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In these days of trendy food trucks popping up all over the place with gourmet grilled cheese, and the like, it’s easy to overlook the originators. Those old school carts who are out there on the city streets every day. In some areas these carts can be seen lined up four to a block, and some have even built rivalries against the newer hipster food trucks encroaching on their territory. And when Mister Softee gets involved, watch out! Punches have been thrown.
Here are a few different categories of carts for you to watch out for around New York City.
The New York City breakfast cart typically has a selection of bagels (with cream cheese or butter on them already), doughnuts, croissants, danishes, and egg sandwiches, as well as coffee, tea, and juice to drink. They are only out during the morning hours, sometimes packing up as early as 11 a.m. These are never the best quality of food (taste-wise there’s really no contest between a fresh NYC bagel from a bagel shop and one from this kind of truck), but it is the fastest way to get breakfast on the street and the price is right! Personally, my favorite from these trucks is the braided egg roll with butter-- not bad! They haven’t seen much competition from the new breed of gourmet trucks yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some new breakfast-themed trucks start to come out of the woodwork soon.
These are the old school, the original food cart masters of New York! The hot dog guys are out there every day selling the “dirty water dogs” and they do steady business. They are practically synonymous with the archetypal image of a New York City street. With their hot dog brand (usually Sabrett) advertised on their umbrellas, they are there for your quick and easy hot dog, knish, pretzel, and soda needs. The New Yorkers I surveyed said these are pretty much interchangeable quality-wise, but if you get the rare vendor that grills them instead of boils them it’s your lucky day!
Halal Carts (often referred to as Street Meat) are the wild cards of the NYC cart world. Unlike the hot dog and breakfast carts, they have more varied menus, and some have cult-like followings. Some carts have their detractors while others have lines that wrap around the corner at all hours of the day or night. Your average Halal Cart will offer shish kabobs, spiced beef, chicken, or fish over rice, salad, and the option to top it off with white or hot sauce. For some great recommendations, check out Street-Meat-Palooza series!
For the old school New York street eating experience, make sure to stop at one of these carts that have made it so easy for New Yorkers to eat on the go over the years!