The Halal Guys: Union Square

Even with tons of food carts around the Midtown West area, it has never been hard to distinguish the smell coming from the Halal Guys cart on the corner of 53rd and 6th. With the recent news that the Halal Guys are starting up a food cart on 14th and 2nd – right in the Union Square area – gone are the days of cabbing all the way to 53rd St after a night of partying just to satisfy some chicken and lamb over rice. In terms of quality though, how do the Union Square Halal Guys match up to the original? Spoon takes a trip to Union Square to find out!

Photo by Delissa Handoko

At least for now, the Halal Guys on 14th St. appears much quieter and less crowded than its predecessor. It may be because we visited on a weekday afternoon or just because word about the new location just hasn’t gotten around yet.

Photo by Delissa Handoko

This combination platter comes with pieces of pita bread, romaine lettuce and a very generous serving of their special white sauce. Indeed, the white sauce is what makes the Halal guys The Halal Guys. You can’t quite put a finger on what goes into it but all you know is that it makes everything taste so much tastier than what you can imagine a $6 platter from a food cart could be. If you are feeling adventurous, ask for some hot sauce (be warned that it can get really spicy) and barbecue sauce to go with the white sauce.

So how did the Union Square Halal Guys fare? Undeniably, it was good – the sauce did not disappoint, the meat was well cooked and the sides of pita bread and lettuce were good complements. But it did not blow our minds like it first did at the 53rd St cart. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t give it a try whenever you happen to be in the Union Square area, after all there is often a short waiting time and at only $6 for a platter, you can’t really go wrong with some decent Halal!