We were absolutely starving, coming out late at night from a concert at Radio City Music Hall, and…read morethis was one of the few spots nearby that was still open. I had heard about The Halal Guys for years but somehow never had the privilege of trying it, mostly because this cart is usually packed. We walked straight up and, to our surprise, it was fairly empty-- clearly our lucky night. We ordered the chicken sandwich with everything and the beef platter with yellow rice, and OMG... it was incredible! These guys are clearly commanding the halal food scene, and after finally trying it, I completely understand the hype. The food was flavorful, satisfying, and exactly what we needed at that moment. There's something about eating a great late-night meal straight from NYC food cart that just hits differently. I will say, my sandwich was VERY spicy. And i love spicy food, but this was another level haha... My entire mouth was on fire. The funny part? I literally could not stop eating it. It was that good. Sometimes the simplest food, at exactly the right time, becomes the most memorable. This was definitely one of those moments. Now I get the hype!

I have worked at 6th/50th st for over 25 years and the Halal Guys location near 53rd and 6th is a…read moreshort walk. I have eaten here at least 200 times over those 25 years. I don't go as much as I use to, as the price has more than doubled since 2017/18. However, that has nothing to do with my rating. My problem is that meats have gone downhill. I used to love gyro meat - never sure what it was exactly lamb or beef - but now it is just gross and greasy. The chicken which used to be excellent is now very dry. The white sauce is great and the rice is fine, but that is it. Not worth getting anymore. Maybe one of their competitors is better, can't really be worse.

RICE BALLS ARE LIFE…read more I divert myself to Grand Central Station instead of Penn, just so I can take the walk to get rice balls. Every time. Best food going on in midtown.

Omusubi Gonbei is kind of like an all-in-one Japanese grocery store and food stall. They are most…read moreknown for their rice balls, which were very affordable. There is also a counter in the back of the store with ramen if you are looking for a more substantial meal. The service was as expected of a grocery store and the ambiance was a bit quiet that morning. I got their Spam Musubi. It was really tasty. The egg and spam had savory flavors that paired well with the plain rice. I wish the rice was not so thick and that the nori was a bit thicker, but still a scrumptious meal to grab on the go! I also bought this Japanese apple jelly drink which was refreshing. I want to come back to try their rice balls (onigiris), specifically the Shrimp Tempura. Very convenient spot to get some quick Japanese snacks and food.

When we got here around 6 PM on a Friday, there was already kind of a long line, so I don't even…read morewant to think about what it would've looked like 5 hours from then. But I'm very glad I got this now so I don't have to care about how long that potential line would be. It was around 20-25 minutes before we ordered and got our food. I had the mix platter - which consists of lamb and chicken over yellow rice with pita and lettuce. To that I added fries, white sauce, and hot sauce. Although the hot sauce was weirdly just missing. I guess they forgot it. I just have to mention the portion first. This is a gigantic amount of food. Anyone who can finish all of this in one sitting has either just had a bacchanalian night of drinking or has appetite of a mammoth. I respect them either way. But I got two-thirds through this before tapping out. Sometimes with huge portions you see the volume being disproportionally overstuffed by copious amounts of rice, but here they had equal portions of lamb and chicken as well. It's truly an equitable extravagance. Outside the portion, I really liked the taste as well. The fries were a fantastic addition I would recommend to everyone coming here - as they mixed in with the rice to add that extra textural crunch (they actually stayed crispy basically the whole time). The lamb was quite fatty and very juicy. The chicken was mostly standard, but decent still. I liked the way the pita gave you a different way to eat rather than just with a spoon - so you could mix up the eating mechanisms. The first thing you need to do is mix everything together; that's how you get the white sauce to coat everything. And this white sauce is really good. I really wish they hadn't forgotten the hot sauce as it would've added the necessary spiciness to how rich and garlicky the white sauce was. For just 13 dollars ($3 addon for the fries) this is an incredible deal. Probably some of the best value you can find in Midtown. Overall, this place that justifies a lot of the hype. I will say I wouldn't wait more than 30 minutes in line for this, but if it's less than that - I'll be jumping at the chance. 9.25/10

Good, but I think Midos has this place beat…read more Got two chicken and rice bowls. We asked for spicy rice but they gave us regular rice which was disappointing. Even reiterated it twice. So I'm docking one point for that. They also up charge quite a bit if you pay by card, so highly recommend cash. Overall, I can tell why people like this place. The flavors pop a lot more than other halal spots especially with the combination of white, hot, and copious amounts of green sauce. It was tasty. Chicken was flavorful and not dry. Would we wait in a long line for this? Probably not. We were fortunate that there was no line on rainy day. I just thought Midos was better overall flavor wise and texture wise, and never a line to deal with.

Yeshh another location for tofu pudding!!! I ordered a large serving for $4.75. It can't get any…read morebetter. Silky, smooth, perfection.

They sell soy milk and soy pudding. The soy milk is pretty good, my second favorite in NY. Soy…read morepudding contains a bit too much liquid although still pretty good. They are a bit hard to spot. I have walked past it multiple times. Theyre also cash only.

Little street cart that serves the softest cheong fun ever! I got off the plane from LA and…read moreimmediately rushed myself over to this little cart. I've heard so many great things about the cheong fun here and how cheap it is. I was recommended to go earlier in the day since they leave early or whenever they're sold out. Considering it's street food, take the cleanliness to your liking. My family and I got 5 different bowls and the total came out to $18 which is NOT bad at all. They offer soy sauce, peanut sauce, and/or chili sauce. Definitely only get the soy sauce for the protein options and peanut sauce + soy sauce for the plain one! Take it from me, my dad ordered all three sauces in all of our bowls and it was too much flavor mixing together in your mouth. Food: Plain Cheong Fun (8.4/10): The silkiest, softest cheong fun I've put in my mouth. You must eat this right away. This is not a take-home option because it will clump up together. Take it from me, I made the mistake of bringing this back on a 15 minute subway ride. Although I had to wait to enjoy, it was still delicious. Dried Shrimp Cheong Fun (7.6/10): I love a good dried shrimp and green onion cheong fun but this one didn't really hit the spot for me. I wish there was dried shrimp within the cheong fun. I maybe got a few pieces within each bite but those bites were still delicious.

Cash only! I wanted…read moreto try the Cheong Fun Cart for a long time, but never got the chance to during my other New York trips! This time I found the opportunity and am glad I can say I've been now! Its literally a small cart on the corner of the street intersection. There was a line formed and so we just followed suit. No place to sit to eat, so just be mindful of that - especially since the containers they give you the food in can be super hot! We ordered one fresh shrimp rice roll, and waited about 10 minutes for our food to come out. It is PIPING hot so it was hard to hold and eat, but we managed. The first few bites were delicious and the rice roll was super silky. However I felt like since it was shoved inside the plastic container, the rice roll keeps cooking in its own heat, and thus got overly goopy. Still, I enjoyed the cheap snack on the street, but have definitely had better long-standing rice rolls in NY.

Really enjoyed the scallion pancake burrito! The pork was well-seasoned, the guacamole smooth, the…read morequeso frito crispy, and the lemongrass chili crisp oil added a very creative touch, bursting with flavors. The tostone was perfect for snacking - crispy on the outside, yet firm and chewy in the middle. The green sauce was refreshing, so good for cutting through the grease.

The line of people made me curious enough to stop. Staff members offered care matching what you'd…read moreexpect from the look. The meal offered good flavors and proper cooking. The dishes are delicious. The time spent there was satisfying.

I've done the math, and I'm convinced the calories from the succulent slices of roast duck are…read morecompletely canceled out by the slivers of green onion and those impossibly light, pillow-soft buns. Each bun is loaded with glistening roast duck, a drizzle of hoisin sauce, and tucked into a cloud bun that disappears the second it hits your mouth. At $2.75 a pop, they're practically daring you to order "just one more"... and before you know it, you've lost count. I came for a snack and accidentally developed a bun addiction.

I decided to hit the Peking Duck Stand outside of Shanghai You Garden for $2.75 per piece during my…read moreNYC visit in 2025. They directed me inside to pay, where it became $2.99 after tax. It was yummy but messy with too much hoisin sauce.

I loved this spot and rate it third behind Mido's and Adel's for all of the halal carts I've tried…read more The rice is perfectly cooked, and I loved the charred flavor of the tandoori chicken. Green sauce is a must. Lace it with that shit. This was quite addicting, balanced, and not as in your face as the flavors of Adels and Midos. Which I don't mind. This feels lighter. No line ever, and it's quality. If I lived in NYC this would be a staple for me.

Vibe/ambiance: food truck Service: standard, pretty quick…read more Items ordered: chicken kati roll: comes with two small rolls; could use a little more salt

Can't leave NY without having a hot dog and Billy's Hot Dogs has been well loved. With so many rave…read morereviews, we couldn't pass this up on our way back from walking over 6 miles at Central Park. He was easy to locate on a corner outside the park. The menu is simple- hot dogs, sausage dogs, chips, and drinks. Pricing is very reasonable ! Cash only. Got mine piled with mustard and relish- it was delicious, juicy, plump, and didn't taste like cheap processed meat. And he even gave us a super deal for 2 dogs and 2 sodas! Gobbled them up on a nice shaded bench at Central Park across the street : ) The perfect snack!

You can find Billy's Hot Dogs, a small hot dog cart, by CPW, with a straightforward menu of hot…read moredogs, hot sausages, pretzels, chips, and drinks - We ordered the Hot Sausage (beef), topped with onions and mustards - note that the onions are a 'onion relish,' just in case you're expecting raw or sauteed onions. The sausages themselves were fine; definitely on the spicy end. Billy, the owner, is super kind and friendly! Patrons tend to cross the street and enjoy their dogs on the benches. +Billy!

I can't go to NY and not have a hot dog. On my last day I walked to Gray's to get a dog with…read moreeverything and a pineapple juice. There was a short line, but it moved quickly. The staff let me use tap pay even though I didn't reach the minimum that was on their signage. I ate at the counter they have outside. The hot dog had a nice snap to it and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The pineapple juice was cool, sweet and tart.

New York City has a remarkable ability to turn ordinary things into cultural institutions. Given…read moreenough decades, a basic diner becomes a historic landmark, and a simple hot dog counter becomes a neighborhood shrine. Gray's Papaya on the corner of 72nd Street and Broadway is the quintessential example. Founded in 1973 by Nicholas Gray after he split from Papaya King, Gray's built its reputation on snappy franks, tropical fruit drinks, and microscopic prices. High rents and Manhattan real estate realities eventually shuttered the other outposts, leaving this Upper West Side location as the last one standing. We ordered the famous Recession Special: two hot dogs and a papaya drink. One dog came loaded with mustard and sauerkraut, the other with grilled onions. Both were aggressively, heroically average. They were not bad, which would at least make for a compelling story. They were simply the sort of hot dogs that seemed to spend their lives avoiding taking a firm stance. If hot dogs were graded on a bell curve, these two would sit directly in the middle, quietly hoping nobody called on them. The mustard was mustard, the onions were onions, and the sauerkraut did its job. The papaya drink was cold and pleasantly sweet, offering a refreshing counter to the salty franks. The service was purely transactional. Nobody threw a hot dog at us, but warmth and hospitality are clearly not core company values. You step up, state your order, exchange cash, and move along. Still, three stars feels fair because nobody visits Gray's Papaya in search of culinary perfection. You go because you are hungry on the Upper West Side, you do not want to spend twenty dollars on lunch, and you want a quick taste of a Manhattan that existed before every storefront turned into a luxury bank branch. The hot dogs are strictly middle of the road. The history and price tag are considerably better.