If this video got you hungry, scroll back up and smash that like button! 📝 Plan the Ultimate NYC Trip! Shop our NEW Guides/Itineraries: bit.ly/BarrGuidesNYC1
Americans need to understand what exactly is Halal which is troubling many countries. Halal is cruel islamic way of animal slaughter where the animal is not stunned before killing. The jugular vein of the animal is slit and the animal whose brain is still functioning dies a cruel and painful death. Besides this only muslims are allowed to be employed in the Halal industry right from butchers to everyone else. This policy of employment based on religion basis religion keeps the average American Christian JOBLESS. Americans need to stop accepting HALAL the CRUELEST form of ANIMAL TORTURE.....WAKE UP
@@MSH786 it’s scientifically proved animals endure more pain without stunning . Use Brian’s Or next go to doctor and have a surgery without anaesthesia
Halal cart food kept me going back in 2013 when my husband was in the neuro ICU at the end of his life. The cart was outside Sloan-Kettering and I pretty much lived on that for two weeks. It's comforting, filling, nourishing food. It was like a hug from a friend when I needed it.
Halal guys quality has gone down over the years and now it's just not worth it. Adel's is easily my favorite for the spicy rice. That line is always too long though
Once the Halal guys franchised, they went downhill. Honestly the food tastes nothing like it does in the original cart. Original guys aren't imitators, they were one of the owners of the Halal guys but branched off. Food is exactly the same and sometimes they give more. This was a great video, really appreciated the overview.
Gonna be honest, I've no idea about Halal Guys from personal experience... but Egyptians (sorry brothers but I gotta say it) do not have that magic touch with cuisine, & DEFINITELY NOT with Levantine cuisine, and falafel IS Levantine, even rice, they are not famous for. So it's probably the original guy.. was a freak one man of a kind, people loved his food, and then tried to expand, and naturally he'd hire people, from what I've heard he is hiring other Egyptians, which is understandable, but I think it's the problem. This could sound as if I'm taking shots at Egyptians, which I'm not... Egyptian people are some of THE BEST, most sincere and INCREDIBLY intelligent people in HISTORY, but they are NOT famous for being gifted with their cuisine, neither with cooking skills in general!
My boyfriend and I went on Greg’s tour two weeks ago after your recommendation, and it was the best decision ever. We are from Mexico and your videos have made our NYC trips the most enjoyable.
I am said boyfriend and I can confirm this!. Our only regret is that we didn't get a selfie with Greg, he is such a great tour guide (and person) and the food was obviously awesome. I'm also a big fan of your content. Next time you come to Mexico City I can recommend you a few incredible places to eat
Americans need to understand what exactly is Halal which is troubling many countries. Halal is cruel islamic way of animal slaughter where the animal is not stunned before killing. The jugular vein of the animal is slit and the animal whose brain is still functioning dies a cruel and painful death. Besides this only muslims are allowed to be employed in the Halal industry right from butchers to everyone else. This policy of employment based on religion basis religion keeps the average American Christian JOBLESS. Americans need to stop accepting HALAL the CRUELEST form of ANIMAL TORTURE.....WAKE UP
The key of owning something good that you've created and the brand comes along after is NEVER CHANGE YOUR QUALITY!!! change your price, your portion or wtf ever.. DON'T EVER CHANGE YOUR QUALITY!!! your quality is why you continue to have supporters! Your quality of Ingredients to create such as a great meal is key... Quality is what everybody tends to give up on and starting to cut corners to make profit.. that's the quickest way to shut your doors.
Thank you for the honest review of Halal Guys!!!!!! I've eaten there several times in the past 10 years - I completely agree with your review. The meat is so dry and unflavored. It's not marinated and has no seasoning. The white and red sauce packets are inconvenient. So many other halal carts offer delicious, colorful, spicy food
Then you should stop going to Halal Guys. Halal Guys flavor (or lack thereof as per you) has always been the same. I've been going there for 22 years - not a single change. They started giving out the sauce in packets becoz' people would ask extra sauce and it became inconvenient. If you want marinated and seasoned food, you should try Indian or Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Halal Guys is Arabian food.
I was there for the 2012 ball drop and they were very good, but when we visited the franchise it sounded more like what they described in the show. Dry and stringy chicken instead of chunks of thigh meat and nice, seasoned beef on rice replaced by strings of lean something or another. They didn't have packets or anything back then, just everything out of a bottle. I think it's because they franchised and industrialized.
i"ve eaten at many arab resturants and they always have flavor ... halal guys is like eating a cardbioard with mayo no flavor u just have bad taste @@rosh70
This man immediately becomes my top 5 food review channel in RUclips. His concise description of the food and honesty tops it all. His channel feels organic without the ads or sponsored, and unnecessary transitions, filter, etc. just how RUclips videos should be - like the old days. Keep up the good work man!
Love the focus on Halal carts! An absolute staple for NYCers looking for a quick bite - street meat forever! And more people need to call out the Halal Guys. Their product hasn't been good in forever (or maybe ever?). Whenever I see the line for them in Midtown a part of my soul dies. It's probably the worst halal cart food I've ever had. 5/6 dollar plates from any random tiny halal cart is always better. And this isn't me being contrarian just because something is popular. It flat out simply isn't good.
The only reason why its so popular is because the celebrities' and famous youtubers who know NOTHING about what real halal food tastes like, eat there, and advertise them for all to see. More justice for the smaller TASTIER businesses out there!
the original 53rd and 6th actually was the best. this was before the commercialization, before the sauce packets, when the plates were $6. the white sauce used to actually be yogurt based and the beef was lamb. it was actually one of the best in NYC. this was before the lines, before anyone knew about it except old school new yorkers.
@@NoNo-bz1fz Not sure what you're referencing here. If you mean Halal Guys, I was not talking about them in terms of a quick meal but rather halal carts in general.
The first one looked the best! I like Indian flavors more than Middle Eastern In the Halal guy stores they put the sauce on it for you, they don’t give you packets. I enjoy it, maybe the stores are better than the carts.
The 1st one is the best one. Just go in the day. The guy who runs it at night isn't as nice as the daytime guy and they're low on the green sauce at night. Love the sauces there.
Crazy seeing people say 9 bucks is cheap. When I was growing up in Brooklyn you could get a Chicken/Lamb over rice with all the goodies for 6 bucks easy. 5 even depending on the spot
If you’re in Queens, one of the best is under the 7 at 46th St, 24 hours, and in the outer borough is “Chaplis & Chips”, an Afghan truck that has incredibly seasoned beef and chicken.
Since we're talking about Queens, I want to nominate Shahs Halal Cart by 133 street and Liberty Ave. I've been going there for years and they're definitely the best cart in my neighborhood. And although they're a chain, Halal Munchies on 164th street makes some of the best halal food in the entire city.
The best thing about this video is Greggs opinion, because he critiques the quality of the food. I can’t recall John saying “terrible”, “meh”, “fairly good”. Surely they can’t all be really tasty? I’m in town for a week at the end of September and really want to experience local cultures with my favourite wife, family and friends. This video was extremely helpful though, thanks John (send our ❤ to your beautiful wife and little one)
I was in New York a couple of weeks ago and waited in the long line for Adel’s and let me tell you it was soooooo worth it. The portion size is gigantic and the flavors of the meat and the spicy rice was to die for. They also aren’t stingy with the white sauce. I’m back home in Los Angeles and still dreaming about that food.
My first time in Midtown I wanted to try a halal cart but the number of choices was absolutely overwhelming. Thanks so much for breaking down some of the choices, because now I feel prepared! I did see Adel’s had an enormous line that scared me off, but next time I’m headed there with purpose.
First video I’ve seen from you and I loved your honest, concise reviews. Plus I love Halal guys and now I’m shocked to see it has really gone downhill since they franchised. Subscribed because I want more of this content!
My wife and I watched several of your You Tube videos about visiting NYC and this one was the one we watched the most. We wanted to try Halal so we went to Royal Grill and it was unbelievable. Thanks for all the videos
My favorite halal cart is easily Sammy's on Bedford Ave in Williamsburg. My girlfriend and I get it at least once a week. Sammy's and our favorite pizza spot, Williamsburg Pizza (the one on union and South 3rd in Williamsburg), are the two things we take everyone to when they visit us. The reason it's so Williamsburg focused is that we've lived in Williamsburg ever since we moved here. Love checking out your videos to find great spots in other neighborhoods
This video couldn't come at a better time! I'll be visiting NY next week, and food is still something I have yet to figure out. Well, that's sorted now, thanks to this video. Thank you!!! 🤝
Update - I've tried every place listen in this video, and Boka recommend by Jon, and oh boy, they did not disapoint! 🥰 If anyone needs recommendation of the best places to eat in NY, this is it! 💯
Halal guys, which used to lovingly be called Chicken and Rice by locals used to be incredible. Their white sauce was also the best, back when you'd get your food and then head to the right side of the cart for the squeeze bottle to put as much sauce as you wanted yourself. They also used to serve lamb. Everything changed when they opened brick and mortar stores. It upsets me to this day.
We used to drive from Jersey to Manhattan just to get Halal guys then I moved to South Korea and they opened a restaurant in Seoul I was so excited. Complete let down, they sold out heavily. Fortunately we have many even better food trucks. Gotta love NYC for that
Nah, I've been in the neighborhood since 2008. They taste exactly as mediocre as they were over a decade ago. The only difference is the price has gone up like 70%. Never understood the hype about the white sauce as that, too, has not changed: it has the exact same sour mayonnaise taste now as they did back in 2008. It was over-hyped up then, and still over-hyped up now. I only went over the years whenever I was in the mood for some cheap late night street food alternatives, though it's not even that cheap anymore.
@@inframinced6698 so you also think Heinz ketchup out of a bottle vs packets will taste differently just because they got packaged differently? Feel free to stand by any irrational fallacies you have, tis a shame that won't make them correct.
@@prufrock I'm not saying that. I'm saying it's clear it's not the same recipe. Additional additives and cutting corners for mass production are apparent.
During my cab driving heydays I use to love KWIK meal cart . now that I don't drive a cab anymore I dearly miss their food . Kwik meal cart actually serve small pieces of lamb unlike others serves lamb gyro meats .
Idea for a video/series: Recommend the best places to eat (maybe one sit down and one street food place?) on the way from one major location to another major location. I sometimes make food spots targets all on their own, but so often the highly recommended places are pretty far from the other things I'm doing in the city. Let's say I'm walking from the NY Public Library near Bryant Park to my 2pm matinee on 43rd street. (this is just one example. You could do TONS of these) What's a place with really good food that I can find easily while walking pretty directly from one to the other?
@@HereBeBarr I'm more of a Greek lover when it comes to food than Italian Tzatziki sauce and Gyro the best when u eat Authentic. I never visited Greentown when I lived in Detroit
Adel’s is insanely good. Me and my friends would go there and stand in line for like 45 minutes just chilling and joking around. No matter what time….even 2 am the lines are insane
Jon, you need to bring along the Tupperware with you doing one of these type of vlogs…This stuff looks like it would save pretty good for a couple of days and probably actually taste better with the time for the flavors to settle in …
As a Muslim this makes me happy, Halal meat is how all of the prophets prepared their meat. For the sake of ourselves, we should be aiming to please God by eating Halal. Cheers from Philadelphia
Americans need to understand what exactly is Halal which is troubling many countries. Halal is cruel islamic way of animal slaughter where the animal is not stunned before killing. The jugular vein of the animal is slit and the animal whose brain is still functioning dies a cruel and painful death. Besides this only muslims are allowed to be employed in the Halal industry right from butchers to everyone else. This policy of employment based on religion basis religion keeps the average American Christian JOBLESS. Americans need to stop accepting HALAL the CRUELEST form of ANIMAL TORTURE.....WAKE UP
Now here's a video to be excited about! Mostly agree with your takes, but have to say the best city-wide still has to be the original vendy winner, Sammy's Halal, and I'm gonna guess that's what Greg's talking about in Jackson Heights? They have locations in manhattan, 6th and 4th st and now Madison Sq area too. It's about the rice and the green sauce. Their rice is so delicious and fragrant, a meal on it's own. I'm also a fan of Tariq's on Park Ave around 19th. Halal Guys is def overrated though I do like the white sauce, and Rafiqis is also overrated. Haven't had Kwik Meal in years but loved it, it's def like an actual yogurt/raita type sauce, not mayo. Great stuff.
Another cart that went downhill after expansion was Shah's. I lived in the area of the original cart in south Queens and it was incredible in the early days
I went to the royal grill today and had the chicken tikka based on this video and it was delicious. Also the man in the cart was a super nice and generous person. So glad to know about it. Thank you PS. RUclips is not allowing me to subscribe for some reason, though I keep trying 😢
Halal Guys was really good. Trying it 5 years ago won't tell you much, they had gone corporate long before then. They were great about 15-17 years ago. Adel's is my favorite now, though I haven't tried the two Bangladeshi places you started with - they look amazing.
I used to get Halal Guys a lot when I was a teenager but I feel that as the price of the food went up, the quality started to go down. The last time I had Halal Guys from the Manhattan cart was last year, and it was dry and mediocre. Halal Guys has become a tourist trap, and Adel's most definitely makes better food. I've also tried food from the Original Guys back in late 2020 and honestly, it wasn't bad. Looking back, I think I enjoyed the taste of the food from the Original Guys more than the real Halal Guys. In the Halal Guys' case, being the real deal doesn't necessarily make it better imo
As much as I visit NYC, I've never tried them! I always walk right pass them and never have considered them. Looks really good though. Gonna have to try it next time! Good stuff!
been going to Adel's for over 20 years, was our go to spot for late night after drinks grub...recently waited close to 1.5 hrs on line and it was well worth the wait
Thanks for showing the variety of options when it comes to Halal!!! I'm definitely someone that does sauce on the side with most meals. Meat done right should stand on it's own with sauce as the accessory flavor, so the Kwik Meal truck looks amazing to me :)
Royal Grill looks 🔥🔥🔥 I’ve had halal guys before, but these other places make it look so mid. I’m a guy who likes alotta sauce so right outta the gate, I was like 😍 with Royal Grill.
Oh man perfect timing, I'm on a Halal kick lately. I was just telling a friend about the meaning Halal and how it coincides with Kosher. As someone who now eats meat recently after 15 years of being a vegetarian, I find these cuisines appealing due to their dietary laws.
Fun fact, Muslims are allowed to eat Kosher meat but Jews not allowed to eat halal meat. Kosher meat has been blessed hence Muslims can eat it but halal meat doesn't have the number of steps of being made that kosher animals need to go through.
I am Muslim and the foods we eat are halal, (meaning permissible to eat under Islamic law, very similar to Kosher) but I am guilty of saying " let's get some halal food" and automatically think of this type of food haha. There are Indian, Japanese, Korean, African, etc. food that is halal. All fruits and vegetables are halal. Fish and seafood are halal. But when I think of halal food I think of this lol. When my non Muslim friends say "hey let's get halal food." I don't even ask which halal food they are talking about because I know they are talking about this.
Went to Adel's Halal when I was staying in midtown this past June, and I have to say, it was EASILY the best food we ate the entire trip, and for the best value!!! For $8, the Combo Halal was so delicious and so filling. All 4 of us were completely silent enjoying our food which hadn't happened yet! And the guys running the cart were exceptionally nice and efficient! They even referred to us by name, it was an absolutely amazing experience. We got there around 5:45 and waited for them to open at 6, and it was the best decision we had made all trip by far. Highly recommend it to absolutely anyone!!!
When greg hammered the halal guys, i knew this guy knows his food! Definitely want to check out adels based on gregs reaction...and they have vegetarian options. The first place looked amazing with the sauces on it! Halal guys, OVERRATED lol 😆
Man, every time you post another food video my list of to-eat places on my next NYC trip gets longer. And longer. Also can second Greg's Food and Footprints tour in Queens. An awesome experience, well worth the $$. His favorite Halal cart is worth the (his) hype too. Plus you get to try Birria tacos, Agua Fresca, Momos, Samosas, Arepas, & South American sweets :-)
Halal food is really popular here in Melbourne Australia too. Am watching this 10.30pm local time and my mouth is watering for hummus & beef, even though I had a big dinner!
THANK YOU for exposing Halal Guys for the mediocre experience they are. They were hyped up so much, and as a resident I felt dumb for not going. Years ago before the sauce packets started arriving, I finally went after figuring out the times when the line was at the shortest. I was shocked at how bland and mediocre it was. And yes I went back multiple times just to make sure it wasn't a mistake or something. Bland each time. And everyone would fight you for saying it was bad. It's LEGIT BAD. The most no-name random street cart is so much better than Halal Guys. I'm not even joking, of all the halal carts out there, they literally are last place, zero stars, totally bland and awful by a far, far, long way. Just goes to show you how mind-washed the masses are when it comes to hype. The difference is SO STRONG. Like seriously, the difference in taste with halal guys to ANY other halal cart is beyond obvious. It's so bland and tasteless that you can't even imagine how they are getting away with it. It's like eating styrofoam with mayo. But people want to validate the fact they are waiting in the seriously long line like an hour for this food, so they fool themselves.
I went to New York probably 7 years ago and had the Halal Guys there, it was actually good at the time, I recently went 3 months ago and tried it, it was disgusting. It tasted like sweaty chicken, and the white sauce could not save it. I have no doubt that COVID has affected the quality but it was just unpalitable. My 2 sisters and my brother felt the same. It is soo bad and have to wait quite a while for it. You're much better off trying a desi style halal cart. I live in NC and there are 2 halal carts in High Point that DESTROY the Halal guys. Only $8 and I have to end up eating it in 2 meals or splitting it with someone.
Sorry to break it to you but it was bad back then too. Hype is a brainwashing monster. You either are remembering it wrong because you were happy to be visiting, or this was your first time eating this dish, or you simply fooled yourself because you came all this way. I 100% guarantee you it sucked back then as much as it does today. Watch a YT video of someone who has never eaten mcdonald's, they are gonna love it even though we all know it's mediocre food, because it's novel to them. What these hosts are saying is TRUE. "It's consistent" over the years: consistently bland. I have been eating at halal carts for 13 years. When I finally got to halal guys it was around 2013... again, before the white sauce packets were even a thing so I was still getting the original legit sauces. I wasn't able to go before because of work. I had to go out of my way to try it. Trust me, as a guy who ate halal all the time, eating halal guys was a HUGE surprise in that it was SO much worse than everyone else's. It may have been good when they started but not in recent memory. Or maybe it's always been bad but since they started the whole thing everyone else improved it while they stayed the same.
@@CBs-House Possibly, but it still was never as good as the carts I eat in NC or the other ones in NYC. When I got them the first time they had the sauce in the bottle and not the packets, I think it made a MAJOR difference. The white sauce carried it back then, eating it without it would be a no go. It was probably a 6/10 as far as general food eating goes. It defintely didn't make me feel sick like the current one did, I immediately felt disgusted. No nostalgia or hype could make me feel that way. I think the sauce quality has deteriorated and the food itself is honestly worse than dog food. Now it is honestly a 1 or 2/10. I would not get paid to eat it, even if that were an option. Yeah the halal guys style is definitely not good, I feel it is more mediterranean than the other ones (even in this video), since the other ones are Bangladeshi/Indian/Pakistani they will just taste better just off of that. (I am Pakistani myself)
When I first got it, I would rank it 6/10 also, maybe 5 tbh. Just *barely* good enough that you were OK and wouldn't just throw it all out. Several times if I was at a MOMA event, there isn't fast food less than 5-10 min walk, but halal guys' with no wait is directly outside their door. So I'd get it to hold me through the event. That was about 3 times spread out over the past decade. Same as always. Eat just enough to remove hunger and throw the rest away and go back into MOMA. I remember the first time they gave me the sauce packet instead of the bottle and I was bamboozled. You could even more clearly see how bland their food was because it wasn't drenched in sauce. Clearly no seasonings, just plain meat and plain rice.
@@CBs-House I would say that is an insult to actual plain meat and plain rice. Plain chicken and fresh rice actually tastes damn good if you cook it properly and don't have it sweating out all day. Salt and pepper chicken isn't bad, but whatever the hell they do inside that truck is a travesty.
I used to live in NYC and Halal guys was my go to spot! I'll be visiting NYC next week and planned to make a pit stop at the Halal guys, but after watching this video, I might have to try Adel! 😁😁
Same! It looks like they've downsized a bit since lockdown, but I used to go to one all the time. Food was bomb and the unlimited toppings was a genius way to stand out
I gotta admit...I fell for the okey dokey and went to Halal Guys and was not all that impressed. I hate I didn't know about Adel's before I went. Will definitely try them and Royal Halal and maybe even the Kwik option. Another great video as always.
A Halal Guys opened in my city a year ago. I was so excited to try their legendary food. When I tried it, it was pretty mediocre, and I couldn't understand what all the hype was about. Now it makes sense.
If this video got you hungry, scroll back up and smash that like button!
📝 Plan the Ultimate NYC Trip! Shop our NEW Guides/Itineraries: bit.ly/BarrGuidesNYC1
Going to nyc for my first time in a couple of hours! So excited! Thanks for all the info jon
Americans need to understand what exactly is Halal which is troubling many countries. Halal is cruel islamic way of animal slaughter where the animal is not stunned before killing. The jugular vein of the animal is slit and the animal whose brain is still functioning dies a cruel and painful death. Besides this only muslims are allowed to be employed in the Halal industry right from butchers to everyone else. This policy of employment based on religion basis religion keeps the average American Christian JOBLESS. Americans need to stop accepting HALAL the CRUELEST form of ANIMAL TORTURE.....WAKE UP
Halal-Meat prepared by the most cruel way of killing an innocent animal
@@Amal-lm5fc, umm, no it’s not! Zabihah/Halal is actually the most humane method of slaughtering an animal possible!
@@MSH786 it’s scientifically proved animals endure more pain without stunning . Use Brian’s
Or next go to doctor and have a surgery without anaesthesia
Halal cart food kept me going back in 2013 when my husband was in the neuro ICU at the end of his life. The cart was outside Sloan-Kettering and I pretty much lived on that for two weeks. It's comforting, filling, nourishing food. It was like a hug from a friend when I needed it.
May your late husband's soul rest in peace ma'am...
Sorry about your husband
Did your husband die ?
Halal guys quality has gone down over the years and now it's just not worth it. Adel's is easily my favorite for the spicy rice. That line is always too long though
Go at 545 to get it around 6 sharp.
Price gone up quality gone down. Ridiculous how more expense the store food is vs the OG cart
Halal Guys really has gone down. I went to the location on the UWS last year and the hot sauce wasn’t even hot like it used to be.
That's so sad to hear. I used to love Halal Guys back in the early 2010s
100% agree.
Once the Halal guys franchised, they went downhill. Honestly the food tastes nothing like it does in the original cart. Original guys aren't imitators, they were one of the owners of the Halal guys but branched off. Food is exactly the same and sometimes they give more. This was a great video, really appreciated the overview.
Gonna be honest, I've no idea about Halal Guys from personal experience... but Egyptians (sorry brothers but I gotta say it) do not have that magic touch with cuisine, & DEFINITELY NOT with Levantine cuisine, and falafel IS Levantine, even rice, they are not famous for. So it's probably the original guy.. was a freak one man of a kind, people loved his food, and then tried to expand, and naturally he'd hire people, from what I've heard he is hiring other Egyptians, which is understandable, but I think it's the problem. This could sound as if I'm taking shots at Egyptians, which I'm not... Egyptian people are some of THE BEST, most sincere and INCREDIBLY intelligent people in HISTORY, but they are NOT famous for being gifted with their cuisine, neither with cooking skills in general!
They went mainstream corporation $$$ its not fresh anymore
The original guys is better
My boyfriend and I went on Greg’s tour two weeks ago after your recommendation, and it was the best decision ever.
We are from Mexico and your videos have made our NYC trips the most enjoyable.
🙌🏼🙌🏼
I am said boyfriend and I can confirm this!. Our only regret is that we didn't get a selfie with Greg, he is such a great tour guide (and person) and the food was obviously awesome. I'm also a big fan of your content. Next time you come to Mexico City I can recommend you a few incredible places to eat
Americans need to understand what exactly is Halal which is troubling many countries. Halal is cruel islamic way of animal slaughter where the animal is not stunned before killing. The jugular vein of the animal is slit and the animal whose brain is still functioning dies a cruel and painful death. Besides this only muslims are allowed to be employed in the Halal industry right from butchers to everyone else. This policy of employment based on religion basis religion keeps the average American Christian JOBLESS. Americans need to stop accepting HALAL the CRUELEST form of ANIMAL TORTURE.....WAKE UP
The key of owning something good that you've created and the brand comes along after is NEVER CHANGE YOUR QUALITY!!! change your price, your portion or wtf ever.. DON'T EVER CHANGE YOUR QUALITY!!! your quality is why you continue to have supporters! Your quality of Ingredients to create such as a great meal is key... Quality is what everybody tends to give up on and starting to cut corners to make profit.. that's the quickest way to shut your doors.
I made my flight with time to spare! My only regret was not getting more haha nice meeting you guys!
You found us haha 😂 see you at Adels sometime
w rizz
Thank you for the honest review of Halal Guys!!!!!! I've eaten there several times in the past 10 years - I completely agree with your review. The meat is so dry and unflavored. It's not marinated and has no seasoning. The white and red sauce packets are inconvenient. So many other halal carts offer delicious, colorful, spicy food
Then you should stop going to Halal Guys. Halal Guys flavor (or lack thereof as per you) has always been the same. I've been going there for 22 years - not a single change. They started giving out the sauce in packets becoz' people would ask extra sauce and it became inconvenient. If you want marinated and seasoned food, you should try Indian or Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Halal Guys is Arabian food.
I was there for the 2012 ball drop and they were very good, but when we visited the franchise it sounded more like what they described in the show. Dry and stringy chicken instead of chunks of thigh meat and nice, seasoned beef on rice replaced by strings of lean something or another. They didn't have packets or anything back then, just everything out of a bottle. I think it's because they franchised and industrialized.
@@rosh70i ate there once and was shitting blood for a week
@@bigvito69 Good for you. 👍
i"ve eaten at many arab resturants and they always have flavor ... halal guys is like eating a cardbioard with mayo no flavor u just have bad taste @@rosh70
This man immediately becomes my top 5 food review channel in RUclips. His concise description of the food and honesty tops it all. His channel feels organic without the ads or sponsored, and unnecessary transitions, filter, etc. just how RUclips videos should be - like the old days.
Keep up the good work man!
Just cause he showed halal stuff? Lol
Shots fired at Mikee Chen
Love the focus on Halal carts! An absolute staple for NYCers looking for a quick bite - street meat forever! And more people need to call out the Halal Guys. Their product hasn't been good in forever (or maybe ever?). Whenever I see the line for them in Midtown a part of my soul dies. It's probably the worst halal cart food I've ever had. 5/6 dollar plates from any random tiny halal cart is always better. And this isn't me being contrarian just because something is popular. It flat out simply isn't good.
The only reason why its so popular is because the celebrities' and famous youtubers who know NOTHING about what real halal food tastes like, eat there, and advertise them for all to see.
More justice for the smaller TASTIER businesses out there!
Yep. I tried it wanting to believe the hype but regular food carts are just miles ahead in flavor because they have to be delicious to pay the bills
the original 53rd and 6th actually was the best. this was before the commercialization, before the sauce packets, when the plates were $6. the white sauce used to actually be yogurt based and the beef was lamb. it was actually one of the best in NYC. this was before the lines, before anyone knew about it except old school new yorkers.
@jzderf A quick meal? Waiting in line for 40 minutes just to get your food let alone eat it is not a quick meal.
@@NoNo-bz1fz Not sure what you're referencing here. If you mean Halal Guys, I was not talking about them in terms of a quick meal but rather halal carts in general.
As an Egyptian Muslim iam smiling ☺ watching the video , you made me hooked to visit new York
A proud moment for my country people.
The first one looked the best! I like Indian flavors more than Middle Eastern
In the Halal guy stores they put the sauce on it for you, they don’t give you packets. I enjoy it, maybe the stores are better than the carts.
The 1st one is the best one. Just go in the day. The guy who runs it at night isn't as nice as the daytime guy and they're low on the green sauce at night. Love the sauces there.
Crazy seeing people say 9 bucks is cheap. When I was growing up in Brooklyn you could get a Chicken/Lamb over rice with all the goodies for 6 bucks easy. 5 even depending on the spot
@John Doe I agree but this was barely 5 years ago. That's quite a jump
Thanks for mentioning Bangladesh. My country 🇧🇩🇧🇩🇧🇩
When I heard the word from you I did subscribe to your channel.
I a person who is a Islamic dissent I can tell you this John you did excellent you really showed the “Muslim side of New York
If you’re in Queens, one of the best is under the 7 at 46th St, 24 hours, and in the outer borough is “Chaplis & Chips”, an Afghan truck that has incredibly seasoned beef and chicken.
Charli and chips is so good.
Since we're talking about Queens, I want to nominate Shahs Halal Cart by 133 street and Liberty Ave. I've been going there for years and they're definitely the best cart in my neighborhood. And although they're a chain, Halal Munchies on 164th street makes some of the best halal food in the entire city.
Greg's pronounciation of Bangladesh is on point 👍
it really is.
Pronunciation!
And his pronunciation of “Pakistani” @11:17 was on point as well!
But “Here Be Barr’s” pronunciation of “Rahman” @3:14 was way off…LOL!
@@HereBeBarr, it sounded like you said “Ramen” as in Ramen Noodles instead of “Rahman” @3:14…LOL!
The best thing about this video is Greggs opinion, because he critiques the quality of the food. I can’t recall John saying “terrible”, “meh”, “fairly good”. Surely they can’t all be really tasty? I’m in town for a week at the end of September and really want to experience local cultures with my favourite wife, family and friends. This video was extremely helpful though, thanks John (send our ❤ to your beautiful wife and little one)
I said I didn’t like it here 😝
@@HereBeBarr 🤣
“Favorite wife” you have more than one lmfao
@@EpicMind500 I only need one! 🤣☝️ 😉
well halal guys does suck now
You have my full respect for pronouncing Bangladesh correctly:3
I was in New York a couple of weeks ago and waited in the long line for Adel’s and let me tell you it was soooooo worth it. The portion size is gigantic and the flavors of the meat and the spicy rice was to die for. They also aren’t stingy with the white sauce. I’m back home in Los Angeles and still dreaming about that food.
Glad you enjoyed it.
My first time in Midtown I wanted to try a halal cart but the number of choices was absolutely overwhelming. Thanks so much for breaking down some of the choices, because now I feel prepared! I did see Adel’s had an enormous line that scared me off, but next time I’m headed there with purpose.
I like an actually honest review
Now, this is the kind of content I am here for!
First video I’ve seen from you and I loved your honest, concise reviews. Plus I love Halal guys and now I’m shocked to see it has really gone downhill since they franchised. Subscribed because I want more of this content!
My wife and I watched several of your You Tube videos about visiting NYC and this one was the one we watched the most. We wanted to try Halal so we went to Royal Grill and it was unbelievable. Thanks for all the videos
Most of it looked so interesting and delicious. Thanks for making the video and bringing a friend!
I’m from Bangladesh 🇧🇩 I’m coming Halal dudes ✊😅🥰 love America 🥰🥰🥰 love NYC
We have 2 Halal Guys locations in Vegas. I haven't had them in awhile, but dang, it shows how those other places have quality
The Barr, I mean Bar is set high.
My favorite halal cart is easily Sammy's on Bedford Ave in Williamsburg. My girlfriend and I get it at least once a week. Sammy's and our favorite pizza spot, Williamsburg Pizza (the one on union and South 3rd in Williamsburg), are the two things we take everyone to when they visit us. The reason it's so Williamsburg focused is that we've lived in Williamsburg ever since we moved here. Love checking out your videos to find great spots in other neighborhoods
Whenever I head into the city on the weekend. Pizza. Halal chicken w rice platter and boba are the three things I order.
Well said
This video couldn't come at a better time! I'll be visiting NY next week, and food is still something I have yet to figure out. Well, that's sorted now, thanks to this video. Thank you!!! 🤝
You want a good ass meal visit Boka , it’s a Korean fried chicken place and it’s bomb
Update - I've tried every place listen in this video, and Boka recommend by Jon, and oh boy, they did not disapoint! 🥰
If anyone needs recommendation of the best places to eat in NY, this is it! 💯
What would life be without this channel
That is saying something.... But so true.
Excellent video, real good info especially for tourists, & great co host...I think his favorite place looks the best too
Seeing royal grill on this list was awesome because that's my option to go to during the day since Adel's opens up at 6pm.
Good presentation ! THUMBS UP!!
These vendors must love this free advertising for them!
Nice you hook up with a buddy so you both benefit
Thanks 👍
Halal guys, which used to lovingly be called Chicken and Rice by locals used to be incredible. Their white sauce was also the best, back when you'd get your food and then head to the right side of the cart for the squeeze bottle to put as much sauce as you wanted yourself. They also used to serve lamb. Everything changed when they opened brick and mortar stores. It upsets me to this day.
We used to drive from Jersey to Manhattan just to get Halal guys then I moved to South Korea and they opened a restaurant in Seoul I was so excited. Complete let down, they sold out heavily. Fortunately we have many even better food trucks. Gotta love NYC for that
Nah, I've been in the neighborhood since 2008. They taste exactly as mediocre as they were over a decade ago. The only difference is the price has gone up like 70%. Never understood the hype about the white sauce as that, too, has not changed: it has the exact same sour mayonnaise taste now as they did back in 2008. It was over-hyped up then, and still over-hyped up now. I only went over the years whenever I was in the mood for some cheap late night street food alternatives, though it's not even that cheap anymore.
@@prufrock You're so wrong! The white sauce changed dramatically from squeeze bottle to prepackaged. I stand by that.
@@inframinced6698 so you also think Heinz ketchup out of a bottle vs packets will taste differently just because they got packaged differently? Feel free to stand by any irrational fallacies you have, tis a shame that won't make them correct.
@@prufrock I'm not saying that. I'm saying it's clear it's not the same recipe. Additional additives and cutting corners for mass production are apparent.
During my cab driving heydays I use to love KWIK meal cart . now that I don't drive a cab anymore I dearly miss their food . Kwik meal cart actually serve small pieces of lamb unlike others serves lamb gyro meats .
You are both so down to earth and lovely with your reviews. I am looking forward to visiting NYC one day and maybe taking the food tour....❤
Idea for a video/series:
Recommend the best places to eat (maybe one sit down and one street food place?) on the way from one major location to another major location.
I sometimes make food spots targets all on their own, but so often the highly recommended places are pretty far from the other things I'm doing in the city.
Let's say I'm walking from the NY Public Library near Bryant Park to my 2pm matinee on 43rd street. (this is just one example. You could do TONS of these)
What's a place with really good food that I can find easily while walking pretty directly from one to the other?
Interesting 🤔
I love this idea! I'm going to NYC in 3 weeks and this would definitely come in handy
@@HereBeBarr I'm more of a Greek lover when it comes to food than Italian Tzatziki sauce and Gyro the best when u eat Authentic. I never visited Greentown when I lived in Detroit
Impressed by how accurately he pronounced Tikka
It’s pretty hard to mispronounce lol very simple word
I have been eating at Kwik Meal for over a decade...never disappointed...Salmon over rice is excellent
i'd love to try that.
Adel’s is insanely good. Me and my friends would go there and stand in line for like 45 minutes just chilling and joking around. No matter what time….even 2 am the lines are insane
Jon, you need to bring along the Tupperware with you doing one of these type of vlogs…This stuff looks like it would save pretty good for a couple of days and probably actually taste better with the time for the flavors to settle in …
🤣🙌🏼
Great to see Bangladeshi owners dominating the market 🎉
Oh great...now I'm starving! Thanks for the reviews, Jon 👍🏼
As a Muslim this makes me happy, Halal meat is how all of the prophets prepared their meat. For the sake of ourselves, we should be aiming to please God by eating Halal. Cheers from Philadelphia
Great video man! Editing is really great and the pace is fantastic! Keep them coming.
Americans need to understand what exactly is Halal which is troubling many countries. Halal is cruel islamic way of animal slaughter where the animal is not stunned before killing. The jugular vein of the animal is slit and the animal whose brain is still functioning dies a cruel and painful death. Besides this only muslims are allowed to be employed in the Halal industry right from butchers to everyone else. This policy of employment based on religion basis religion keeps the average American Christian JOBLESS. Americans need to stop accepting HALAL the CRUELEST form of ANIMAL TORTURE.....WAKE UP
This review is 100% accurate.
Now here's a video to be excited about! Mostly agree with your takes, but have to say the best city-wide still has to be the original vendy winner, Sammy's Halal, and I'm gonna guess that's what Greg's talking about in Jackson Heights? They have locations in manhattan, 6th and 4th st and now Madison Sq area too. It's about the rice and the green sauce. Their rice is so delicious and fragrant, a meal on it's own. I'm also a fan of Tariq's on Park Ave around 19th. Halal Guys is def overrated though I do like the white sauce, and Rafiqis is also overrated. Haven't had Kwik Meal in years but loved it, it's def like an actual yogurt/raita type sauce, not mayo. Great stuff.
We have enough recc's to make a part 2!
Another cart that went downhill after expansion was Shah's. I lived in the area of the original cart in south Queens and it was incredible in the early days
I went to the royal grill today and had the chicken tikka based on this video and it was delicious. Also the man in the cart was a super nice and generous person. So glad to know about it. Thank you
PS. RUclips is not allowing me to subscribe for some reason, though I keep trying 😢
The moment I saw the pickle, I felt like they might be Bangladeshi. Just minutes ago had the exact same mango pickle actually 😅.
Halal Guys was really good. Trying it 5 years ago won't tell you much, they had gone corporate long before then. They were great about 15-17 years ago. Adel's is my favorite now, though I haven't tried the two Bangladeshi places you started with - they look amazing.
The chicken tikka looks amazing! Definitely trying this place out
I used to get Halal Guys a lot when I was a teenager but I feel that as the price of the food went up, the quality started to go down. The last time I had Halal Guys from the Manhattan cart was last year, and it was dry and mediocre. Halal Guys has become a tourist trap, and Adel's most definitely makes better food. I've also tried food from the Original Guys back in late 2020 and honestly, it wasn't bad. Looking back, I think I enjoyed the taste of the food from the Original Guys more than the real Halal Guys. In the Halal Guys' case, being the real deal doesn't necessarily make it better imo
yes ilike
Dude what a great job!
As much as I visit NYC, I've never tried them! I always walk right pass them and never have considered them. Looks really good though. Gonna have to try it next time! Good stuff!
You must
Highly recommend Sammy's Halal in Jackson Heights (by Diversity Plaza) if you haven't tried it yet.
i keep hearing this one :)
Watching this late a night 😭 I want to be in NYC someday. 🙏🏻
You can do it!
been going to Adel's for over 20 years, was our go to spot for late night after drinks grub...recently waited close to 1.5 hrs on line and it was well worth the wait
We tried Halal cart 2 weeks before, when we came to New York from Toronto 🇨🇦, very economical and yummy 👍👍👍👍
True
Agreed
Eh? Lol
UK based, and I like the street food carts. Sitting in the park eating delicious food, perfect.
Thanks for showing the variety of options when it comes to Halal!!! I'm definitely someone that does sauce on the side with most meals. Meat done right should stand on it's own with sauce as the accessory flavor, so the Kwik Meal truck looks amazing to me :)
Lies again? Los Angeles Movies Halal Coordinator
I was just at Kwik meal yesterday..very very good
Royal Grill looks 🔥🔥🔥 I’ve had halal guys before, but these other places make it look so mid. I’m a guy who likes alotta sauce so right outta the gate, I was like 😍 with Royal Grill.
You’ll love royal
Oh man perfect timing, I'm on a Halal kick lately. I was just telling a friend about the meaning Halal and how it coincides with Kosher. As someone who now eats meat recently after 15 years of being a vegetarian, I find these cuisines appealing due to their dietary laws.
Halal Reviews On The Go?
Judaism and Islam are not that different. It's more the color of their skin. Allah is God and God is Allah
Fun fact, Muslims are allowed to eat Kosher meat but Jews not allowed to eat halal meat. Kosher meat has been blessed hence Muslims can eat it but halal meat doesn't have the number of steps of being made that kosher animals need to go through.
Yeah, Kosher and Halal not favourites of animal welfare lovers. I find these cuisines a bit questionable because of their dietary laws.
@@kevinishott1 Islam is not a race, my friend. Muslims can be white, brown or black. Jews, however, are jews by ethnicity regrardless of colour.
Had adels for first time 2 days ago while visiting the city and it definitely exceeded the hype and worth the 40 minute wait
I'm a vegetarian so I'm glad you added that! I love falafel
i had halal guys in south florida and i loved it
Your videos are awesome 😎 Love From India 🇮🇳❣️
gosh your making me so hungry, gonna have to sub these videos are great!
I am Muslim and the foods we eat are halal, (meaning permissible to eat under Islamic law, very similar to Kosher) but I am guilty of saying " let's get some halal food" and automatically think of this type of food haha. There are Indian, Japanese, Korean, African, etc. food that is halal. All fruits and vegetables are halal. Fish and seafood are halal. But when I think of halal food I think of this lol. When my non Muslim friends say "hey let's get halal food." I don't even ask which halal food they are talking about because I know they are talking about this.
Love from Bangladesh 🇧🇩❤️
I hope I'll have a chance to eat this food soon, InshaAllah
I love when you and Greg get together and you and cash. You do great videos Jon!
Thanks so much!!
Hurts to hear about Halal guys, our go to spot during high school days, but glad to hear there are so many other great carts around!
I really like your videos in NYC Jon! Trying to balance watching your videos while also discovering NYC on my own! But well done. I enjoy the content!
Do both! Thanks.
Went to Adel's Halal when I was staying in midtown this past June, and I have to say, it was EASILY the best food we ate the entire trip, and for the best value!!! For $8, the Combo Halal was so delicious and so filling. All 4 of us were completely silent enjoying our food which hadn't happened yet! And the guys running the cart were exceptionally nice and efficient! They even referred to us by name, it was an absolutely amazing experience. We got there around 5:45 and waited for them to open at 6, and it was the best decision we had made all trip by far. Highly recommend it to absolutely anyone!!!
When I go to Manhattan to visit my daughter, I sometimes like getting that food truck food. I love it!!!!
Haha Jon's first and last time eating Halal Guys 😁
😖
I work at Bryant Park and it is awesome having all these spots within walking distance.
When greg hammered the halal guys, i knew this guy knows his food! Definitely want to check out adels based on gregs reaction...and they have vegetarian options. The first place looked amazing with the sauces on it! Halal guys, OVERRATED lol 😆
I know right, i was so happy because everyone is like halal guys this halal guys that.
I’m glad Bangladeshis are representing heir country in such a positive light with their cuisine and food businesses like these
Man, every time you post another food video my list of to-eat places on my next NYC trip gets longer. And longer. Also can second Greg's Food and Footprints tour in Queens. An awesome experience, well worth the $$. His favorite Halal cart is worth the (his) hype too. Plus you get to try Birria tacos, Agua Fresca, Momos, Samosas, Arepas, & South American sweets :-)
Must try this next time in New York.
I'm your big fan from Finland :)
Halal food is really popular here in Melbourne Australia too. Am watching this 10.30pm local time and my mouth is watering for hummus & beef, even though I had a big dinner!
Thanks for taking a picture with me ! I have been to NY thrice this year from San Francisco and have had Adel's for like 10 times already!
Nice meeting you!
THANK YOU for exposing Halal Guys for the mediocre experience they are. They were hyped up so much, and as a resident I felt dumb for not going. Years ago before the sauce packets started arriving, I finally went after figuring out the times when the line was at the shortest. I was shocked at how bland and mediocre it was. And yes I went back multiple times just to make sure it wasn't a mistake or something. Bland each time. And everyone would fight you for saying it was bad. It's LEGIT BAD. The most no-name random street cart is so much better than Halal Guys. I'm not even joking, of all the halal carts out there, they literally are last place, zero stars, totally bland and awful by a far, far, long way. Just goes to show you how mind-washed the masses are when it comes to hype. The difference is SO STRONG. Like seriously, the difference in taste with halal guys to ANY other halal cart is beyond obvious. It's so bland and tasteless that you can't even imagine how they are getting away with it. It's like eating styrofoam with mayo. But people want to validate the fact they are waiting in the seriously long line like an hour for this food, so they fool themselves.
I went to New York probably 7 years ago and had the Halal Guys there, it was actually good at the time, I recently went 3 months ago and tried it, it was disgusting. It tasted like sweaty chicken, and the white sauce could not save it.
I have no doubt that COVID has affected the quality but it was just unpalitable. My 2 sisters and my brother felt the same. It is soo bad and have to wait quite a while for it.
You're much better off trying a desi style halal cart. I live in NC and there are 2 halal carts in High Point that DESTROY the Halal guys. Only $8 and I have to end up eating it in 2 meals or splitting it with someone.
Sorry to break it to you but it was bad back then too. Hype is a brainwashing monster. You either are remembering it wrong because you were happy to be visiting, or this was your first time eating this dish, or you simply fooled yourself because you came all this way. I 100% guarantee you it sucked back then as much as it does today. Watch a YT video of someone who has never eaten mcdonald's, they are gonna love it even though we all know it's mediocre food, because it's novel to them. What these hosts are saying is TRUE. "It's consistent" over the years: consistently bland.
I have been eating at halal carts for 13 years. When I finally got to halal guys it was around 2013... again, before the white sauce packets were even a thing so I was still getting the original legit sauces. I wasn't able to go before because of work. I had to go out of my way to try it. Trust me, as a guy who ate halal all the time, eating halal guys was a HUGE surprise in that it was SO much worse than everyone else's.
It may have been good when they started but not in recent memory. Or maybe it's always been bad but since they started the whole thing everyone else improved it while they stayed the same.
@@CBs-House Possibly, but it still was never as good as the carts I eat in NC or the other ones in NYC.
When I got them the first time they had the sauce in the bottle and not the packets, I think it made a MAJOR difference.
The white sauce carried it back then, eating it without it would be a no go. It was probably a 6/10 as far as general food eating goes. It defintely didn't make me feel sick like the current one did, I immediately felt disgusted. No nostalgia or hype could make me feel that way.
I think the sauce quality has deteriorated and the food itself is honestly worse than dog food. Now it is honestly a 1 or 2/10.
I would not get paid to eat it, even if that were an option.
Yeah the halal guys style is definitely not good, I feel it is more mediterranean than the other ones (even in this video), since the other ones are Bangladeshi/Indian/Pakistani they will just taste better just off of that. (I am Pakistani myself)
When I first got it, I would rank it 6/10 also, maybe 5 tbh. Just *barely* good enough that you were OK and wouldn't just throw it all out. Several times if I was at a MOMA event, there isn't fast food less than 5-10 min walk, but halal guys' with no wait is directly outside their door. So I'd get it to hold me through the event. That was about 3 times spread out over the past decade. Same as always. Eat just enough to remove hunger and throw the rest away and go back into MOMA. I remember the first time they gave me the sauce packet instead of the bottle and I was bamboozled. You could even more clearly see how bland their food was because it wasn't drenched in sauce. Clearly no seasonings, just plain meat and plain rice.
@@CBs-House I would say that is an insult to actual plain meat and plain rice.
Plain chicken and fresh rice actually tastes damn good if you cook it properly and don't have it sweating out all day.
Salt and pepper chicken isn't bad, but whatever the hell they do inside that truck is a travesty.
Kwik meal is the fire 🔥 the lamb pita is awesome
Man, I wish I could try those amazing foods 😥
I just can’t wait to try these places next week
I used to live in NYC and Halal guys was my go to spot!
I'll be visiting NYC next week and planned to make a pit stop at the Halal guys, but after watching this video, I might have to try Adel! 😁😁
The 1st one in vid Royal is the best. I'm done with the carts tho. They're all charging too much. $9 for chicken over rice is nuts. 🤣
I'm really surprised you haven't tried Rafiqi's. They were my favorite halal stand in nyc when I lived there!
Same! It looks like they've downsized a bit since lockdown, but I used to go to one all the time. Food was bomb and the unlimited toppings was a genius way to stand out
Shook hearing someone saying bangladesh correctly. Thanks !
Tried Halal guys a few weeks back, due to seeing it on one of your earlier videos, they just need to season the meat a little !
The Halal Guys was a disappointment - not worth the line up.
I gotta admit...I fell for the okey dokey and went to Halal Guys and was not all that impressed. I hate I didn't know about Adel's before I went. Will definitely try them and Royal Halal and maybe even the Kwik option. Another great video as always.
as a Bangladeshi 🇧🇩, I feel proud
For what 🤣🤣🤣
@@Anonymous-iz8sc Bangladeshi people doing good anywhere in the world is a reaaon for us to be proud about.
A Halal Guys opened in my city a year ago. I was so excited to try their legendary food. When I tried it, it was pretty mediocre, and I couldn't understand what all the hype was about. Now it makes sense.
What city is that? If you don't mind me asking..