Your Guide to the Food Trucks of the Flatiron

Every Friday our man UltraClay goes south of the ML boundaries in search of a delicious lunch. Sometimes it’s Murray Hill south or the Flatiron District, sometimes Gramercy and everything in between- but we just like to call it Flatiron Lunch.

_MG_8571

Ok, it’s not quite this warm today. But it’s as good as we’re going to get for a while. Next week, the temperatures drop back to the 40’s, then the 30’s. In the name of encouraging our readers to get some sun and to support the food cart and truck proprietors who have had a rough time of it this winter, we figure it’s as good a time as any to do a round up of the Flatiron Lunch area trucks. Check it out after the jump.

_MG_0146 - Version 2

The Bistro Truck serves up a mix of French Mediterranean, North African and generally international food including fish tacos, merguez and creme brulee (not in the same dish). They are pretty much always located on 5th Avenue just south of 17th Street.

_MG_8523 - Version 2

The Ecuadorian and Mexican food at El Carrito Rojo were good enough for me to sit on a damned standpipe in the sadly park-free area of 6th Ave and 19th Street. I’d recommend taking a walk to Union Square with one of their tortas.

_MG_0102

The Cevap Truck offers tasty Balkan bites that I really enjoyed. They float around a bit, but are usually on 5th Avenue somewhere between 22nd and 20th Streets.

_MG_4638 - Version 2

The Crepes Truck is the newbie of the bunch. Only open for a few weeks, I haven’t had much of a chance to sample them. I wasn’t thrilled by the crepe I got (The New Yorker – $7), but I plan to return to give them another chance. If you’ve got recommendations on what we should try (or avoid) from these guys, let us know in the comments. As the new guys, they don’t have a real permanent spot yet. I’ve seen them on 5th Avenue from 23rd down to 19th Street.

IMG_2513

Last weeks big find, NYC Mobile Eatery aka El Paraiso de las Empanadas stuffed me with the lomito (aka the chivito) sandwich, made with steak, ham and eggs. With the time and weather on my side ,I’d definitely return to check out the steak or the chicken … and maybe an empanada on the side. These guys also move around a bit, but can usually be found just off of 6th Avenue north or 23rd Street.

_MG_7126 - Version 2

A recent discovery (and probably next week’s Flatiron Lunch – stay tuned!) is the Atlixco truck on 6th Avenue at 29th Street. Polish off your high school Spanish, because ordering can be a bit of a challenge, but they’ve got a wide selection of Mexican fare from tortas to tacos to huaraches. They’re just a few blocks from Herald Square, which on a day like today, probably won’t be dominated by homeless people and tourists. Probably.

Word is that the Feed Your Hole truck is going to be in the neighborhood too. I haven’t tried them yet, but if the spectacle in the comments last month are any indication, I’m sure it’s an experience. Their usual perch is on Park Avenue near 29th Street.

Most folks in the area are going to flood into Madison Square Park, since it’s been pretty much the only option for years short of walking to Union Square or Herald Square. But, we’ve got news on that front, too. The big, ugly condo on 6th avenue between 26th and 27th has a ‘public space’ open behind it. I have only walked through it a couple times, but I imagine it’ll be nicer than having the Shake Shack crowd stepping on your feet.

Enjoy the weather folks!

8 Comments

  • Hope the Souvlaki GR truck comes back soon too.

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    i miss the NYC cravings truck… also the desi truck :(

  • No love for the halal truck on Madison between 27th and 28th? It’s 24/7 365 (except during ramadan) and is pretty decent and cheap.

  • Behind Food Parc there’s an open public space to dine at.

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    The public space on 26th fills up pretty quickly in nice weather around 1 – if you eat early you can get a spot at one of their little tables though.

    Hadn’t realized Feed Your Hole was in the neighborhood before – swung by there for lunch and had a hotdog. Definitely high quality. Wish the guy taking the orders was in less of a hurry though – I’d been planning on ordering fries, too, but never had the chance (and it wasn’t like there was a line either – two men in front of me waiting for their food and then me). Will probably give them another try though when I want a hot dog and don’t want to wait in the Shack line.

  • @MOria–just fyi, They claim to use hebrew national, which is quality, but it’s not homemade. I’m just saying….

    My g/f had the dog with fries on wed. The dog was well grilled, but the fries were very soggy and limp. I already had planned schnitzel, so I will have to wait to try the ol NY WAY (burger with hot dog and fries on it)

  • Realize this is an old post, but I hadn’t realized Feed Your Hole was in my area either. I emailed them about that and they never mentioned it. Looks like I’m going to have to go check them out and that Mexican Truck near Food Parc!

Leave a Reply

You must log in or register to post a comment.