Heaven on Wheels - 53rd and 6th Halal Cart, New York, NY

Phil #14 has been talking about this for a while and by the looks of it, it is definatley worth the wait.  I have never been to this cart because I have always been a little skeptical about meals on wheels.  My usual carts are either hot dog carts or the one outside of Grand Central where I get meat on a stick or a beef patty or sometimes both depending on the mood.  Now that I think of it, meat on a stick and beef patties from the carts I frequent are much grimier than the Halal carts.  I guess it is time to face my fear and try a Halal cart.  Let us know about your favorite street cart/meal and we will see if it compares...

"Last year, my wish was commanded as I was assigned to work on a particular luxury retail client in Manhattan. There were rumors that the Company boasted an abundance of young hotties and cougars, leading me to believe that I was destined to fall in love. Well, I did, and it all happened on the SE corner of 53rd St. and 6th Avenue.

For many of my days working last fall, I was flying solo and usually spent the better part of the morning planning on what I would pick up for lunch. I frequented this site, www.midtownlunch.com, to give some insight to my decisions and actually found a good Cuban sandwich place and a few other gems in the area. However, the biggest mystery to me in NYC was where to find the best halal cart. It seems like they are on every corner of the city, but many taste less like chicken or lamb, and more like sweaty sidewalk. Through research and word-of-mouth, I came to realize that the mecca of all carts was actually in my own backyard, on the same corner where I was working! With that said, I immediately went down for lunch and got the “chicken and lamb combo”, the cart’s classic item. This consists of a bed of greasy rice, chopped up chicken and lamb schwerma, some lettuce, AND some pita (which is a rarity add-in for these carts). There is then the option of white and hot sauce. Now I don’t know what these people do to the meat or what is actually in the white and hot sauce, but it can be chopped subway rat with Lunch Pail’s splooge and I would still go here twice a week - that’s how good it is. What makes the whole meal is the white and, especially, the hot sauce. This hot sauce is both the spiciest and best tasting I have ever had, and I don’t even know how that is possible. For some perspective, it makes Franks Red Hot taste like a glass of milk.

The cart is open all day and night, and the lines between 2 and 5 am are absurd even though it is nowhere near any bars. It is rumored that the guy that owns the plot to this goldmine makes over $200K a year and has a mansion back in his home country.

For some advice, next time you are in the city, intoxicated, and about to head in to get that slice of pizza, hop in a cab and make the move to the cart for a combo, you won’t be disappointed. For now, I am going to enjoy this tin foil container filled with pieces of heaven. "

Note: Please beware of imposters. You will know you are at the right place when you see the yellow bag that reads “we are different”.

- Phil #14

(People are lined up down the block to wait for their food.  Must be a good sign.)