Zaiqa Halal Food Cart
“For under $10 you get a gargantuan plate of kofta and rice with pita and fresh veg, plus a few squirts of hot sauce/white sauce.”
“The quantity is also huge, my husband I were only able to get through one order of lamb kebab (served with rice, salad and pita slices).”
“Like my friend Matt H in Cali said, "it's a glowing box!"”
Zaiqa Halal Food Cart
Take-out: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Inexpensive
5 reviews
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Man, you certainly do get alot of bang for your buck here. For under $10 you get a gargantuan plate of kofta and rice with pita and fresh veg, plus a few squirts of hot sauce/white sauce. Its easily enough for 2 reasonably sized meals. Food quality was excellent too and the flavor was superb. Definitely worth a visit.
Best halal cart besides the original. Only negative they don't do salad platters like some other carts but come on if your going to a food cart you should be eating crap that is horrible for you but taste amazing!
I've been called a Zaiqapath. I don't understand why because I'm fairly sure that Zaiqapaths need to have "murdered" far more Halal Cart Combos than I have, in order to be deemed as such. And I thought that Zaiqapaths were more turned on by getting "the red sauce" all over them (blood), rather than my preference, which is getting "the white sauce" all over me (ahem).
Personally, I think the only Zaiqapath is the walkway that you shuffle along in the bitter windy midwinter, or the stifling, humid, concrete-jungle-summer, as you make your way to one of the best street cart food experiences you will ever enjoy.
If you've never been to NYC, then when you go (and you must go), get a Combo from a Halal Cart. It's one of the specialties that NYC is packed full of, and they taste like heaven, whether you're drunk or not. They're bad for you, but so good. However all Combos are not created equal. Much like penises. And this Combo – the Zaiqa Combo – is one of the best you will ever taste.
What to get: Combo with all the sauces, extra red sauce
Why: Because it's freaking amazing
Any tips: Don't get salad if you're eating it later. Nobody wants a warm salad
Any more: Well… no-one expects the Spanish Inquisition
How's the decor: I know you're kidding, but I love it! It's the coolest-looking Halal Cart ever! Like my friend Matt H in Cali said, "it's a glowing box!" Speaking of glowing boxes, so there was this girl, and… anyway never mind, but I love the way this Cart shines in the night!
How does it compare to Halal Guys: hmm, this needs it's own paragraph
Let's put it this way. Halal Guys (the famous Halal Carts near Times Square) is delicious. It's worth a try. I even gave it a 5 out of 5. But HG is *nothing* compared to the best carts in NYC, which are Sammy's Halal in Jackson Heights (the very best), Zaiqa in Flushing (the second best), and Biryani Cart's Chicken Tikka on 6th Ave in Manhattan (for something a little different). So sure, give HG a try, but if you skip places in Queens like Zaiqa and Sammy's, then you're missing the best street food that NYC has to offer.
I mean, if you don't believe me, then listen to the voice of popular culture. So many famous works mention Zaiqa's food:
"Zaiq Water For Chocolate"
"Zaiq A Virgin" (Madonna)
"Bi-zaiqal Race" (Queen Of Carts)
"Lips Zaiq Sugar" (Echo And The Combomen, speaking of Bunnymen, is that what they call male models in Playgirl?)
"My Ass Is Zaiq Whoa" (Mya)
"Just Zaiq Me" (Paramore) (note, this band name was invented when the band decided to order a "pair of more combo plates" because they loved the first one so much)
"Smile Zaiq You Mean It" (The Combo Killers)
Why is Zaiqa so much better? It's all about taste, quality, and flavour. Halal has smaller pieces, is saltier, is a little more minced. Zaiqa uses larger chunks of spiced Gyro and incredible hunks of perfectly marinaded juicy chicken. The sauces here are more spicy rather than the bland mayo-n-ketchup-esque Manhattan stuff. The rice here is aromatic and flavourful rather than simply coloured and tasteless. Every bite of Zaiqa screams "quality" and also "deliciousness". It's fine, it's fresh, it's fierce, it's almost as good as snacking on Katy Perry. Not that I would know that from experience. But oh, believe me, I can imagine.
Speaking of Katy Perry, since I wrote the first part of review, Zaiqa has been mentioned in *more* pop culture references:
"Someone Zaiq You" (Adele)
"She's Zaiq The Wind" (Patrick Swayze)
"She's, Zaiq, Got Wind" (Swayze's follow up, after "she" ate a Zaiqa combo)
"Zaiq A Prayer" (Madonna again)
"That's The Way I Zaiqa It" (KC & Kiss You Where The Sun Don't Shine Band)
"What I Zaiq About You" (Romantics)
"Zaiq To Get To Know You Well" (Howard Jones)
"Zaiq A Hurricane" (Neil Young)
"Love Doesn't Come First. First Comes… Zaiq." Zoosk
Note: Zoosk only used the name "Zoosk" because it started with "Z" as does "Zaiqa" and they felt that it would spiritually connect them to this delicious food cart.
I've only eaten here a couple of times now, most recently 3 weeks ago on my Queens food tour, but I will become a regular now, as I am at Sammy's in Jackson Heights. Yes, Flushing is home to the best Chinese & Korean food in the city, but if you want halal cart food or Middle Eastern food in this area, you simply must come here and try a combo, and then drive down the street to "Gyro World" for – perhaps – the best Gyro you'll ever have in your life.
Oleta Adams even likes this place. Check it out:
You can get here by MTA
You can get here by Cab (no way)
You can get here by tractor-pull
You can get here by biczaiqle
I don't care how you get here, just get here if you can
See?
Wait, you still haven't gone to try it? You're still reading?
I'm going to have to switch this up a bit. Hmm let me think.
No, actually, don't go to Zaiqa. Please, just avoid it. Don't ever even try it.
Did it work? I was trying "Reverse Zaiqaology."
My favorite new cart in queens. It looks like a glowing box. The crazy plate is indeed crazy. It has every kind of meat they offer. So much food that the container isn't even able to close. The meats are delicious. The white sauce is good. The hot sauce is HOT. If you can't handle the heat, skip the hot sauce because its insanely hot. The guy working the cart is really nice as well. This is a must try cart in queens. I prefer it to sammy.
This is my go to for Halal food. My review is only for Chicken over rice as that's the only thing I get from here.. But regardless, it's delicious, cheap, and plentiful! I can't even finish a box. Much much much better than the one on Bell and Northern blvd, the one near queens college, and the one on 188th street outside Kohl's. Comparable to deliciousness of the halal guys in the city.
$6 for chicken over rice- you can tell them how you want it made (no salad, no onions, more onions, etc) which is awesome- and a you get a drink (soda or water). My usual: white sauce, BBQ sauce, and tiny bit of hot sauce. Beware! Their hot sauce is really spicy, which is why I only get a little bit, even though I love spiciness. It comes with lettuce, tomato, onions, and pita bread!
Guy is always friendly and there's street parking right next to the cart, plus a parking lot next door. Call ahead is an awesome feature too.