We were absolutely starving, coming out late at night from a concert at Radio City Music Hall, and…read morethis was one of the few spots nearby that was still open. I had heard about The Halal Guys for years but somehow never had the privilege of trying it, mostly because this cart is usually packed. We walked straight up and, to our surprise, it was fairly empty-- clearly our lucky night. We ordered the chicken sandwich with everything and the beef platter with yellow rice, and OMG... it was incredible! These guys are clearly commanding the halal food scene, and after finally trying it, I completely understand the hype. The food was flavorful, satisfying, and exactly what we needed at that moment. There's something about eating a great late-night meal straight from NYC food cart that just hits differently. I will say, my sandwich was VERY spicy. And i love spicy food, but this was another level haha... My entire mouth was on fire. The funny part? I literally could not stop eating it. It was that good. Sometimes the simplest food, at exactly the right time, becomes the most memorable. This was definitely one of those moments. Now I get the hype!

I have worked at 6th/50th st for over 25 years and the Halal Guys location near 53rd and 6th is a…read moreshort walk. I have eaten here at least 200 times over those 25 years. I don't go as much as I use to, as the price has more than doubled since 2017/18. However, that has nothing to do with my rating. My problem is that meats have gone downhill. I used to love gyro meat - never sure what it was exactly lamb or beef - but now it is just gross and greasy. The chicken which used to be excellent is now very dry. The white sauce is great and the rice is fine, but that is it. Not worth getting anymore. Maybe one of their competitors is better, can't really be worse.

Can't leave NY without having a hot dog and Billy's Hot Dogs has been well loved. With so many rave…read morereviews, we couldn't pass this up on our way back from walking over 6 miles at Central Park. He was easy to locate on a corner outside the park. The menu is simple- hot dogs, sausage dogs, chips, and drinks. Pricing is very reasonable ! Cash only. Got mine piled with mustard and relish- it was delicious, juicy, plump, and didn't taste like cheap processed meat. And he even gave us a super deal for 2 dogs and 2 sodas! Gobbled them up on a nice shaded bench at Central Park across the street : ) The perfect snack!

You can find Billy's Hot Dogs, a small hot dog cart, by CPW, with a straightforward menu of hot…read moredogs, hot sausages, pretzels, chips, and drinks - We ordered the Hot Sausage (beef), topped with onions and mustards - note that the onions are a 'onion relish,' just in case you're expecting raw or sauteed onions. The sausages themselves were fine; definitely on the spicy end. Billy, the owner, is super kind and friendly! Patrons tend to cross the street and enjoy their dogs on the benches. +Billy!

This is the one directly in front of the Natural History Museum. All I can say is WOW. I had the…read morelamb gyro. It was super gooey with lots of meat and sauce and shredded lettuce. I wish I had ordered two one for then and one for later. Cant wait to come back to NYC to try it again!

I can't go to NY and not have a hot dog. On my last day I walked to Gray's to get a dog with…read moreeverything and a pineapple juice. There was a short line, but it moved quickly. The staff let me use tap pay even though I didn't reach the minimum that was on their signage. I ate at the counter they have outside. The hot dog had a nice snap to it and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The pineapple juice was cool, sweet and tart.

New York City has a remarkable ability to turn ordinary things into cultural institutions. Given…read moreenough decades, a basic diner becomes a historic landmark, and a simple hot dog counter becomes a neighborhood shrine. Gray's Papaya on the corner of 72nd Street and Broadway is the quintessential example. Founded in 1973 by Nicholas Gray after he split from Papaya King, Gray's built its reputation on snappy franks, tropical fruit drinks, and microscopic prices. High rents and Manhattan real estate realities eventually shuttered the other outposts, leaving this Upper West Side location as the last one standing. We ordered the famous Recession Special: two hot dogs and a papaya drink. One dog came loaded with mustard and sauerkraut, the other with grilled onions. Both were aggressively, heroically average. They were not bad, which would at least make for a compelling story. They were simply the sort of hot dogs that seemed to spend their lives avoiding taking a firm stance. If hot dogs were graded on a bell curve, these two would sit directly in the middle, quietly hoping nobody called on them. The mustard was mustard, the onions were onions, and the sauerkraut did its job. The papaya drink was cold and pleasantly sweet, offering a refreshing counter to the salty franks. The service was purely transactional. Nobody threw a hot dog at us, but warmth and hospitality are clearly not core company values. You step up, state your order, exchange cash, and move along. Still, three stars feels fair because nobody visits Gray's Papaya in search of culinary perfection. You go because you are hungry on the Upper West Side, you do not want to spend twenty dollars on lunch, and you want a quick taste of a Manhattan that existed before every storefront turned into a luxury bank branch. The hot dogs are strictly middle of the road. The history and price tag are considerably better.

Was picking up some snacks at Whole foods off Columbus Circle. Wandered across the street and tried…read moreto find the right subway entrance to take to Grand Central. When I couldn't figure it out, I gave up and switched to an underground exploration mission because I was presented with a gift: the Turnstyle Underground Food Hall. I was pleasantly surprised! Legit dumplings, paella, bubble tea and some cute shops. It's not fancy but it has lots of flair. I walked the two sides and ended up choosing the Korean hotdogs because they had a sign with a special. For $6.98 you get a half cheese/half hotdog on a stick with the lemonade. I stepped up and ordered. There was a bit of upselling going on. If you want chopped up french fries rolled into the batter it costs a little extra. There are also different spices and sauces to go on top. I chose the strawberry lemonade and it was super sweet, so I'd go heavy on the ice. Sat down at the tables provided in the center of the hall. Had to let my melted cheese cool for a bit, because that first bite burned my mouth. Once cool enough, I devoured mine. Any kind of "fried dog" is a favorite of mine. It looks like there were still empty store fronts that should be filled soon. Good stuff to come back for! For now this was a great introduction to Turnstyle!

delicious. lots of toppings and seasonings to choose from and the potato dog was delicious!!!read more

Ok yes the tacos are not the best in the world... but considering the location? This is pretty…read morepretty good, given that it's in Manhattan (a place not known for great Mexican food). A food truck right next to the subway in the upper west side, food is all cooked to order, and kept very well on my commute home to lower Manhattan. I liked that they had so many options for tacos, my favorite was La lengua (very flavorful and not dry). A few tacos had meat that was a little dry, but I was here at 9 pm so I wasn't expecting something out of this world. The burrito al pastor was GREAT. It was huge and had lots of filling. Cash only. The quesadilla is interesting, it had cotija cheese, lettuce and sour cream, which i was not expecting but it was a nice surprise, and my toddler enjoyed it so that's a win. I wouldn't go out of my way to visit this, but if i was in the area again, I would get it for a pretty solid and yummy dinner. We paid $40 for dinner for 3 people and still had leftovers.

This place is close to me, and had some great review, so I tried it out. The tacos were okay. I had…read morethe birria and they were tasty, though nothing special. But the burrito al pastor did not taste like al pastor at all. Also, it didn't have almost any meat, it was mostly rice and bland.

RICE BALLS ARE LIFE…read more I divert myself to Grand Central Station instead of Penn, just so I can take the walk to get rice balls. Every time. Best food going on in midtown.

Omusubi Gonbei is kind of like an all-in-one Japanese grocery store and food stall. They are most…read moreknown for their rice balls, which were very affordable. There is also a counter in the back of the store with ramen if you are looking for a more substantial meal. The service was as expected of a grocery store and the ambiance was a bit quiet that morning. I got their Spam Musubi. It was really tasty. The egg and spam had savory flavors that paired well with the plain rice. I wish the rice was not so thick and that the nori was a bit thicker, but still a scrumptious meal to grab on the go! I also bought this Japanese apple jelly drink which was refreshing. I want to come back to try their rice balls (onigiris), specifically the Shrimp Tempura. Very convenient spot to get some quick Japanese snacks and food.

I'm writing this right after ingestion...so things may change tomorrow…read more Chicken and lamb over brown rice with white and red sauce. Can't go wrong but I'm docking one star because I didn't think the white sauce had enough flavor. Not a ton of lamb in the meal but can't expect too much when you are only paying $6 for dinner. There are two kinds of rice- the yellow and brown. I recommend the yellow rice as it has a lot more flavor. Pretty good, glad it's closeby

A slider of pork belly with gojujang? Yes…read more Free food? YES! Thank you Taste of Korea truck. I only wish I could have about five of those delicious sliders. But it's free so I can't be greedy. There's really no need to try to promote Korean food to me personally though. Long time fan, right here.

Ok, so this truck is rolling around giving out free food all over the city until May 20th. Check…read moreout their facebook page for information. So about that pork belly slider? You should give me the recipe before it gets serious up in here. I know you buttered and toasted that bun like crazy. I know because I ate it....really really fast. So go ahead and get me that recipe. Or the review loses a star a day. I swear I'll do it.

Located right outside the 1 subway station and in front of the now enclosed Columbia Univ courtyard…read moreis Hooda Halal. Stopped by on a weekday early afternoon when class was in session. A line of a few ppl but moved fast I got the chicken over rice no salad. $10. Fresh. Fries on top. Fair portion. Not as greasy as other halal carts. Seemed healthy esp with cooked carrots as part of the mix. I ate at a seated bench in the middle of the N and S way of Broadway. They don't have Green sauce but have white and hot sauces. They operate 2 shifts but basically are open 8AM to 4AM. One of the better Halal carts in the city Hooda.

Very good Chicken and Lamb over rice platter - probably the best I've had from a halal cart. It's…read morepacked 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.