Cafe for the biggest, cheapest falafel platter near Times Square, and choose Moshe’s Falafel truck at 1411 Broadway for better-made, kosher falafel fried to order by a specialist. They’re about a 5-minute walk apart.
| Factor | La Baguette Cafe | Moshe’s Falafel (Broadway) |
|---|---|---|
| Location | W 40th St east of Broadway | 1411 Broadway at W 39th St |
| Type | Halal truck, full menu | Kosher falafel specialist |
| Falafel style | Large, deep-fried, herby | Israeli green chickpea, fried to order |
| Best order | Falafel over rice | Falafel pita or hummus plate |
| Sauces | Mayo white sauce, very hot red sauce | Tahini, Israeli salad |
| Hours | Lunchtime; confirm on site | Mon to Thu 11am to 5pm, Fri to 2:45pm |
| Verdict | Best value | Best falafel |
The difference comes down to what the vendor is built around. At most halal trucks, falafel is one item on a long menu. At a specialist, it’s the whole business. Our field guide explains which falafel style is actually worth the trip, and why the fryer matters more than the price.
How Should You Order at La Baguette Cafe?
Order the falafel over rice, ask for the hot sauce on the side, and eat it within 15 minutes so the falafel stays crisp. The red sauce is seriously hot, so start small.
- Hot sauce on the side: it’s among the hotter cart sauces in Midtown.
- Go light on white sauce: it’s mayo-based and can drown the falafel and salad.
- Eat nearby: Bryant Park is a block east, and the falafel loses its crunch in a closed container.
- Bring cash as a backup: old-school trucks don’t always take cards.
La Baguette Cafe is basically an old school halal vendor (no twitter or facebook) serving from a truck instead of a cart. That said, we have always had reliable, inexpensive lunches from here, and La Baguette Cafe remains as one of the better values in midtown. For the rest of the 6th Avenue halal corridor a few blocks away, see our NYC Halal Cart Guide, and for every falafel vendor we’ve verified across the city, the NYC Falafel & Shawarma Guide.
KNOW WHAT TO ORDER BEFORE YOU REACH THE WINDOW
Our pocket cards list the one dish worth ordering at every Midtown cart and truck we cover.
Frequently Asked Questions About La Baguette Cafe
Where is the La Baguette Cafe truck?
La Baguette Cafe parks on W 40th Street just east of Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, about a block west of Bryant Park. The truck no longer displays its name, so look for the halal truck on that block.
Is La Baguette Cafe still open in 2026?
Yes. As of September 2026, the La Baguette Cafe truck is still parking on W 40th Street near Broadway with the same menu and staff, though its Parisian-style awning and signage are gone.
What comes with the La Baguette Cafe falafel platter?
The falafel platter comes with six large deep-fried falafel over yellow rice, a side salad with pickles, and white sauce and hot sauce on request. The hot sauce is very spicy.
Where is the best falafel near Times Square?
For value, La Baguette Cafe on W 40th Street serves a large, low-cost falafel platter. For specialist falafel, Moshe’s Falafel truck at 1411 Broadway at W 39th Street fries kosher falafel to order, Monday through Thursday 11am to 5pm.
