You can always count on Magdy’s Cheesesteak Cart (46th btw Park + Lex) to have a line, always about a dozen people deep. I know they’re famous for their cheesesteaks and have been meaning to give it a try. But whenever I try a new street meat cart I can’t help but get the chicken and lamb over rice.   If only there was a way to combine the two…

Figuring that I could try their cheesesteak another time I went with Magdy’s lamb and chicken over rice, which just didn’t hit the spot like a good plate of street meat would. I pretty much agree with what Zach had thought of their chicken. The chunks of white meat were dry and boring. The lamb was okay, nothing spectacular, and their hot sauce had no heat whatsoever. It was a pretty disappointing plate of food.

But a week later I found myself standing in line at Magdy’s again, I had to try their cheesesteak. Everyone in line was getting the cheesesteak sandwich, but I had to try the cheesesteak over rice ($5.50). Yes that’s right. I got beef with melted cheese over rice and topped it off with white, hot and bbq sauce. I could see why people would like their cheesesteaks. The slices of beef were thin and quite good. It totally reminded me of the beef from Onya’s beef bowls. They were thin enough to easily tear apart. If I go back again, I’ll probably tell them to go easy on the white sauce (or ask for extra cheese if that’s possible) because the slices of cheese had pretty much melted and were mixed into the sauces. I wasn’t able to taste any cheese at all but this plate was much more enjoyable than their lamb and chicken over rice.

Magdy’s Cheesesteak Cart, SE corner of 46th & Park Ave.

I was on the prowl for some street meat yesterday (thanks to everyone for twittering their recommendations @midtowlunch) when I noticed this sign on the Magdy’s Philly Cheesesteak Cart (on Park Ave & 46th St.) I’m sure it’s always been there, but Magdy’s is known for their philly cheesesteaks… and I just never noticed it before.

Scampi means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. To my mom it meant breaded shrimp baked in a pyrex dish covered in Pam cooking spray. At most Italian restaurants it involves shrimp, butter, garlic, and white wine. In England it’s fried lobster! I was super curious what it meant to a cheese-steak cart in Midtown.

Somebody looks excited for scampi…

Can you believe the line at this place? At 12:10 on a Tuesday! Amazing. I wonder if this partially has to do with their ordering system. As soon as you get in line, a lady comes and “takes your order” and your money. At that point, you’re stuck… and even if you decide you don’t want to wait, you’ve already paid for your lunch. Very smart! (Technically you could still get your money back since it doesn’t really matter what you tell the lady you want. The guy doesn’t make your plate until you get to the very front of the line anyway.)

Sadly, it turns out that Magdy’s “Chicken Scampi” is just plain old chicken over rice (no clue where they got “scampi” from.) It’s the same chicken over rice plate that came in last place at Street Meat Palooza last July, and I can’t say I disagree. It was fine, and the chicken is good quality chunks (although kind of dry.) But in the end I wasn’t down with the waterlogged rice and the grilled onions (normally I love grilled onions, but the chicken over rice purist in me wasn’t into it), and the whole time I kept thinking I would much rather be eating a plate from the XPL Cart (on 48th and Park). If you are a fan of a more “Americanized” (i.e. less scary) street meat, this could be the chicken over rice for you. Next time I’ll stick with their subs (chicken or steak and cheese), which are unmatched in taste and price on the streets of Midtown.

Magdy’s Cheesesteak Cart, SE corner of 46th & Park Ave.

Now, here is the big disclaimer.  If you have ever been to Philadelphia, and had a philly cheesesteak, then you are aware of what a “real” cheesesteak is.  If you have ever lived in New England, you have disputed the Philadelphia claim to having the best steak & cheese (after all, provolone is far superior cheez whiz, right?).  Maybe you have even been to the Tony Luke’s (now Shorty’s) on 9th Ave., and feel like you have had a decent cheesesteak  here in New York City.  Steak & Cheese from a cart in Midtown is not going to live up to any of those standards.  It costs $4.  It’s from a cart.  That being said, the steak & cheese I had yesterday from Magdy’s on Park & 46th was pretty damn tasty.

Continue reading after the jump…The sign on the Magdy’s cart reads “The Original Philly Cheese Steak” in big letters, “and A Variety of Hero Sandwiches” in smaller.  But the grill tells a different story, where 75% is taken up by chicken, another popular item at the cart.  The menu has a few choices, and a few different prices, but the lady who took my order, and collected my money admitted to me that it changes every day- and even she wasn’t sure exactly what is supposed to be charged.  If you want chicken or a cheesesteak sub, it’s going to be $4, maybe $4.50.  Make it a double, or mixed between the two, it’s going to be $5 or $6.

Quite a few people were ordering the chicken ahead of me, so I was forced to pull a late audible.  I went with the mixed, so I could try both- but instead of letting them mix the chicken and steak together, I asked that he separate the meat on either half of the sub roll.  The guy seemed a little confused at first, but he ended up doing it- and I have to say, it was pretty strong move.  And only $5.

The chicken half was just ok.  Chunks of good white meat chicken, covered in lettuce, tomato and an average white sauce (extra might have been helpful), and not a trace of a Middle Eastern spice (which may be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on what you like).  I should have trusted the sign, because the real star was clearly the steak and cheese.  Thinly sliced and covered in grilled onions and slices of American cheese, it was really tasty, making me wish I had just gone with a double steak & cheese.

Is this a heaping pile of quality steak?  For $4, of course it isn’t.  But there is something delicious that happens when you take thinly sliced deli meat style steak, top it with grilled onions and processed american cheese and put it in a roll.  Charge only $4-6 for it, and you’ve got a winner.

THE + (What somebody who likes this cart would say)

• It’s pretty damn cheap
• It’s tastiness cannot be denied
• I love fake cheese on top of fake meat!!!
• I’m a fat man, who loves to eat meat off of carts.

THE – (What somebody who doesn’t like this cart would say)

• The meat is really low grade
• Philly Cheese Steaks don’t have slices of kraft, they have cheeze whiz- and it’s the only way to eat them
• I prefer my cheese steaks with real cheese (like some nice provolone!)

Magdy’s Philly Cheese Steak Cart, NE Corner of 46th & Park