XPL Quietly Started Charging for Drinks?

XPL, the street meat cart that surprised everybody by coming in 2nd place at last year’s Street Meat Palooza, might have raised their prices recently: “Hey Zach, Went down to the 3rd Ave. outpost of the XPL Halal food cart at 48th St. for lunch today. They charged $5 for a platter (chicken or lamb over rice) and included in that price was a free drink. Great deal, and pretty good street meat for us eastsiders not a quick walk from the Halal Guys on 53rd and 6th. Anyway, I got my food and my normal drink and instead of receiving a $5 bill as change for my $10, I got four singles. So just like that, I guess they’re now charging $1 for drinks. Not a huge deal, as $6 for meal and drink is still good. I just won’t be getting drinks from there any more so that I can keep my costs steady at $5. P.S. – The rice today, usually a standout, was bland and flavorless. I’m hoping it was just a bad batch… Edward”

Sounds like they either started charging for drinks… or maybe they are now charging $6 (and you still get the free soda.) Anybody else experience this? (Or bad rice?) XPL has locations on 3rd & 48th, Park Ave. & 48th, and Broadway btw. 53+54th.

10 Comments

  • The one on Park and 48th seemed to start doing this about 6 months ago – you have to tell them “no drink” to get the $5 deal.

  • Which places give you a free soda? I never order a soda to cut my costs (plus I rarely drink soda). Have I been a dumbass and missed out on a freebie all this time??

  • Mama, you get buy backs.

  • “Bland and flavorless,” you say?

  • The few times I’ve been there (48th & Park) over the last 6 months, they charged me $6 and told me to take a drink – so I assumed it was $6 which includes a “free” drink…

  • To add to the echo: I’ve been going to the one on Park since July and they’ve always charged me $6 with a drink. In fact, until recently they didn’t even ask. Now they tend to say “drink?” and only charge $5 when I say no. Which is an improvement for me, because I never wanted it anyway.

  • At these places it’s 5 bucks no drink, 6 bucks w/drink

  • Pointed this out a while ago.

    http://midtownlunch.com/2008/09/17/xpl-express-power-lunch-cart-seeing-a-post-street-meat-palooza-bump-chicken-over-rice-new-cart-new-york-city-nyc/

    They used to post $5.99 for the platters which included drink. I think they now allow you not to buy the drink and save the buck.

  • For all you suckers that were going to the one on Park, the 48th & 3rd cart had been doing $5 with a drink. Two or three weeks ago, they had a little sign in the window saying the pitas were moving up to $3.50 and the platter would no longer include a drink. I was always surprised they didn’t hike up the prices before.

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    hello buddies….i jus got news that the original owner of this spot sold this car to the guys who works on it now so the management for this xpl is different from the one on 48 and park ave and i think 2nd ave n 46th st around united nation. and trust me guys XPL always been $5 never changed.maybe this new succker probably changed it to 6. walk up the block to 48 and park ave and see how much they sell it for.

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