Very good Chicken and Lamb over rice platter - probably the best I've had from a halal cart. It's packed with flavor and so filling! I can definitely get about 2-3 meals from one of these platters. I love that the ingredients are fresh and they are not shy about putting veggies and proteins in there. The red sauce is pretty spicy (in a good way). Great option for food near the Columbia campus. read more

9$ chicken rice combo. Quick fast grab n go. Delicious. Good range, best halal cart in the area. read more

Hooda Halal Cart - Food Trucks Near Me - New York, New York

While there are an array of different food carts in the Morningside Area ranging from Greek to Chinese to Mexican, Hooda is probably one of about three halal carts in the area and is probably the best of those three. However, compared to other halal carts/trucks overall in the city, it's okay and run of the mill. The meat is not really note worthy. Neither is the rice. I've gotten the chicken and lamb combo rice platter as well as the lamb sandwich. Both were fine but wouldn't be something to tell others to go out of their way to try. The service was fairly quick and friendly. They allowed a variety of different payment methods and have a pretty good window of being open. read more

Hooda Halal Cart - Rice platter - Food Trucks Near Me - New York, New York

I got the falafel over rice this weekend. The flavors are great and sauce really makes the dish. Everything was very fresh and the fries are a good addition too. read more

Hooda Halal Cart - Falafel Over Rice - Food Trucks Near Me - New York, New York

Halal carts (halal is the Muslim equivalent of kosher) in NYC offer some of the best and cheapest food. Hooda Halal Cart by Columbia University serves up smashing chicken, lamb, fish, falafel wraps and rice plates starting at $9, and they beat $190 meals at Michelin star restaurants. Zohran Mamdani is a big fan of halal carts, BTW. read more

Came here on a Tuesday around 12:30pm. There was a short line but the service was really good. We ordered 2 chicken over salad. Their ingredients were all really fresh. Nothing was really wrong with it but it just wasn't as flavorful or seasoned as other halal trucks I've had. read more

I am not a fan of Hooda Halal--is a sentence I'd only say if I were toxic and dishonest. This is without doubt some of the best food truck food in all of NYC. I'm pathologically upset for those unlucky enough not to live near it and those people should, without exception, feel envy for the people who do. The brothers serving the food are incredibly kind and the prices are excellent especially considering we had Joe Biden in office for four years. read more

I eat from here almost once a week and absolutely love the falafels over rice. It's really flavorful and comes with a side of fries and salad. The white and red sauces really make the dish so much better. Really great and quick service. read more

I've been going to Hooda Halal cart for about 4 years and I can honestly say that my experience has been great every single time! I love their chicken gyros and chicken over rice. They usually ask if you want white sauce and hot sauce. They will literally drown your food in the white sauce if you don't tell them beforehand and they'll put a little line of hot afterwards because the hot is actually really hot. I always tell them only a medium amount of white sauce and a lot of hot sauce and they're always hesitant to put a lot but I can take it! Haha. read more

Hooda Halal Cart - a close up of the food - Food Trucks Near Me - New York, New York

See all

can you believe i waited 3 months before i tried hooda halal for the first time. this is literally a STAPLE that everyone talks about being so cheap and so worth it. i WAS going to eat it for the first time around 7pm because stuco was catering it. BUT when i arrived, and mind you, i arrived 5 minutes early, the line was at least 50 people long. and i was like do i really want to look like an idiot and wait in this long ass line for free food that's probably gone cold by the time i get there when i could be doing literally anything else??? so ya i left. and then i told my friend to tell me when there wasn't a line anymore and then i'll go later right before tennis starts. and then i went and they ran out bruh. oh well! at least i played tennis and made new friends. my friend felt bad that i didn't get food so she was like after tennis wanna go to hooda halal cuz it's open so late so i was like sure! then we went and dragged another friend along but he didn't get anything. we both got the chicken and beef??? rice platter. i didn't want that much red sauce so I asked for a little but when i got back it looked like a lot bro. i destroyed it. literally. i guess playing tennis for two hours really gets your appetite going. but it was soooooo DAMN spicy omfg. like my ancestors probably hate my ass cuz why can it not handle ANY spice whatsoever. the food itself was really good. like i will be back and ask for NO red sauce next time tho. bruh our two friends were LAUGHING at us so hard. but it was bad. i drank like 3 water bottles it was insane. but ya i understand the craze for hooda halal likes it's actually worth it. i would like to try all the other food carts though before i make a final judgement saying this place is the best though. 4.5 stars! i also want to branch out and try all the shops in the uws cuz why should i be eating the same thing every time if i am spending my money on it??? read more

Hooda Halal Cart - Chicken and Lamb over Rice - Food Trucks Near Me - New York, New York

See all

They block the fire hydrant. Often leave truck parked overnight and don't return it to commissary for cleaning and restocking as regulations require. Stay open until 3am disturbing neighbors. They have been cited for illegal storage of propane tanks. They and their van parked in front of the truck prevent street from being cleaned. They have a third van that parks behind the truck often blocking crosswalks. They need to park on Broadway where the other food trucks park. read more

Hooda Halal Cart - Blocking hydrant - Food Trucks Near Me - New York, New York

My brother lives off their chicken and rice. I like that it's always open, a lot of food, and a really good price. Reliable meal for late nights studying and they're always helpful and nice. read more

Really great halal food from a truck. The workers are also funny guys. Would order again

Nice guy working there. Food about as good as can be for chicken and lamb over rice. Gave me food poisoning for the next two days. Take heed Columbia and Barnard students. read more

I love Hooda Halal! they're always taking care of the community and looking out for the students.

I've only had food here a few times, spaced far apart. I've disliked it so much that each time, I consider not eating the rest- it's awful to feel this way! I just think it's very bland compared to any other for cart I've tried. read more

Hooda Halal Cart - Very sad gyro: completely bland with what seems like slow roasted carrots in it (?!) - Food Trucks Near Me - New York, New York

Hands down the best halal cart within a 1 mile radius of Columbia. The best people, and consistently always good. Combo over rice is always a go to if you're feeling a little luxurious. One of the better parts of my time here at Columbia. I think about Hooda Halal Cart often read more

Hooda Halal Cart - The sad night when it was closed - Food Trucks Near Me - New York, New York

It was a good experience...I liked the food, the service was fast, and the location was quite easy to access.

My second favorite halal cart in the area, to the cart on 116th and Amsterdam right outside the main Columbia entrance. They are pretty reliable and there during all the weird hours. The food itself has been consistent through the years. They have your normal halal cart fare; e.g. chicken over rice, lamb over rice, fries, hot dogs, gyros, etc. Their hot sauce rivals with the hot sauce from The Halal Guys, so go easy on it. However if you love spicy food, like me, then you can have that AND request to have your rice place with spicy rice instead of their normal yellow rice. Yumm! Anyways, on the nights where I get off work late, or there's some kind of storm coming, I can always count on this cart to be open and whip me up a hot plate. read more

Good food Typical halal food cart $5.50 combo over rice with pita bread Pre cooked food Fast Convenient Near supermarket to buy drinks from read more

See all

Hooda, it can be a roller coaster ride with you sometimes.. especially since you tried to monopolize the entire intersection by putting an identical cart along the street! I liked the food here a lot more when there was just one cart. That cart was polite, speedy, and served up good (for the area) food (that was, for some odd reason, topped off with french fries)! They've stopped doing that. And, since the spawning, more patrons have reported becoming slightly ill after a stop here. Tough love, I know. The guys are still polite and the meat is still decently fresh but nowhere near as good - even if doused in the usual Halal cart sauces. Thankfully the spicy rice is still offered... although it doesn't really help. I hope the guys here get it together and get back to what Hooda's used to be. read more

Hooda Halal Cart - Mixed over spicy rice - Food Trucks Near Me - New York, New York

This truck has a problem with double-charging credit cards. Because they don't provide receipts, you can't see the double charge till you check your credit card online. I was charged double for the shwarma. It was delicious but was charged $20 instead of the $10 price listed on the menu. read more

food is always hot and fresh and the people r very polite the truck is always nice and clean

The best halal on the UWS!! Ask any Columbia student (at least the ones w taste) where is the best halal near campus and they will tell you to go the one on 115th by Morton Williams. The guy who runs the cart is so sweet and the meat is always super seasoned, crispy, and he usually always puts in fries in it. Lamb over rice or combo is always a classic. Go support him ASAP read more

Great price for the food. It's open late. Very tasty and quick. It's not trying to be something it's not but that's good because when I want lamb over rice with extra white sauce, I want exactly what they are selling. read more

Meh lacked flavor and gave me heartburn. I prefer the Halal cart on 116th street and Broadway near the subway entrance.

Best halal in Morningside! The guys really nice and can be accommodating. Chicken tastes fresh. Not too salty, which is healthy. Generous portion. Best of all, it's still $5. Beats all the food cars and boogie places like sweet green. read more

I found this cart through my Yelp app yesterday afternoon, when I was craving a falafel sandwich. I trust Yelp reviews blindly, and unfortunately, this specific incidence was to my detriment. I got my falafel with tahini and hot sauce, and brought it back to my office to eat. It was hot, and tasted good enough, but soon after finishing, I began to feel sick. Prior to yesterday, I'd never had food poisoning before, so I can only assume this is what I experienced... throughout the day, I felt worse and worse, and by the time I commuted home on the train... well, all I wish to say is that I send my deepest apologies to all of my fellow PATH riders! Although I didn't catch the specific name of the cart I visited, I assume it was this one based on it's location (northwest corner of 115th and Broadway), and I highly recommend to STAY AWAY from it. Here I am, my seventh day at a new job, having to use my non-accrued sick time to recuperate. No wonder there was no one else ordering from Hooda's at 12:30 in the afternoon... read more

It was late at night and we were drunk so my friend and I came to this food cart to try out some Lamb Gyro. My greek friends tell me that it's pronounced like "yee roh", however the guy said it's pronounced "jai ro", which must be a New York City thing because everywhere I've been they pronounce it the former. I will have to go to Greece to confirm. Anyways, the food was pretty good, and we had a decent conversation with the guy. It was $4, but I tipped him $1 for each one that he made. I do not recommend getting it with the hot sauce, it was pure hotness with no real flavor benefit added. It was the type of hotness that you need to drink water or milk with every bite. read more

I got the chicken and lamb over rice as per the yelp reviews and it was really good! I do agree though, after eating it my body felt like it was MSGed and needed to take a nap which was not good since I had work in the afternoon, but nonetheless it was a good and cheap meal. I asked for white sauce and bbq sauce and they were generous with both sauces, but the bbq sauce definitely overpowered the white sauce so I recommend going with bbq since that's all you taste anyway. The rice came with lettuce on the side, which made the whole meal seem a little healthier although my stomach probably wouldn't agree. I did notice that the lady in front of me got some fries and they didn't give me any. Yes, it's because I'm jelly and that's why I didn't give them 5 stars. read more

not your average gyro. i love lamb! Hooda takes the time to make sure the pita is perfectly warm and pliable, then puts on just enough lettuce and tomato for freshness, not just taking up space from the meat. the meat: i like freshly shaved Donner lamb, but for this gyro he shaved it and throws it on the flattop with special sauce and a few other treats, like carrots for natural sweetness. Flavors meld and meat crisps jus a bit more before he loads it on to the awaiting pita. so good. and just $4! read more

This review is for the one at 2nd Ave and 94th St, which doesn't have a review page. Great taste and value.

Considering the alternatives, this cart has one of the more consistent and good quality food. I prefer this halal cart over other myriad of the carts around Columbia. It's not to say that Hooda's has outstanding food, but the other carts are just horrendous. That's why Hooda's really shines over any other carts around the neighborhood. Halal carts around NYU campus is way better, regrettably. However, if you're craving Halal around here, this has to be your safe bet. read more

I have eaten falafel and rice here many times. They are almost always very fast. The falafel and rice are both very good. Sometimes, if you are very lucky, they include a few french fries with your order. The fries are also tasty. Falafel + rice is about $5. The side "salad" with lettuce and tomato is gross. These guys are often here late at night and rain or shine. The line is sometimes a few people long but never a long time. Subsequent edit: this is the BEST cart falafel and rice in the neighborhood. read more

Great place right in Morningside Heights, and the price is decent. My favorite? Chicken over rice with just the right amount of white sauce and hot sauce. The rice was cooked to perfection and seasoned wonderfully. The chicken was very flavorful, and just the right amount. This is now my new favorite halal truck. Yum! read more

Hooda Halal Cart - Fantastic halal food at great prices. - Food Trucks Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Hooda's is definitely the best halal cart in the area (and my favorite in the city). $5 for chicken over rice, and it's consistently delicious. read more

Everybody's favorite cart, if they go to Columbia! They open at noon and close at 4am. I divide my days by prehalal and post halal o'clock.

Incredibly delicious food. The guy who runs the cart, Karim, is a great guy! This is a staple in the Columbia area and is worth checking out for sure. read more

this cart is pretty amazing, waiting for graduation was a drag, but this place made graduation go by so much quicker. the GYRO is amazinggggggg chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, creamy sauce. very reasonably priced too, and quick i am craving this everyday back in california. good halal cart please come here =( read more

This is by far the best food cart in the area. The menu is pretty standard for the genre: the staples are lamb, chicken, or a combo, either over rice or in a gyro. Pretty delicious; well spiced meat with the prerequisite white sauce and hot sauce. Sometimes you even get a handful of french fries. But the $5 price and the late-night hours really push Hooda's over the top from a quality food cart to a local institution. You will be hard pressed to find a Columbia student who doesn't rely on late-night halal furnished by Hooda. read more