Located on 14th nr Irving pl in front of the Trader Joe's is Farook Halal cart where there are 2-3 carts nearby. It was busy and I got a lamb over rice for $7. Price is the best quality here as the food is average. The guy was busy and I was the 5th order of 5 consecutive orders. My food was not sizzling. Lamb was soggy. My pita beard was hard and portion size was OK. There is a loyalty card. Buy 7 get 1 free. guy told me the cart works every day. I prefer Santa halal next door over this one. read more

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To say the hype is legitimate is putting it far too mildly. I'm going to come right out and say it and definitely declare, that until I'm proven otherwise, this is currently the title holder for my choice of the elusive "Best In the City", and thus most likely best in the known universe halal cart. Brought here initially by a NYMag piece highlighting the work of an apparently indisputably credible Halal-focused IG account @thehalalguysguy, which listed this at the number one spot in its listicles rankings. I would have otherwise had no clue to it's greatness as it appears as anonymous and instinct as any other of the countless halal carts to be found in any corner of the city. I've also never seen any significant line formed other than one I would expect at any of the other nearby carts due to it's location on the outlying periphery of Union Square and right outside an NYU dorm. It's certainly nothing even close to some of the inconceivably long lines you see at some of the Tik Tok viral spots or even the original Halal Guys cart in midtown. That should serve as yet another example of how unjust the world is, because if quality was the true measure the line here should be dwarfing them many times over! The food here has done nothing less than redefine my whole concept of what halal can be, which is nothing short of miraculous since I've been consistently consuming it for the better part of my now over two full decades in the city. Both the wonderfully gamey and juicy lamb (always my preferred protein where halal is concerned) and the deeply and vibrantly red hued, and crucially just as juicy chicken (unfortunately dessert-dry chicken is more often than not the case at your average cart) are consistently both perfectly seasoned and cooked to a smokey and caramelized unctuousness on the griddled straight off the spit. The sauces likewise shine many levels above those found elsewhere, with a wonderfully zestier and lighter version of the default white sauce, and the classic red hot sauce and the rarer green version, which both pack some serious heat, but also much more depth of flavor than usual. When you select a gyro, as I often do here you are rewarded with a more compact more densely rolled sandwich than usual, in a slightly thinner pita that normal, slightly more closely resembling a burrito than usual. It's also packed with wonderfully crisp and fresh veggies which are likewise a cut above the rest. When you select a platter you are presented with the usual components in a delightfully new fashion. He seems to be an innovator in a method that happily seems to be spreading wider in which he chops the accompanying pita into numerous small triangles which he tops over the platter in two consecutive layers topping the food with one layer, of pita covering that with a layer of sauces, topping again with the second chopped pita layer and saucing again. The process results in an aseptically striking array as well as a delightful texture achieved by the layering and saucing process, nothing short than brilliantly delicious! It's details like this that solidifies the carts iconic and singular status. It's only that much further reinforced by the proprietor Farook himself however. A true gentleman as well as a culinary genius with the sweetest and gracious demeanor and eyes as soulful as you will ever encounter, he will melt your heart as much as he'll wow your tastebuds and blow your mind. This man deserves a spot in the NYC food legends Mount Rushmore right there next to the late great Dom Demarco as he's just as responsible for elevating the beloved everyman cuisine that is the heart and soul of the city and elevating it to nothing less than high art. read more

Farook Halal Food - Halal Near Me - New York, New York

Portion. Value. Quality. Flavor. It's so good. I put it over Adel's. Fair warning, his spicy sauce is super spicy.

Farook was awesome. He offered us a bite of his chicken samosas! The servings were huge and he was so kind. Extremely cheap food and unbelievable portions. It was a tiny cart but he's fast. read more

Exceptional falafel. I wish I could identify all the spices in play. I can not. I will be returning often.

Absolutely banging, straight fire flames, go there don't look back. Almost want to keep it a secret. Combo over rice is $8 and dude loaded me up with meat. It was a massive portion. I asked for white sauce and he gave me the appropriate amount which is to say, a lot lol. Best halal cart I've been to, blows the others out of the WATER. You can pay with cash or with Venmo for a $1 surcharge. Guy working (maybe Farook himself) was really nice. Not that I would care, he could have spit in my face and I'd still come back the food was that good. But a nice little bonus. Maybe the best meal you'll have in nyc for under $10 tbh. read more

Farook Halal Food - Halal Near Me - New York, New York

I'm absolutely here for the halal cart renaissance. Street carts have been a cornerstone of the NYC food scene even since before THE Halal Guys in the early 2000s. We've strayed from the path but with the help of halal cart-fluencers, we're getting back on track. Farook's cart has been out front of the old Trader Joe's forever and hasn't dropped in quality. What doesn't photograph well sure tastes amazing. Run, don't walk, to your nearest halal cart before the craze inevitably hits. read more

Farook Halal Food - Halal Near Me - New York, New York

Good quality, amazing flavor, and prices that were somehow not affected by inflation. Added plus: warm and friendly person to greet you. For now it's an underrated cart but I'm expecting next time I come it'll have blown up PS: yelp hours are not correct! read more

Went to the cart where the college students were and this cart did NOT disappoint. The cart with the loyalty card sign. Ordered 2 lamb over rice dishes. It took him a bit of time but, it was definitely worth the wait. Tasted amazing even after a 30 minute train ride to Brooklyn. The rice was well seasoned and fluffy. The lamb was fresh and bits of krispy from the flat top. The white, green, and hot sauces were definitely a good tasty combination. I recommend all three. Then there is a handful of iceberg lettuce for freshness and some crunch. The gentleman preparing the plates was friendly, courteous, and very pleasant. I will definitely return for more when around Union Square. read more

The best halal food in the city. Fight me. I have my fair share of halal in the city and Farook is absolutely number one... in taste, and amount you get and in price! His service is fast too and you also can order from him on the delivery apps. read more

Great cooking pairs with servers who actually seem to care. Your dining budget will stretch here. The food here is exceptional! The team exceeded what we thought possible. This spot works for many occasions. read more

Amazing. Cheap and filling. This meal was $10 and it was 2 big meals for me! The meat was super tender and super flavorful. The food also came out really quickly since it was a food truck, so we didn't have to wait long. Food trucks like these need to get more recognition; they may not be the most popular among visitors but they probably have equally great food (and no line!) read more

Farook Halal Food - Combo Chicken & Lamb Over Rice - Halal Near Me - New York, New York

I'm not really into halal food. I've tried all the big-name places in NYC, and they didn't do much for me. But Farook? It's on another level. The bread is super fresh, cut into perfect little squares like he actually cares. The lettuce is crisp, and the sauces are more than just solid. The meat, especially the lamb and chicken combo, is seasoned really well. Portion was huge. Not sure if the man was Farook but he was very nice! read more

The best cart in NYC. Great prices, delicious food, and always quick. They are very friendly and I have been going here for years. And I will keep going here for plenty more. My favorite food in nyc for an affordable price. Thank you. read more

Amazing, huge portions for like 7/8 dollars, delicious and flavorful. I ordered the lamb on rice and it was PACKED.

After a long night out for a friend's birthday, I made my way back to the train. I was quite hungry, so I decided to stop at a food truck for some food. This one was well reviewed, and boy was I in for a treat! A bunch of the locals in line were telling me how great this truck is, they'd all been coming here for years because it was the best one. And boy was it amazing, this may have been the best food truck meal I've ever had. The chicken was so flavorful, juicy & tender. The rice was done to perfection & well seasoned, and the white sauce provided a nice creaminess to complement the flavors & spices on the chicken & rice. It was a great amount of food for a very reasonable price, and an amazing amount of flavor for the price. If I lived in NYC I would come here as often as I could read more

Farook Halal Food - Line to the cart! - Halal Near Me - New York, New York

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This is a very excellent halal cart with no lines compared to the more famous ones. This is definitely an up and coming halal cart that challenges even the super popular one that is Adels. I got the combo over rice with white sauce, and the combo is a combination of chicken and lamb. The total was $8, paid with cash, for such a large amount of food. Aside from the meat, there is a generous amount of rice, lettuce, and chopped pita bread. The pita bread is very soft and topped with white sauce, yet it was not soggy. I did not consume immediately as I was in a rush to run some errands and go back to my friend's place, but even the food sitting in the takeout box for 45 minutes did not diminish the quality by much, if at all. If you only had to choose one, I would go with lamb as the texture is much softer and it is more flavorful. If you don't have the dedication or time to queue up the more famous halal carts, this is a very very viable and comparable halal cart! read more

Farook Halal Food - Menu - IG @bougiefoodieboi - Halal Near Me - New York, New York

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A solid late night spot! Fast service, flavorful halal meat, and filled to the brim with meat, rice, and pita. As far as spicy goes (I used to be able to handle spicy, but not so much anymore), it was enough to where I felt the spice but not enough to have me sweating. read more

Farook Halal Food - Chicken Over Rice - Halal Near Me - New York, New York

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Best Halal food you can find on this planet Everything is so perfect and the servings are huge read more

Fantastic halal cart! I love the falafel over rice here, so much flavor and actually spicy if you want it to be. The owner is a super nice guy. I'll definitely be back when I'm in the neighborhood. read more

I can't believe this place only has 23 reviews. It should be better known! It's been one of the best Halal Carts in Manhattan for years. Not as trendy as Halal Guys, but a lot better. The meat is cooked fresh and cut up into pieces, the pita they put on top is pretty decent, and the potato chunks they mix in are really good. I'm not going to say it's not greasy, but it's less greasy than a lot of other halal carts and the sauce has a nice flavor. If you like spicy food, the hot sauce is legitimately hot. If you smother the rice in hot sauce, it's spicier than Sigiri but not as spicy as the chicken phall roll at Thelewala. read more

Farook Halal Food - Halal Near Me - New York, New York

What happened to Halal food? Other places are simply overcharging and the food isn't as good. At Farook, the price stays modest at $6 for chicken over rice, lamb over rice and $7 for combination over rice. I opted for $ 7 because I want the best of both worlds. I noticed that he took his time in cooking up my meal. There is usually a few people ordering from this food stand. Most likely NYU students and some hospital staff nearby along with the occasional trader joe shopper. The chicken and lamb were flavorful and was moist. This is key as many food stand keep the food warm and eventually dries out the meat. Rice tasted fresh. His hot sauce is good. It doesn't need special warming regarding the heat. He also has a green sauce. I like the green sauce and wish more halal cart offers it. One of the best halal food I had in awhile that actually came from a food stand. Definitely recommend. read more

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I was introduced to Farook Halal first. Then I tried three other carts. None of the other three carts was even one half as good as Farook Halal. That's how you know Farook is the greatest of all time. read more

Always my first stop in NYC! Great quality, great portions, fair price. Worth a stop here. Make sure you're at the right cart. read more

Holy moly! Asked for very spicy and i got it. It was the lamb gyro. Wow. Hahhh....satisfied. I want another!! Haha. EDIT BELOW: If its not Farook when you say super spicy, be careful. This guy tonight threw the ghost pepper sauce on like its nothing. I know i asked for spicy but he was being mean about it. Lowering to 4 only for the inconsistency. Farook for the win tho! read more

FAROOK BEST HALAL FOOD I HAVE EVER HAD! Value: 10/10, Taste 10/10, Speed 10/10, Convenience 10/10, Health/Cleanness 7/10 (better than most halal carts). My NYU friend recommended me this Halal cart. I ordered the lamb with rice, it also came with a lot of creamy white sauce, pita, yellow rice, and some lettuce. As well as, an included canned soda. ALL FOR $5. You cannot beat the price. To be honest, I would have been willing to pay much more so that's why I am giving five stars!. The smell of the food once you get it is intoxicating, smells so good, you cannot resist. My friends and I were supposed to go to a fancy ramen shop and I was so craving halal so while we waited for ramen in the resataurant I ate my halal. The white sauce is sooo creamy and umami. The Lamb is so well seasoned so generous with the portions. The yellow rice is oily and delicious. Plus the pita just addes extra flavor when soaked with the white sauce and lamb. So good read more

This place has always been a cheat eats of mines and one platter would last me a meal and 1/4. They used to give you a free soda but ever since covid, its separate now. The chicken and rice is flavorful alone but the sauces just takes it to a whole another level. Owner was kind and gave me a rewards car and I think your 10th platter is free. Meal costs about 7 dollars which is cheap in todays economy like less than 2014 chipotle prices read more

Farook Halal Food - Halal Near Me - New York, New York

I literally come to Farook's every time I'm in New York. This halal cart is seriously so good. For $5 you get an entree and a drink, which is such a good deal especially since it is a pretty generous portion and the food is delicious. I usually get the combination which has lamb and chicken over rice. The potatoes in the entree are so tasty, and the sauces add the perfect flavors. Just note that the red sauce actually is spicy, so go light on it if you're not good with spice. Cannot recommend this particular halal cart more. Will be coming back every time I'm in New York! read more

Farook Halal Food - Chicken and lamb (combination) over rice - Halal Near Me - New York, New York

Best chicken gyro in NYC. Farook is the man. ................................................................................................................. read more

This is the best halal place in New York. A lot of people in New York point towards Halal guys but this place, in my opinion, is better in multiple ways. The bang for your buck is much higher in this cart than Halal guys by far: in Halal guys, the regular plate is priced at $13 dollars while Farook's has a combo platter for $7 and the chicken over rice for $6. This price is unbeatable. The amount of food is also more than Halal guys. The food also tastes amazing. You cannot go wrong with this place! This is a must if you are in the area. read more

Farook Halal Food - Combo Chicken & Lamb Over Rice - Halal Near Me - New York, New York

The best food truck I have been to. The rice is unbeatable. It has been cash only but I think he takes venmo now (there is also a wells fargo down the ave) I usually get falafel and my partner gets chicken, but the lamb or combo is also great. My partner frequents here once a week, and it has never been less than amazing. Farook is a super sweet and chill guy, which makes going there even better. read more

Hello good people of the interwebs, I created yelp just to leave this review. My boyfriend and I were in NYC for just a little over a week recently and visited Farook like 4 times collectively while we were there. Every day on the trip my boyfriend would mention getting Farook like he was stuck in this week long hypnotic trance. I have literally never seen him talk about anything so passionately and obsessively. I have also never seen him eat onions except when eating Farook. It was truly a marvellous situation. As for the food, the meats are cooked well and the portions are generous. The sauces and the fried pita on top adds a moreish touch to the already tasty dish. I love the lamb and falafel, but my boyfriend prefers the chicken. Anyway, we are obviously no experts on halal food in NYC but if it is of any indication at all of how good the food was, we tried a serving of Halal guys one night when Farook was closed and we couldn't even finish it cause it tasted like crap in comparison. In summary, I think it would be reasonable to say that Farook made my boyfriend happier than I did on the trip. Good stuff. read more

Farook Halal Food - a person eating a meal - Halal Near Me - New York, New York

If you're from LA, you know that the Halal Guys there taste like CRAP. I had such a poor impression of halal food until I discovered Farook. It is HANDS DOWN the best chicken and rice dish I've ever had - prob the best meal I had in all of downtown Manhattan. It was so good that I came here three! consecutive! days! Farook is a super lowkey, unassuming food cart in Union Square so I honestly would have never thought to buy anything from here. My friends from NY took me here for drunchies and said it was their favorite halal spot. Just for five bucks, you get a huge mountain of super fluffy yellow rice, incredibly juicy and tender chicken, curry potatoes, salad, pita AND a beverage. It gets even better with the white and spicy sauce which btw nearly killed me. Just to make sure my 3am self was not hyping all of this, I ate here sober and it was just as amazinggg. read more

Farook Halal Food - get the chicken with rice - Halal Near Me - New York, New York

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Heard this was the best halal food in NYC and it did not disappoint. My bf ordered the combination and it was filled to the brim!! The meat was so juicy and tender, and the sauces were absolutely delicious. Would not hesitate to go back. read more

I have a weakness for street food esp a halal truck on the city. Per usual, you can go wrong with a plate from one of these trucks. I got chicken over rice. The combo along with the salad and sauce is just too good. I'll always go back to these food trucks, esp this one that's a 4 min walk from my apartment. Also, it's an amazing price like mind blowingly affordable. Thank goodness for little businesses like these ! read more

I heard about Farook from a friend, and it quickly climbed the top of our halal cart rankings. There are subtle differences in how Farook prepares his platter that innovate on the standard formula: grilled onions on top, and frying the pita in the fat released from the seasoned meat change add texture and umami into what's already a very solid base meal. You can't go wrong with this, especially for the price. read more

one of my favorite halal places in the city. the guy is really nice and the service is very fast. the price is lower than usual and is very affordable especially compared to post-covid inflation. read more

There's sooooo many of these places to choose from, and I had to try at least one while our stay in NYC. I landed on Farook because it was near our vaca rental, had great consistent reviews and close to where we were shopping that night. Holy crap!!! I have to say it was one of the best meals on our east coast trip I had!!! I wish badly I had this back home in LA...we have Halal Guys which recently opened and it sucks! I literally dream about my platter! Got the mix meat plate, lamb and chic. read more

Farook Halal Food - Yum yum yum, mixed chic and lamb plate! - Halal Near Me - New York, New York

The falafel over rice is the best I've had in New York City. If I could I would eat from this cart everyday.

Came here 2 more times and the food is very consistant. The Different workers are both friendly too. read more

Farook Halal Food - Halal Near Me - New York, New York

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