Yogi BBQ Cart’s Gyro Brings Korean & Greek Together

Way back in 2012, Anna reviewed the Yogi BBQ Cart, then a newcomer offering Korean fusion in Midtown East. Anna was pleased by the cart’s tacos, but was intrigued by the Korean gyro she saw on the menu. So when I saw the Yogi Cart on the corner of 3rd Ave. and 49th, I jumped at the opportunity to try some Korean-Greek fusion.

From a choice of chicken, spicy pork, and beef bulgogi, I chose the beef, which Anna had rated her favorite of the three. To complete my gyro, I added kimchi, pico de gallo, and ginger white sauce.

I was glad I chose the beef bulgogi. It had great flavor and was tender while still having a good amount of chewiness. And they don’t go light on the beef, either. There was so much of it, in fact, I kind of wanted more kimchi to balance it out. The kimchi was great as well. It added just enough spice to the gyro and lent a good crunch to each bite. The pico was nice as well, with large chunks of tomato than is usual and some small bits of jalapeno that added even more heat.

What made the gyro for me, though, was the ginger white sauce. Playing the role of tzatziki or the ubiquitous white sauce found at all street meat carts, it was the component that really made the sandwich come across as a gyro (besides the pita, of course). The ginger flavor also paired really well with the beef and kimchi.

My bulgogi gyro was delicious, but it had one serious drawback. It was one of the messiest sandwiches I’ve ever eaten. The ginger white sauce was everywhere when I unwrapped it, making it impossible to not make a mess of your hand and face. Just look at all the sauce that was left over in the Korean BBQ crimes scene photo below.

The gyros at Yogi BBQ Cart aren’t the biggest you’ll encounter in Midtown, but at just $5.50 for beef or pork and only $4.50 for chicken, hungry Lunchers can add a taco to their order and still have money left over for a drink.

In addition to tacos and gyros, the Yogi BBQ Cart also offers rice plates. The cart is parked at 3rd and 49th on Tuesdays and Fridays, and is a welcome alternative to the long lines you have to wait on for the likes of Korilla BBQ.

Yogi BBQ Cart, SW corner of 3rd Ave. & 49th St.

16 Comments

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    Where is it the rest of the week?

  • I usually end up eating gyros with a fork half the time anyway due to messiness.

    Thanks for using the metrocard to denote scale, Dan.

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    Also, I think it’s on 49th, not 39th

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    You’re right about the street. I’ll fix it. Also, their sign only says Tuesday and Friday, so I’m not sure where they are on other days.

  • A Greek guy and a Korean girl are lying in bed when the guy starts farting continuously.

    “That’s disgusting!” shouts the girl.

    “It’s the dog,” proclaims the guy.

    “Don’t blame him,” she replies, “he was cooked perfectly.”

  • With Korilla no longer serving tacos this has been my go-to place for korean tacos. They also put way more meat in their tacos then korilla ever did.

    I’m pretty sure they’re in LIC near laguardia community college when they aren’t in midtown.

  • Thanks for designating my friday lunch jaunt–definitely hitting this place!

  • Yogi is truly delicious! The messiness is part of the deliciousness. Luckily I work on 48 and Third! When LaGuardia is closed they generally come to Midtown ALL WEEK!!!! Yaaaaaaaaaaaay!!

  • I hit it up! Impressed. Well worth the money. GOt the bulgogi platter and the gyro–for “research purposes.” A hearty goats endorsement.

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    Finally, a new place I can try that’s reasonably close to my office! So many of the places featured on this site are in midtown west/central, too far for me to venture to on my lunch break; it makes me so jealous of the choices you guys have. I’ve also been craving good Korean food for the last couple weeks so I will def be checking this place out on Friday. Thanks for the tip!

  • Does anyone know if these guys still come to Midtown? I’ve gone to their spot on 49th and 3rd the past two Fridays and they’ve been MIA.

    Commenting here since, as far as I can tell, the forums are still down.

  • They were MIA last Friday, as well.

  • He’s back! The guy who usually works the grill said his assistant got a hernia which is why he was absent for so long. He was working the cart today solo, so the wait time was longer than usual.

  • The gyro is sloppy, but tasty.

Leave a Reply

You must log in or register to post a comment.