The Halal Guys –
First up from our dining vade mecum, a street vendor institution*: The Halal Guys. Where Chef’s Eat specifically mentions eating from the stand on 53rd Street and 6th Avenue. Upon arriving at that intersection, I found two options, one cart on the Southeast corner and a second on the Southwest. Lacking further direction and the desire to cross two streets, I went with the Southeast.
While waiting in line and debating which dish I should try, I assumed that this, like many other quick Manhattan lunch options, would come in at around $10-12. As the line moved forward, the menu board eventually came into view—I pleasantly discovered sandwiches to be $5 and rice plates only $2 more. With $12 already in my mind, I figured “Why not try one of each?” I ordered a gyro sandwich and a falafel rice plate.
Back at the office I devoured both, much to the amusement of my coworkers. The gyro was flavorful and tender—certainly satisfactory, but not necessarily earth-shattering. The rice dish was OK. I found the falafel to be adequate, but the rice was quite bland and the lettuce just didn’t make any sense to me.
*I use the word institution here because this team has earned the designation. They started as a hot dog stand at 53rd and 6th in 1990 and have grown to an international food chain with locations across the United States as well as the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Canada.
