Kwik Meal Reviewed: #1 Street Meat

Kwik Meal is a cart on the corner of 45^th and 6^th Avenue that serves halal food.  Mohammed Rahman famously left his post at Russian Tea Room to open Kwik Meal.  He is found everyday in the cart expediting orders and making sure he keeps the line moving.  To be upfront the prices here are higher than other options in the area (Chicken, Lamb & Rice combo is $8.50) however it is WELL worth it.

Chicken and Lamb Over Rice with White Sauce on the Side

The differentiating factor for Kwik Meal is that they serve actual marinated lamb instead of gyro meat.  The chunks of lamb are deliciously seasoned with cumin, coriander and green papaya.  The chicken has a delicious crispy texture on it from the grill and is also so well seasoned.  The meats are served over basmati rice with a salad (lettuce and tomato) on the side.  I prefer to order the white sauce on the side because I get sick from too much dairy and my biggest complaint is that they do not offer separate to go containers for the sauces.  They do accommodate the request by keeping it on one side of the container but I guess you can always forego it all together.

Green and White Sauce with Lamb Chunks

If you are a fan of hot sauce do not forget to ask for the green sauce.  Kwik Meal’s green sauce is a jalapeño based hot sauce and they tend to be stingy with it unless you specify that you like a lot of heat.  The hot sauce is not as hot as 53^rd and 6^th but it is unique and does add a decent amount of heat and flavor but don’t forget to ask for it because it’s not standard for them to include it.The portions at Kwik Meal are large and it typically takes me two sittings to finish it but even if I do finish it in a day I don’t get that sick feeling that you get from other street meat carts.I HIGHLY recommend Kwik Meal for any midtown folk seeking an alternative lunch option.  The taste and quality of food at Kwik Meal are superior to any other street meat vendor.  What’s your favorite street meat or lunch cart?  Let me know in the comments.

Good:

High quality ingredients

Real chunks of Lamb

Small pieces of lettuce

Large portions

Bad:

No sauce containers

More expensive than other street meat options

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars (docked .5 star for expensive pricing)

Recommended Dish: Chicken & Lamb combo over rice