Madina’s Halal Cart

Really good halal cart food. Fresh, hot, well seasoned. Its like how the famous Halal guys used to be till they got famous. The owner is nice and curteous even though they get quite busy and had to move the line fast

This review is for the Halal cart that’s like a crosswalk away from the chinese supermarket nearby.
Hands down one of the better Halal food carts that one can possibly stumble upon in Queens. I’ve tried Halal Guys before and it cannot compare to Madina’s. I remember when my friends and I tried to order here at 6PM, back in September, only to find that everything had been SOLD OUT for the day! Another friend of mine who is wary of Halal food carts (she had a stomach virus from one in the city) was surprised by how fresh the food was and happy to report to me that she did not experience any bodily/​digestive discomforts the day after.
Kudos to Madina’s! :^)

I don’t write reviews on Unilocal.I logged in just to write one for this place. The food here is the new gold standard. Best chicken/​lamb over rice. The Owner is extremely polite. This. is. it.

Not sure if this is the best Halal cart in NY (in my opinion, it kinda beats The Halal Guys QUALITY wise), but it’s definitely one of the best in Queens.
Chicken over rice ($ 5): ⁵⁄₅ — Really like how the chicken isn’t bland and it has flavor (unlike The Halal Guys). The rice tastes ok, their sauce is decent.
Although 53^rd and 6^th gives you a buttload of food (sad b/​c they increased it to $ 7 from $ 6), I constantly have to drench my food in their «mystery» sauce to make it taste less bland. Madina’s is different though and tastes better. Only downside is they don’t give you pita on it, but it’s still worth the $ 5.

This is it! I’ve been missing my halal food carts ever since I moved out of Nyc, and this cart did not dissapoint! The prices were gracious to one’s wallet, and the food was SOOO GOOD (Chicken and Lam over rice combo wit da WHITE SAUCE!!)! I’m sad I didn’t order 3 more to take back to TX with me, but I’ll be back!

I always order the chicken over rice with my brother and its for a reasonable price too ($ 5) and it fills you up. This chicken is good and spicy. One time the guy mixed up our order with someone else’s (we always just get white sauce and hot sauce and the guy put barbecue sauce on it. It tasted really good and the barbecue sauce tasted different than the one you would buy in stores. We’ve been going here since a long time but its the first time he mixed up our order

I got the Combo with Rice. The chicken was good and a bit spicy. The lamb was good. The rice was flavorful. I wish they put more tomatoes. The taste still can not compare to the one in Midtown Manhattan.

This review is for the cart on 39^th Street, in front of Queens Crossing Mall.
I got the Chicken over Rice. The chicken was fine, the white sauce was fine, the salad (obviously) was fine. But the rice? The rice tasted like it was boiled with cinnamon. I tried very hard to enjoy the food, but this strong cinnamon taste kept turning up. The guy who runs the cart seems pleasant enough, but I doubt I’d return. Next time I’ll head to the Madina’s on Roosevelt.

Every few days I need a special lunch that differs from the regular chinese korean food in flushing. Not wanting any fast food like burger king or mcdonalds or fried chicken i come here seeking a change.
I like their lunch box meal and usually stick with the lamb over rice or chicken over rice or gyro. If you want the best of both worlds get a combo of the lamb and chicken. The rich flavors of the meat with the shah seasoning and the flavorful rice are always satisfying. They give you a good portion even a side «salad» which is mostly just lettuce but thats okay I need some greens. some of the madina halal carts nowadays dont seem to have tomatoes for some reason which is the only downside. Because the gyro would taste a lot better with tomatoes but its still filling enough for me with a lot of meat that if not eaten properly will decorate the front of your shirt.
If you get a rice meal you can ask to add pita. Its an extra charge but sometimes i like having the extra pita. They cut it up into triangular pieces and put it on top of your rice.
They have bbq sauce and the white yogurt tzatziki sauce as well as their signature hot sauce. If you want a punch of spiciness to the mouth KAPOW! Then add more hot sauce. Just a little is good enough for me before my face turns red my nose starts running and I cant catch it and my insides shrivel up from the heat of this sauce. The yogurt sauce tones it down but its still pretty spicy.
There is actually more than one cart-​ones on main street near sanford by the other Duane Reade and one right in front of Macys on Roosevelt. The one on Roosevelt is a safe bet. They are usually still there even after I get out late off the train from work. very convenient. The one on main street i find their rice a little bit too soggy unless it was an off day for them.
If you come too early they might not have the food prepped and ready yet and will have to wait 5 – 10 minutes. But you can grab a cheap drink that they sell while you wait.
Come here for a cheap lunch box meal if you want to stay near the $ 5 mark.
Unilocal 100 challenge: review #5

I definitely had better Halal Cart. Also, why is it manhattan price?!
Rice was dry, meat was meh, salad was measly, the person didn’t even fill up the box all the way with rice or meat and it has a strong fragrance to its food. Felt like I was eating perfume. There isn’t too many halal carts in that area, so maybe that’s why they are so popular?
Either way, I wasn’t a big fan and probably won’t be going back again.

The food here is seriously good! The portion is huge!
The quality of the food here is really good & packed full of flavor! The service was quick, at least when we were there.
We were definitely full. My gf couldn’t even finish her’s!
4 stars for the food! We’ll definitely go back!

This cart is such a sleeper. By that, the quality is something you don’t expect when you order from it.
I’ve ordered from Halal carts all across the city. Most of them are your usual bleh average tasting ones, save for 3 that I can think of. (53^rd/​6^th, Freddy’s, Sammy’s)
This one just looks like any other halal cart. It’s main identifying factor is the Madina sign in blue on the side.
After I placed my order for a mix plate however, I noticed that things were not as they seem. Their chicken was being marinated in some sort of godly broth that had the best of aromas. I thought to myself, «This place might not be too bad»
After I brought the food home, I was very impressed with the quality and taste of the food. Chicken was juicy and flavorful, lamb was succulent and the hot sauce wasn’t overpowering, but still had that kick.
People, if you haven’t tried this place, you must. You won’t regret it.

This halal cart definitely beats out some of the halal carts in Jackson Heights and reminds me of what the 53^rd and 6^th St. halal cart was back before it became the apparent «be all end all» of halal carts.(insert eye roll)
The rice is really flavorful, and their vegetarian option is just as good as their non-​veg. Their white sauce is hands down moons and stars above any of the halal cart sauces I’ve had. It reminds me of the white sauce I’d get back in Mauritius — tangy, garlicky and fresh tasting. It’s fantastic.
I don’t eat halal cart food all that often (subtext: indigestion usually follows no matter how good the food is), but when I do… I’m glad I can get some of the tastiest stuff in mah hood.
:hi-​5!:

it’s no 53^rd and 6^th, but it’ll do for flushing halal meat, the guy is pretty slow though, it’s not fun when it’s cold, standing there 15mins waiting in 20 degree weather while he chats up a storm with a random lady in front of you. recently got a new cart, but somehow takes longer to make food.

I decided to try this cart out because I walk pass it everyday on the way home. It turned out to be very good. The meat and the rice are perfect. However, don’t expect large portions, and the server can be slow.
Will definitely visit again.

HANDS-​DOWN BEST HALAL IN NYC! I’ve had 53^rd & 6^th multiple times, and I must say that Madinas is a billion times better. No long lines, great portions, and tastes amazing. MUST TRY! You’ll love it. 53^rd & 6^th’s meat feels as if it’s just boiled chicken, and has no taste without their white sauce and hot sauce, but the chicken here is freshly made in front of you as well, but has it’s own taste as it’s marinated in it’s own sauce and it’s amazing by itself, but even better with the white sauce and hot sauce. The owner is also the friendliest guy in the world, you can strike up a conversation with him about anything. Overall, as I said before, definitely the best halal. If you’re in the area, try it, as you’ll be in for a treat!