Rafiqi’s
“I like the various Rafiqi's carts as you can choose what you want on your platter and everything
added is free.”
“I always loved it, but just how much I loved it is coming home to me now that I've moved to Florida, where there are no street halal carts that I know of.”
“I got a full meal for $5.50 in midtown!”
Rafiqi’s
Take-out: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
8 reviews
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Rafiqi's looks kind of like a typical food truck stand with probably mediocre food if you judged them by their set up, so I guess it's understandable if you've passed by this cart without giving it a second glance. However, you shouldn't be deceived by its looks and I'd actually recommend giving Rafiqi's a try because the food from them is really good!
And cheap, too!
$5 for a filling meal with a great selection of toppings you can choose from makes me happy to make the trip.
I have been eating street food in NYC for more than fifty years, and this is some of the best ever. Well at least for falafel.
These are high quality pitas and platters for falafel. Better than any of the pita restaurants in the neighborhood. Crunchy on the outside and perfect inside. The sauces, red and white are really some of the best ever.
I don't know how these guys do it, working in such a tiny space, sometimes there are three guys inside because they are so busy. One guy working the street side and taxi drivers and the other two the sidewalk side.
At lunch there is usually a line of about ten people. Everything is well priced, with a falafel pita going for $2.99 and the platter being $3.99.
I am here with my girlfriend at least once a week. We love it.
For anyone who is looking to get lunch here (specifically lunch, I leave work around 5:00 and they are basically closing,) I highly recommend getting here by 11:30 or 12 at the absolute latest. The lines here get huge thanks to the 1 Park Avenue building among others. Though the long lines don't take a super long time here.
I like the various Rafiqi's carts as you can choose what you want on your platter and everything
added is free. I would say the chicken is slightly better than the lamb but both are servicable.
Good food with two really nice guys in front. Classic halal street foot. I like this a lot.
Street food is my guilty pleasure and Rafiqi's is a hidden treasure……. located near my workplace on Park Avenue South between 32nd and 33rd on the east side of the Park Avenue South. The two guys working there are very nice. They have memorized my ordering ritual…..Lamb, Rice, Hot and White, Everything but Cilantro. That dish, my fave, is in my weekly lunch rotation. It is an ample and very filling portion of deliciously seasoned and perfectly cooked lamb meat with admittedly somewhat limp lettuce which is made tolerable by the addition of tomatoes, peppers and tasty black beans. And at $5.50…….a BARGAIN.
A better than average casual and cheap lunch option which I will certainly choose again.
TIP: Go there ten minutes before the lunch hours of 12,1 or 2 to beat the massive lines.
Pretty standard mediterranean food truck fare. Good portion and the corn add a nice touch.
I've only eaten here once (lamb platter) & I can't say that I was blown away by the awesome flavors BUT I was happily blown away by the cost. I got a full meal for $5.50 in midtown!
Normally I get a salad & soup & spend $14-16 if not more! $5.50, shit it's almost more convenient to just buy this everyday.
I hate when ppl question the quality of food from a cart, it's NYC people lets be progressive. Also, their customer service was pretty awesome, very nice guys!
I will return & I'll update this once I try a few more things.
My coworkers love the falafel.
This food cart is AMAZING! it was the best $5 I've ever spent!! No joke!!!
I have been wanting to try some of this halal food and I spotted the cart as I came out of the subway hole hahahaha. I was shocked to learn it was only $5 and was even more surprised when I saw how much food they gave us!!! Lots of meat!!! And most importantly it was really really delicious! The meat and rice were really fresh and flavorful! The sauces were exellent compliment tp everything on the plate!
Lamb was not gamey, even the non-lamb-fan hubby really loved this! I really wish that they have something like this in the Bay Area!
Rafiqi's differentiates itself by offering additional "toppings" that come with the general halal cart fare. In addition to the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions, they also offer things like black beans, chickpeas, cilantro, corn, olives…etc. I guess that's nice but in the end, throwing 6 extra chickpeas doesn't really hide the fact that their portions are smaller than usual and not made to order. During the lunch rush, there's just a massive pile of meat that's used to dole out to the masses.
Should you come during off-peak times, be prepared to wait a bit. It takes them a surprisingly long time when that pile's gone.
The 3 or 4 times I've come here, the veggies have been sparse and limp. The chicken was full of skin and gristle. The lamb was ok but the portions were small.
It used to be under a ton of scaffolding so it was an easy way to grab a quick lunch when it's raining but now the scaffolding has been taken down and there are no longer any advantages to coming here.
There's a "traditional" halal cart just up the street that does it better.