Rafiqi’s Delicious Food

Quick, better than halal guys, and have a magical green sauce. The guys who work at all of their stands are so nice too.

How can you sell a falafel without tahini, and without hummus, with a straight face? ASK THESE CLOWNS. You might as well open a bar without ice.

Meat in your mouth! What every girl loves. Oh man, tasty street meat. I got the chicken and lamb combo on a pita. Great flavor on the meat, nice toppings. Only thing that sucked was the ran out of the corn and onions. boooo it was only 1pm WTF.
Great for a quick, super filling, cheap, meat-​filled lunch.

They’ve been MIA for a few days – wassup Feek? Solid streetmeat. I’m a lamb on rice guy, extra hot, extra white, splash of bbq, sauteed onions, and Rafiqi’s delivers. One in a while the meat is dry, b ut generally a solid option for the tasty gutbomb-​in-​styrofoam.

To be honest, I’ve had better. I ordered a lamb over rice with a side salad. While the service is fast and certainly not causing a dent in my wallet, the food was just ok. What I thought was tzaziki sauce, was really just a mayonnaise and vinegar blend. Bleh!!! It was too sour for my taste, and it didn’t help that I asked for EXTRA «white sauce». My food was drenched and swimming in this sour white concoction that made my lips pucker with every bite.
I gave 3 stars because I got my food with swift quickness, he was a nice man, and I liked the rice (or at least the parts untouched by the white sauce). Maybe it was my mistake to think every halal cart calls their tzaziki (yogurt) sauce, «white sauce». I certainly learned my lesson, and I know I would have enjoyed my food a little more if I didn’t ask for extra white sauce without first finding out what the white sauce ingredients are in this particular halal cart.

Every once in a while I crave street meat. Rafiqi’s never fails. I get the gyro over rice with lettuce, tomato, onion and green peppers. Extra white sauce and a splash of hot sauce. $ 5.50! Its hard to not eat it all, but be forewarned, its a lot of food and you will want to nap after!

Honestly? Totally unimpressed with what I got here which was the gyro with rice. The meat was really bland and kind of epitomized what I’d consider street meat and the rice had no flavor either. Sure it’s fairly inexpensive but I don’t think just because its cheap you should sacrifice some level of quality.

Gyros are my favorite cheap and chewy meal. After spending a summer in Europe, gyros I found each city in Europe has their own version of a gyro. When I moved to NYC for an internship, I was excited to be around the plethora of mediterranean style sandwiches on every corner.
Rafiqi had my favorite gyro, of all the food trucks I tried in NYC. I claim it as my personal food truck stop. Working right south of Union Square, I’d stop by this place with my roommate on our way to the Path after work. We were usually able to get our gyros for cheaper somehow (I guess our good looks equaled a $ 1 discount each. we didn’t complain)
Lamb Gyro: I liked Rafiqi’s because it was $ 4 for gyro over flowing with tasty lamb meat and MANY options of topping. Lettuce, onions, tomatoes, corn, chickpeas… etc. And of course the greek yogurt and spicy sauce. I always ask for ketchup as well, that’s how they served them in Europe.
Vegetarian Gyro: My roommate always chose this option, which came with falafel instead of meat. I tried a bite and it was tasty. They gave a good amount too.
They had many other full mediterranean plates which I’m sure are just as tasty.
I’d say that Rafiqi’s is the best bang for your buck if you want a cheap, quick, and satisfying gyro.

I started seeing these trucks a lot in the city. I eat a lot of this type of cart food in my neighborhood in queens and wanted to try this out since it seems to get a lot of attention. It has sort of a brand name to it so you can expect to see the same trucks all around the city which is pretty cool. the lamb and rice was pretty standard and was not made to order which was cool because it was ready in just about 10 seconds but also weird because i am actually used to watching the dude chop up my lamb and smash it on the grill. the rice was different than what I expected also because it had things in it that i do not normally expect.vegetables. the food was pretty basic in the end, nothing to phone up mom and rave about. Seems pretty clean overall but I will be trying other ones to compare eventually.

Where did this Rafiqi’s move to? In the last 2 weeks or so, it looks like a wannabe has taken over the corners. hmmmm, did they retire?!

OK this is cheap good eats. I’m definitely a fan of this place. Running down from Tisch with limited time is always a pain and two blocks away I can get chicken and rice for a little over $ 5 bucks. It’s win win. But really the guy that runs this stand is what makes it. The dude didn’t have change to break my $ 20 so I said, «you want me to go make change» pointing to the Bank of America right behind me. The guys was like, «ya make me even more change!!», and gives me my $ 20 back. Then shoves an additional $ 20 into my hands. LOL. Uhhh … talk about some trust in NYC. So I run in and come back with twenty one-​dollar bills and the guy is just smiling while helping other customers. Love it.
The red sauce is bomb fyi.

This is where I go when I want cart food for a quick lunch. It’s just a two block walk, and better than the guys on my corner. They offer a variety of toppings (more than just saggy lettuce and tomato!) and sauces, but i stick to the white + hot that is traditional cart food style.
They have gone downhill a bit, though. I think their business is suffering. While the guys in the cart are still friendly and fast and generous on the portions, the prices have gone up (though are still very cheap) while the meat quality has degraded noticeably. I used to be impressed that they had better chicken than most of the no-​name carts, but now it’s the same. I’d rather they just raise the price 50 cents or so and gave us the good chicken back.
So I do still go here, and the guys still know my order when they see me, but it no longer impresses as much as it did.

You walk by the cart and smell the chicken, and then the lamb, and think, ‘Damn, that smells good.’ You mozy on over and look. They have better toppings then any other Street Meat vendor in the city. Olives, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, friend onions, regular onions, etc. You ask for some chicken over rice (but I don”t have to, they know my order by now). You see the chicken slide from the grill to the your styrofoam container and start getting hungry. But WAIT! You have to choose your sauce. A little white and the red spicy sauce please. Hand the man $ 5 and you’re good to go! (I recommend a public park or the office for consumption)
WARNING: Co-​workers may become insanely jealous and start getting street meat whenever you do.

I go to parsons and the buildings I’m always in are on 13^th street so I can’t even count the number of times I’ve stopped by this cart in the past couple months.
I, like many others, had been hesitant to try cart food but comparing the prices to other carts I’ve seen, and the food inside people’s boxes when they walk away, I had to give it a shot.
I’d like to say I’m a rafiqi’s verteran at this point. I’ve gotten my close classmates on it and it’s frequently a craving during our long classes… plus it’s seriously, 10 feet away.
As if that wasn’t enough, we’ve become close with the two main guys who work the cart and I have to say they’re some of the funniest people I’ve met. They bust their asses out there even in the coldest NY days and nights. Sometimes I go get something from them just to go say hi and see how things are going.
My friends will usually go for the chicken over rice which will come to 5 bucks, and I’ll try to change it up from time to time. I’ll usually go between sausage and lamb over rice, (godly) or a sausage sandwich.
i’ll usually end up paying around 5.50 and if i want a bottle of water, thats just a buck. my mouth is watering as I write this.
I recently had their falafels with some lamb over rice and I think they’re some of the better falafels of the food carts around the city.
This cart is almost like a 3^rd home to me. Be friendly! these guys are awesome.

YUMMYYYY i LOVE STREET MEEATT. everytime i walk by a rafiqi’s vendor i drool, but i never carry cash! this time i had 5 dollars in my wallet and i knew what i was gonna get for lunch. i got the chicken over rice with a hot sauce, it was sooo delicious. however i wish they used better toppings (the olives and corn looked like gross canned stuff i get at the grocers!)
so cheap and yummy, i love rafiqis

There is nothing I like more than cart food in New York City. And considering I eat chicken over rice at least twice a week while sober, I like to think I’m close to achieving aficionado-​status.
Rafiqi’s are one of the most common carts in the city. As a result, many people naïve to street food cuisine might fall under the impression this cart is actually decent. False. My rice was crunchy, like it had either been sitting out for too long or it came straight from the cardboard box and never got cooked. The chicken was stringy and chewy– totally gross. And the lettuce was close near expiration. The tomatoes were fine, but the only reason Rafiqi’s salvages two stars is because their barbecue sauce is damn good.
For $ 4.75, the price is unbeatable, but the quality is abysmal.

**** Lamb Halal– the lamb is sausage-​like in texture and consistency; grilled and browned, yet soft. Being just a little crunchy, actually makes it that much better, because of the experience of it. This is mixed with a creamy salad with corn, onions, black beans, and seasoned rice. The cayenne pepper paste warms the body for a long time; which is especially good in cold weather. Seasoned rice also comes with it, and reminds me of a simple fried rice, not too exciting though. The spices in this dish stay with you, and in your tummy for a long time, so don’t drink anything strange or weird, unless you’re used to it. I’d say seltzer water would be good.
Service
Simple, quick and easy. They were good, but she gets great service from them because she goes so often.
Conclusion
Near New School, I was taken here to try out the great halal. We dined nearby at a market that has indoor seating – we just bought drinks; one was sticky, which is troublesome. As far as experiences with lamb goes, this one was pretty good – the spices were a little overwhelming for me though. If in doubt, hit a cart with a long line.

$ 5.00 for a FULL plate of good food.
Sign me up.
Lasts me for lunch and 1^st of 2 dinners.
GOLDEN!
Well rounded meal including meat, rice and salad.
Mom would be proud!
Free plastic fork.
WOAH!

Wow. After 3 years of thinking «man, that food smells delicious,» I finally tried Rafiqi’s today.
First off, you should be prepared to either accept what the guys who work there tell you you’re going to order, or be very assertive.
Here’s my order:
Me: I’d like chicken on a pita, please.
Rafiqi Guy #1: Onions?
Me: No thanks.
Rafiqi Guy #2: Come on, onions!
(Rafiqi Guy #1 Nods)
Me: Okay.
Rafiqi Guy #1: White sauce, hot sauce?
Me: Hot sauce.
Rafiqi Guy #1: No white sauce?
Me: Nah, just hot sauce.
Rafiqi Guy #1(Holding the white sauce over the chicken): It’s goood!
Me: Well, okay.
I did manage to assert myself and refuse any further toppings, and I’m glad because this was filling! Make sure you have plenty of napkins, because your pita will be overflowing with greasy, delicious food!
Too often, we New Yorkers are swayed by the novelty of truck food. We forget about all the wonderful things that can come off of a cart.
Rafiqi’s, this is the start of a wonderful occasional lunch buying.

Rafiqi’s Delicious Food has several carts around Manhattan. This particular one serves the Flatiron-​Chelsea patrons and has some of the friendliest staff manning the cart.
Day after day it’s the same guys and every time they always seem to prepare your order with a smile. Makes me wonder if they ever have a bad day?
Unlike other snappy cart owners, these guys are more than happy to please. They’re more than generous with their portions and with customizing of your order however you please. Less lettuce more tomatoes? No problem!