The Halal Guys in New York City

My brother Brendan and I had heard all this hype about The Halal Guys because they opened a location near us in Costa Mesa, California. The Halal Guys started with just a New York City hot dog cart, and due to the demand from Muslim taxi drivers, grew to serve the halal food offerings such as chicken and gyro over rice platters that everyone loves today. Now, The Halal Guys have expanded to an international restaurant chain, and continue to grow.

We got to try The Halal Guys from the original West 53rd & 6th Ave location in NYC while visiting back in November. Let me tell you that the aroma was absolutely intoxicating; I ordered a chicken platter and my brother, the gyro platter, both came with their signature white and red sauces on the side. Each platter was more than enough for the both of us, we probably should have split one platter as it was quite filling. I used the white sauce and a little of the red sauce here and there; my brother made the mistake of dousing his platter in the red sauce and it was just too spicy, causing him to lose his appetite.

I think the flavors were there, but to me, my chicken was a tad dry; my first impression was that the food was overrated, but perhaps my brother and I will have a different experience visiting one of the storefront locations! Have you tried The Halal Guys before? If so, what did you get? See the entire menu here.