New York Gyro Cart
38th and Walnut

Walking past 38th and Walnut at lunchtime will find you in the heart of food cart central. This cross section is home to many of Penn’s revered food carts, but one in particular is a host to a long, daunting line every single lunch hour.

You may think I am misleading you when I say that this line extends from the food cart’s windows to the edge of the street; I am not. No matter if its rain or shine, students and University City residents alike will be found patiently waiting for their grub at The New York Gyro Cart. The more commonly known by the moniker “the Chicken and Rice cart” is home to one of the most delicious finds on campus finds.

New York Gyro Cart

Photo by: Brenda Nguyen

For a meager $5 you can buy yourself a steaming hot styrofoam box of spiced rice, a very simple salad of vegetables, and flavorful, juicy chicken, falafel, lamb, or beef. All this food, which is doused in a creamy white sauce and a spicy sauce that will be sure to kick up the flavor of your dish, comes with a beverage of your choice to cool down the spice, if you need to.

Although this food cart sits next to the esteemed KoJa and Sugar Philly, two undeniably renowned food carts in University City, I have to say this hot spot is the winner. A whole line of regular customers can’t be wrong, right?

New York Gyro Cart

Photo by: Brenda Nguyen