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@husseinten

10 ай бұрын

Keep up the good honest review You are in my top 3 honest review spot

@hmt5oo

8 ай бұрын

Greeting. Next time , go ask them about their story with halal guys. That cart that you show in 52 Street and. 6 ave. I have buying the food from this guys since 2002..before having to split /Fired from 53 Street. Remember, the halal guys is famous only ar 53 St and 6 ave by Hilton hot.. Otherwise , they have cart 6 ave toward 5 ave cross Street that totally empty. All new yorkers that used to buy from them before halal guys become franchise , are still buying from this guys because they knows they are the one whom start the entire halal guys.. Those guys are the real cart workers that start the halal guy cart and the owner used to own cart , but never involved in any operation, but later , they have massive dispute with the owner of the cart at 53 Street and 6 ave. Their case went to court , but they never have massive fund to keep the legal expenses to fight for their cause...

Used to go halal guys all the time like 20 years ago when they only had one cart and were $5 a platter and they were amazing. The meat was always juicy and full of flavor. Past few time I've had it the meat was dry and bland. It was so disappointing how their quality seems to have dropped off a cliff.

@alexpark8515

10 ай бұрын

Agree. They were so much better back in the day. Every other cart is better

@eddiew2325

10 ай бұрын

I used to work at moma and I only tried halal guys twice. The meat was dry and it wasn't worth the hype

@kaderguerrab6073

9 ай бұрын

Did you get the chicken or lamb the line moves fast

@Riz1TheGreat

9 ай бұрын

those were some good times, I remember that they would slice cuts of lamb for you. Now they cut it like it's ground beef

@jzderf

6 ай бұрын

1000% agree. In fact it's amazing just HOW BAD its gotten. It's not even a "oh its not quite as good as before" - the plates are literally bad. Super dry. Crazy bland. And crazy overpriced.

As a native New Yawker... Skip the tourist traps and go to the outer boroughs. The halal cart in the Stop N Stop plaza across the Police Academy near the Whitestone Expressway in Flushing is made fresh every time and never dry and stringy! I also go to a cart on Cross Bay Blvd & Rockaway Blvd when I worked at JFK. Haven't been to the JFK cart in a few years but still go to the Flushing cart when I visit my mom.

Agree completely. Lifelong New Yorker here and never go there despite everyone claiming it’s super popular. Great, honest review as always.

@vincentcorcoran6247

9 ай бұрын

I'm a New Yorker since 1973...I love the cart on 53rd street,so I have no idea what your talking about

@Lazyperry

9 ай бұрын

Word @@vincentcorcoran6247

@gmaxsfoodfitness3035

4 ай бұрын

@@vincentcorcoran6247 Did you watch the video or read the comments? Apparently Halal Guys has had dry chicken/meat lately (as shown in the first half of the video). Maybe it hasn't been so bad when you go to their cart or you just don't care if the meat isn't fresh. There was a clear difference in the freshness and juiciness of the chicken from the cart and the storefront location.

Halal Guys has recently received terrible reviews. Dry... Flavorless... Expensive for what you get. Seems to be universal.

@Cashelda

10 ай бұрын

I was really excited when they came to Vegas. Tried it and was super disappointed and had no idea what all the fuss was about.

@HirorYuGundy

10 ай бұрын

Yet people wait in line for it 😂

@ramencurry6672

10 ай бұрын

I think one reason why it’s popular is because rice is viewed as a comfort food especially among immigrants. Even though it’s not a great version of rice, it’s still rice. Rice can hit the spot in a way a sandwich can’t. I think it’s something that many Americans have not experienced growing up but many immigrants have. Rice is not that common in the world of fast food so that can make the Halal Guys more attractive

@Cashelda

10 ай бұрын

@@ramencurry6672 rice is cheap just as beans are cheap. Both items are cheap and very filling that's why it is popular. Even in the U.S. these items are popular amongst lower income people.

@ramencurry6672

10 ай бұрын

@@Cashelda Yes. But when you’re out on a job, finding rice dishes are usually not easy unless if you go to a Chinese restaurant. Many times when you’re out, burgers and sandwiches become too common and can be tiring. So when you’re out on a work shift and see a Halal Guys, it can become attractive. Halal Guys is more of a work shift food for office people, drivers, etc. in city environments…..If I had an office across the street, I would eat it occasionally. If I was a tourist I would avoid it.

I agree with you completely. Their franchises are mostly garbage too, with low yelp rating to match. I wish other reviewers are as honest as you instead of faking smiling and yummy everything so good!. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!

@MBEABOGADOS

10 ай бұрын

Yes. Two weeks ago I was there its garbage.

Visiting NYC later this month, and just ripping through your awesome vidz for food ideas. Love 'em!

I love your channel so much man. You have a great personality and vibe to your videos. Love how youre actually critical of food unlike other channels

UA Eats rocks... always honest, fair reviews... showing us places all over. :))

I'm glad a review was done. I stopped eating at Halal Guys when I asked for chicken, they had one packaged already from a previous customer that probably didn't want it. That should have been my first clue not to take it, when I found out it was lamb, and that was it. I remember when we could add the sauce ourselves with the squeeze bottles that had available on the side of the cart. I guess they're tighten their belts. A huge definite skip, now with the dry ass meat (or surprise meat). Huge definite pass whenever I'm near that corner.

regarding the white sauce, its just mayo with "spices". soybean oil+egg yolk+water+vinegar, salt, sugar= a basic mayo with additional stabilizers.

Nice updated review! Interesting that the store-front is so much better than the cart. I've done a ton of street food in NYC over 40 years but this is an interesting touch. My assumption is that the flat-top in the store is better to work with than the cart! I will definitely stop at the 14th street location on my next NYC visit. Nice that you mentioned Adele's! Just for curiosity, were the prices similar? I hate dry chicken. I do prefer lamb!

@uaeats

10 ай бұрын

I love Adel's! Prices are about the same. Around $10.

@christianhansen3292

10 ай бұрын

cheaping out on ingredients. went commercial too big for britches

Another great video from Birdperson! Love it.

I love your content bro! Keep doing what you love, just subscribed!

@user-fw5yc7ks5t

10 ай бұрын

Wtf is my username? Lol

Thanks keep them coming

you have good content and great energy. Waiting for your channel to explode! good luck

How much was the storefront meal?.. I walk by the spot all the time, and never stopped in..

Had them back in the early 2000s. Was amazing. Chicken was more like the storefront appears to have.

@uaeats

10 ай бұрын

Interesting! So the storefronts really are closer to the original taste

Hello. I subbed to you back when you made your first halal guys vid. I remember disagreeing with your opinion on it since I used to get them for lunch at my old job and had fond memories of it. This made me curious so I've since gone back and Jesus Christ is their chicken dry as cardboard. What a waste of money. I always walk past the brick and mortar locations thinking it's just going to be more of the same, but you've convinced me to try one out. Thanks for calling out the tourist traps. There's so much good food in this city, it's not worth it go to a subpar location to eat just to say that you've tried it.

Yeah I feel they're over-hyped. There's some great halal carts by me in Queens, but Manhattan has plenty, too. As a retired NYC Paramedic, next time you see an ambulance, ask them where to get, and 99% of the time, it'll be the best in the neighborhood!

Hello from Calgary, Alberta Canada. They opened a location here and thought I'd try it out based on a number of KZread videos I watched to see what the hype was about. It didn't blow my mind enough to go back.

I was so blessed to have worked around the corner back when they were good. Feel so old now.

Have you tried the grease trucks in New Brunswick at Rutgers? I think one of them(R U Hungry) graduated to an actual restaurant

@uaeats

10 ай бұрын

I've had it before many years ago. I was thinking of trying it again sometime for a vid!

A storefront Halal Guys opened here in downtown Vancouver, Canada a month ago at 570 Robson St. After trying the combo platter, my advice is to head to Afghani Kabul Kebab Donair on 1793 Robson St for a much better tasting, and less expensive meal.

@nadegekettenacker3623

10 ай бұрын

I'm from van and just tried halal guys last week and it was soo gross 🤢 the chicken seemed like it was boiled with some off-putting taste, the gyro meat was salty and the rice was flavourless. And I found the white sauce to have the same off-putting taste as the chicken. There are so many other better places!

My guy got a sponsor!!! Yesss🎉🎉🎉

Great review! Interesting about your comment about how THEY put on the sauce is as marker for better quality. I would have to agree. BUT, my experiences are much more limited. I became acquainted with one of the first Franchises out here in San Francisco. It was AMAZING. I noticed a difference between various locations, but couldn't put my finger on it. The sauce packet locations have since closed, and I wouldn't be surprised if the SF location closed too. The quality has definitely gone down, but tons of restaurants have had trouble staying open given our issues in the city (even if the media depictions are not totally representative)

They tried to put a franchise in Dearborn Heights MI, it lasted less than 6 months before closing. We have the largest Middle Eastern population outside of the Middle East here in SE Michigan. The food was pretty horrible when compared to all the independent places here.

I recently found your channel and I love it! Thanks for doing these and keep up the good work👍 Much love from Norway

Back at their original carts, I used to just drizzle the sauces myself from the bottles. Packages sauces you have to ask for extra, it never enough. Also I avoid the chicken and just get the gyro, the chicken too dry for my taste.

You don't hold back any negative opinions and you are pretty through with it. This is why I and many others love your reviews. Keep up the good work , mate. cheers.

The franchise here where I live, the food is so dry that it makes your throat hurt. There is way better options when it comes to this type of food but they do deserve some credit for making more people aware of it.

The main ingredients of the white sauce are all essential components of mayonnaise, which is basically what it is. You could probably make something very similar at home!

@countycullen

10 ай бұрын

agreed. 90% of the things listed are just mayo ingredients. whenever u sell a sauce or whatever, u must list all of the ingredients of everything used. So actual recipe would be, mayo, vinegar, and some spices. if i had to guess i would say garlic powder, and maybe cumin? Never tried it, so just guessing

@kp3509

6 ай бұрын

I make it at home and just made it. It is not exact, but close. Mayo, yogurt,black pepper, garlic powder, white vinegar, lemon juice, Hint if salt. I added oregeno.

I worked at Rockefeller Center for nearly a decade. This was back when a large plate was $6. It weighed about 2 pounds. Nowadays the small plate is $11. The quality was slightly better too. I noticed back in 2010 your choices were either Chicken or Lamb. Within a few years they switched the Lamb for “Gyro” meat and the quality took a hit. Agreed. They would DROWN your plate in sauce. Actually sometimes I would add a bit more of the hot sauce. Today, they go too light on the meat, heavy on the rice and that lettuce. Wish they’d stayed as they were back in the day. Too commercial now.

@gmaxsfoodfitness3035

4 ай бұрын

That's interesting. I've never had Halal Guys (not that I know of) but I've had plenty of Gyros usually from Greek restaurants/food spots and there was a time when gyro meat was just lamb but I think to save money it tends to be lamb mixed with beef these days.

@ryangies4798

4 ай бұрын

@@gmaxsfoodfitness3035 Yes. Halal Guys switched from Lamb to Gyro Meat (beef with a tiny bit of lamb). The lamb was much better quality. Seems like the spice blend was better as well as today it just tastes like ground beef.

Congrats on the sponsorship UA!!

How much for the platter at the cart and how much for the platter at the store in union square?

You should go to cho dang gol and try the mini bossam and seafood tofu soup!

It was amazing before they franchised. Was in New York a few weeks ago and the quality difference was shocking - really went downhill.

@christianhansen3292

10 ай бұрын

cost?

Halal guys was great until 2017. Used to go there every week at the 14th st location during my high school days. Price was way lower too and meat was juicier, flavorful and fresh. Just not the same these days, higher prices but lower quality. Definitely better than the cart but my favorite halal guys store is the one I went to in King of Prussia, PA. Price was lower and quality was definitely better than any NYC halal guys

If you look around, you will sometimes see the van come up and deliver the rice. In super large pots. And years ago you would have seen them cooking the chicken from raw. There are times you can see that the second cart is being used to cook food to take to the first cart. My mixture I prefer is just white sauce. I can’t eat the chicken alone, has to be mixed with the gyro meat.

There was a Halal cart on Beaver St in downtown across from where I used to work. I ate that stuff three times a week of lunch. Still some of the best food I’ve ever eaten in NYC. They were not the “Halal Guys”. I finally got around to trying Halal Guys and was so disappointed. The guys downtown had them beat easily.

Please review Zankou Chicken… sooooo good! And make sure to eat with the harissa sauce (must ask for it).

Halal Guys is still solid, but I remember it tasting much better when my parents took me as a kid. I came back to visit New York City this summer and had Halal Guys since it was near my hotel. It was good, but it's not something I would look forward to eating anymore. I agree with what you said about the sauce. I hate that it comes in a single packet now when back then they would drown the plate in that heavenly sauce from the bottle. Even though I got multiple packets of that white sauce, it's hard to mix everything together. My favorite part of the meal was the gyro meat. I would probably try a different halal cart the next time I'm in New York. Also! Get that sponsor money UA! You even use a cast iron skillet to cook your HelloFresh meal 😱 Glad to see your channel grow and think even bigger things are coming your way if you keep up this grind.

I’ve been binge watching your channel ever since the algorithm showed it to me. Why is every well known establishment a let down? Does any place with a big name actually live up to the hype?

When Halal Guys first started, it was 2 guys feeding 100. Today, it's the same 2 guys trying to fee 1000, so you can do the math. If you go to the brick and mortar, you get 20 guys feeding 1000, so you stand a chance to get better.

Great Review as always ! Yes they used to be good back in their infancy as a food cart on the street. But just like everybody else once you expand then go franchise and so on the quality goes down at least for the food carts. Once they start giving you their famous sauces in packets which I hate the game is over. Plus I don't do food cart anymore there's so many people handling the products and you never know about hygiene or a worker tasting the food and double dipping yuck !! Not to mention a stray hair in your meal. The brick-and-mortar store look way better still no hair net and a lot of beards going on not covered just saying

@GorgeGeourge9565

10 ай бұрын

Totally agree about their decline in quality. I do get nostalgic feelings about halal guys though, thinking about those many drunken late nights with my friends waiting in that long ass line and when you finally get that platter after patiently waiting it's like the best thing you've ever ate. lol

@leredditcommander8208

10 ай бұрын

Damn dude you are paranoid, stick to eating your own home food.

Definitely changed and the chicken is much dryer then it use to be. Fun fact when I had it for the first time they had sauce bottles on the side of the cart and I taught the hit sauce was bbq sauce and boy was I wrong 7 bucks down the drain I need another plate because that one was not edible at all 😅

I just tired Halal guys for the first time in Aurora,CO and the food was kinda good

nice video - but missing falafel!! the og cart is better than the franchises I've tried.. and way higher quality than most random carts in the city. the platter you're having at the store has like 10x more sauce than you used at the cart. (1) use more sauce. especially (way) more hot sauce. (2) gyro and falafel combo, not chicken (agree chicken is sometimes dry) I used to go to the cart often for lunch (quick walk from office) haven't been since pre-covid, so maybe quality is down since fewer workers around leaving only tourists

Check out The Casbah at 66th and Columbus. Was my go-to meat over rice when I lived there. So tasty and so cheap. The rice is, *gasp*, actually spiced. Moroccan kinda spiced as I believe the owners are Moroccan.

worked a messenger in the 80's when cart 1st started even saw the hot dog stand 1st loved the cart when it 1st opened great food no lines and fresh now it sucks not the same you are so right ua

I stumbled onto your channel and now I watch all the new stuff and backtracking.......mate, I had a stroke and have thought about doing this since I have to do a re-invent of myself.......how much are you able to make with around 30k subs?

I've had halal from trucks and store in 3 different boroughs. Its all pretty much the same to me, the only ones that stand out are the bad ones. By Queens Center Mall, theres like 4 different carts, but the one I picked that day, everything was super bland.

Those carts are all about tourists money. I grabbed a falafel off the cart right outside Penn Station a few days ago. It was absolute garbage. Ended up chucking it after a couple of bites. And I know better but I was hungry.

If you come to NYC, get some halal. Just dont get the Halal Guys. Look for carts that the chicken has a reddish color and the rice more on the browner side, not yellow. These are usually the most liked ones by locals (around my circle of friends and family). Dont be shy to ask for more sauce, they will add more no problem.

I tried it in South Korea and was honestly great. The spicy sauce was super mild though.

People need to realize when youre that big you cant make EVERYTHING to order... When you cook big batches and need to keep food on heat to keep it warm, unfortunately, it dries up. It isnt like they get worse on purpose.

I also felt for the trap, i knew it was all hype but i love arabic food so i just had to go and experience myself. It was not bad but expensive for what it was, also the guys that work there i think they hate their job, they are rude AF i think that was worse than the food. In the end i found another cart with better and cheaper food and ate there almost everyday of my NYC trip.

That's what we eat when we're drunk after going out in the weekends. In my country they call it a Kapsalon. but instead of rice they use fried potatoes. .they also sell it in a Wrap. all the ingredients in 1 wrap. Durum kebab, with tomato, cumcumber, onion and white sauce ( garlic sauce) also red sause..i liked this vid. thansk for uploading.

Have the franchises here in Los Angeles, CA too. Been to one and it was terrible. Never been back

hey ua.....why dont you hang out after the premiere for a more relaxed q and a?

I think what gave it the most hype were good portions for cheap price. Nowadays, their quality is basically the same, while now more expensive. The white sauce is really needed to moisten every bite. Overall, tasty food, but nothing outstanding.

I work 2 blocks away from the cart. Saw a worker accidentally drop the tongs he was using. He picked them up and threw them back into the heap of chicken. Never been back since. The food used to be good 10 years ago, but have since degraded in quality.

@dickriggles942

10 ай бұрын

Bro, I wouldn't go to any restaurant if I were you. Much worse goes on.

I would never wait in the line for that dry food. They were once good, but now it’s a tourist trap and food quality has gone down.

I was at Halal Guys on route 22 in Kenilworth NJ. Overpriced and an embarrassing recreation of every single different food cart I've ever had lamb/chicken over rice at. AND it costed way too much.

@rrastetter

10 ай бұрын

Hamza and Medina truck and store front on Long Island around Hicksville is excellent. Think they still have a truck in Hillside avenue and Little Neck Pkwy. But in general all the small guys also are selling a good product a good price

@ramencurry6672

10 ай бұрын

The food is ok for like a college cafeteria

@rrastetter

10 ай бұрын

exactly lol@@ramencurry6672

I remember them from back in the day (about 15 years ago), and they were very good. Back then, for $6 per plate it was like a great deal. There was more demand back then, always a long line; so, the meat was never dry due to having sat on the grill for a long time. Like anything else, this to must have changed over time…

I personally mix the white and hot sauce on the lid, and then transfer it to the food.

Please check out Adel's Hala Cart, it's down the street from Halal Guys and now has a longer line than the original Halal Guys. Would love to see your review on it!

Did you first eat halal guys before Covid it was pretty good

The word u looking for is congealed not bigger drop sauce..love your videos..very authentic

It was good prior to competition and when i only ate it post club/ bar. 15 + years ago- It’s now mid & blah.

Best chicken over rice is at 54th and Park east side of 54th this stand is very good

Come to Australia particularly Melbourne we have soooo many halal kebab shops like this, practically 8 in every suburb! The kebabs and HSPS are bomb :D

@mssiggypiggy

9 ай бұрын

Really? I've been looking for a decent place in Melbourne for chicken over rice with white sauce and haven't found a decent one yet. Where do you go?

@jesskaranne2646

8 ай бұрын

@@mssiggypiggy That's not a thing here, halal kebab shops mainly do HSP packs and Kebabs and chips and some other arabic type of foods but chicken over rice and white sauce I've never seen here as a main feature of a halal kebab place here. Im sure it might exist in a similar way but yeah sorry to tell you that it's not a thing here :(

Add the prices next time. I'm always curious how much it costs. Great energy!

@txt4r

3 ай бұрын

i think it cost $11 or $12

This is spot on. There are so many better carts right around the corner, with Afghan food and other similar things.

There is a Halal cart on 125th and Lenox. Beautiful food

Haven't halal guys in a while but never had a terrible experience (never had the chicken tho). Last time I went was one of their free standing locations in Jersey and was actually pretty pretty decent.

Please try qwik kart 45st & 6 ave Also please try Sammy's halal. 4th st & 6 ave. Both. Sooooooooo much better

Thank you for giving an honest review of this place. I rooted for them for so long, and when I used to go to them back around 2012-2013 the food was still good, though not exceptional. It was affordable, you got a lot of food, the hot sauce was the spiciest thing you've ever had in your life. Then I went a few years ago and it was.... Shockingly bad. As in, the driest, blandest chicken I've ever had in my life. I say that without hyperbole. And I want to love them, I really do, for so many reasons. The immigrant success story in america, the fact that they helped create a whole genre of food in NYC (as we know halal just refers to a set of dietary guidelines in Islam, but in NYC it means chicken or lamb gyro or over rice with white sauce). But I just can't do it. You'll have a better experience at any random halal cart that you will with the Halal Guys. And it makes me sad. You see it now too. They used to have lines around the block but not anymore. Everyone has started going to Adel's in from of Rockefeller Center ( who are quite good but definitely not stand in line for an hour good). Their decline honestly just bums me out.

You gotta go to King of Falafel & Schwarma in Astoria and 31st! Blows all of those guys away!

Can you try a halal cart called "The Casbah?" It's on the corner of 66th and Columbus. IMO, the lamb is very good,

@uaeats

10 ай бұрын

I used to love that place!

The location in Orlando incredibly seems better than the famous cart 🤣At least they'll apply sauce evenly for you. I did happen to eat at that storefront in NYC 2 years ago, no idea it was their first location.

tbh I never really liked halal guys compared to carts like sammy's or just all the carts around 74th street roosevelt but damn this is damning. I haven't halal guys in forever, I gota see how far it's fallen it couldn't have gotten this much worse.

food trucks are apparently for idiots. When I was a ups drive they were called roach coaches for good reason. They would go to businesses and deliver crapppy food to warehouse workers who didnt have time for a real meal. Ive never waited a half hour to place a food order in my life and im 50.

We’ve got one here in Seattle

Prepackaged sauce with preservatives. I bet when they first started that was not the way it was prepared.

When I worked construction in the city the halal style vendors were cheap,convenient and decent tasting. 5$ for a soda and plate of meat over rice.

Ahhh. Great UA review .👍 kinda speaks volumes when you drop the majority of halal meal in the bin . 😮

Went to New York las week, and I didn't bother going to Halal Guys, I went to Kwik Meal and I wasn't disappointed, got a good Lamb with rice platter.

Wow nice code UA

Thanks so much for the awesome tip! Was so planning to try Halal Guys one day and now I know what to do without ruining my first experience and expectations. For that, thank you so much, kind sir 🙏🙏🙏

Spices they mean lots of msg which is pretty damn good

If I am in that area I here “Adel” is very good, they open at 4… HG fell off, the cart and the stores… I think UA did a review on Adel as well before

Commercials for Hello Fresh?? WTH? Thats how you know your on your way! 😉

@sundaybest27

10 ай бұрын

Yeah, that was kind of a letdown....even though ua was in them so that was kinda nice

12:34 put so much hot sauce 😂😂😂

What you're saying about dried out chicken is chicken chopped small so they cook it faster. The story with eating in places these is really not the food but memories of how you have grown since those days.

its crazy to me you only have 20k subs. i have no doubt you will have millions 1 day.

Soybean oil, water, egg yolk, & distilled vinegar is the recipe for mayonnaise.

10 yrs ago I was on a big construction near 53rd & 6th. They had a cart on all 4 corners with 20 people on line all day

@uaeats

10 ай бұрын

Sounds about right

man like 10 years ago halal guys was FIRE but once they franchised big time they fell tf off. and I remember they would have the sauce bottles on the side and you could apply it yourself

@ramencurry6672

10 ай бұрын

Only been to a Halal Guys location in another city. It reminds me of Olive Garden

@uaeats

10 ай бұрын

Yep I remember those days when you could apply as much sauce from the bottles as you wanted. I always thought the chicken was very dry but I remember the rice being more flavorful

Halal fuys store front is good, but sometimes the chicken or gyro can be dry.