Express Power Lunch
“Every other time walking by this XPL I've been deterred by the long lines of people waiting for their chicken or lamb over rice..but finally I gave it a shot.”
“These guys are great, they fill up my tum tum with juicy expertly seasoned chicken or lamb, and it is all washed away with the can of soda that comes with the meal ($5).”
“I got the usual chicken over rice, and one of the guys in the truck asked if I liked chickpeas.”
Express Power Lunch
Take-out: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
8 reviews
Rate and write a review Cancel reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Only $5 for a chicken and lamb combo, veggies, and a soda? Sign me up. The guys are always so nice and it's usually pretty fast, even with a line. You can't go wrong with the chicken or the lamb, but when in doubt, order the combo.
This is far from average.
Although I do feel if you like MILD halal, this is the cart for you. I on the otherhand like ALOT of spice and alot of white sauce. On the walk home the white sauce had dissappeared into my lamb over rice.
Long Live the 56th Street Halal Cart (which reigns the king of NYC for Halal carts).
My coworker introduced me to this foodcart and he did all the ordering.
We had the chicken over rice with kebab and chickpeas (w/ hot sauce and green sauce- no white sauce). This was amazing. The chicken and kebab were flavorful and tender. Despite the hot sauce, the dish wasn't super spicy.
I hestiated to review this place, because I don't want the lines to get too long.
I've been running out of food stands to go to in the downtown area for lunch, so I've decided to give another XPL cart a chance since I've heard the one on Wall St. & Pearl (South-east corner) was a bit better than the others. Plus, I've heard that this cart still gives you a can of soda with your platter for $5.
So on to my ventures in single digit weather (it's been brutal these past few days in NYC). There was a decent line of 8-10 people waiting in line to order. As I waited, I took a look at the side of the cart and there was no mention of a free can of soda so I closely observed the people in front of me. Most seemed to order a platter and take a can of soda. So what amounted to 2-3 minutes, YES, the two guys in the cart truly stand up to their name of 'Express Power Lunch', I ordered Chicken over Rice with my usual likings, white sauce and a little hot sauce. In 30 seconds, my platter was filled, I gave the man a $5 and along the left side of the cart, I took a can of soda and was on my way. So, I'm going to say, although they don't advertise the free can of soda, take a chance, and grab a can of soda since I believe that is the norm.
Opening the white styrofoam tray, I noticed portions were skimp, with about one-third of the tray empty. A bit disappointed but I guess the smaller portions were for the free can of soda. Inside was what amounted to ~1.5 scoops of long-grain yellow rice, similar to that of basmati rice, that was decently seasoned. The cubes of chicken, orange in color, were slightly dry and a bit bland, though very delish with the mayoey white sauce. I did encounter two small bone fragments in the chicken, which only put a minor delay in me scarfing down this dish. Complimented with the chicken, were diced onions and a few remnants (barely noticeable) of diced green pepper. The hot sauce packed little to no heat, so I'll say to any spice lovers, to go crazy here as you won't find yourself looking for that glass of water. (No one can compete with the hot sauce at 53rd and 6th.). Also included, were sparse portions of salad consisting of slightly browning lettuce and 2-3 thin quartered slices of tomato, and a few bits of cucumber. After engulfing the slightly smaller than average portions, the bottom of the tray was noticeably oily. Blah, it's street meat.
This XPL cart is definitely better by a long shot than the other XPL's in the near vicinity, but still does not compare to my favorite Halal cart in the downtown area, Adel's Halal Cart (see my review here: yelp.com/biz/adels-halal…).
I don't come here as often as I probably should when I'm in the mood for Halal food, but it's one of my favorite in downtown Manhattan. Not only is it only $5.00 for chicken with rice, lamb with rice or a combo, but it also comes with a free drink! These days not many Halal carts give a free drink for a $5.00 plate. Like I said, it's one of my favorites, but with so much competition within the downtown area it's hard to really choose.
As for the food, I've tried both the chicken with rice and lamb with rice. I don't have much recollection of the chicken, however I can't recall it being bad either. As for the lamb they cut the meat into small square pieces. The lamb is really tender and moist and the white sauce compliments the meat perfectly. You can't beat the bang for the buck here and if you're looking for a cheap lunch (which is very hard to find) this is a good option.
$5 for Chicken and Rice AND soda! Perfect portion and the chicken is the right amount of spicey!
Plus, they cart guys are super friendly and have change for large bills 🙂 Highly recommend! Be prepared for a long-ish line – since they're one of the best lunch spots in FiDi!
Quick & filling, nice & friendly guys!
I got the usual chicken over rice, and one of the guys in the truck asked if I liked chickpeas. I said sure, and he poured a bunch of them over my chicken over rice! Never had that happen before. It was a pretty good combination, I must admit.
My box was $5 and another guy explained it comes with a can of soda or a bottle of water. I got my box, walked down to the pier, devoured it, finished my bottle of water, and left pretty satisfied.
I liked how I got more chicken than rice, too! Much appreciated.
Good "street meat" platter for $5 and comes with your selection of a drink at no additional cost.
I had the combo platter (chicken & lamb) with rice, chick peas and a small salad (iceberg lettuce and a tomato) … Not how sure they do this for $5, but a great deal for NYC's FiDi.
It filled me up, overall taste was good with the white and hot sauce added. Not too much food but not too little… Just about right.
Line was around 10 deep when I arrived at 12:25pm but the line moved fast as these guys are efficient.
I brought my box lunch to the elevated acre and enjoyed my street meat 'al fresco' style.
Give it a try… Your wallet & your belly will thank you. Just don't eat this more than 1X per week, unless you want to gain weight.
Give it a try.