Midtown Lunch

El Rey Del Sabor’s carts have long been a mainstay of Mexican Midtown Lunch’ing. Their menu has everything you’d expect: tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos. But did you know that they also serve a Mexified version of classic street meat? I sure didn’t until I saw someone get a plate of it from the cart on 43rd and 6th. The only logical thing for me to do was order one of my own (Street Meat Palooza 4 results might not be out yet, but it’s never too early to start doing research for next year).

There are no rice and meat plates listed on the menu, but the guy taking orders knew exactly what I wanted. I went the somewhat unexciting route and ordered chicken for comparative purposes, but obviously the protein selection at El Rey is one thing that separates it from traditional street meat carts (I did try to get some chorizo as well, but they were out). I let the guys build the plate themselves without much input from me because I wanted to see how they would normally serve it, but my mind was racing at the possibilities (queso fresca, guacamole, etc.).

I ended up with a plate of rice topped with beans and chicken, and a side of lettuce topped with pico de gallo. They used a white sauce I’ve never seen at El Rey before and their red hot sauce. I asked them to top it off with some of their awesome creamy, spicy orange stuff. All in all it cost me $7.

It was enough like “Halal” street meat that I don’t think anyone would mistake it for a full on Mexican dish consisting of rice, beans and chicken. But once I mixed everything together, the hearty beans, small amount of pico, and orange stuff made this a street meat experience unique from any other. The hearty beans in sauce add another layer to the entire dish once they’re mixed in. Their white sauce has a cool, light feel to it, so if you don’t like the heavy mayo stuff at some carts this might be a good option. And the little chunks of white meat chicken might be boring on their own, but they nicely complement everything else that’s going on, and they’re a nice change of pace from the stringy, dark meat found at lots of carts.

As a big fan of street meat that brings a little something extra to the table, I’d rank El Rey’s unique version right up there with Midtown’s best, and I’m sure it gets even better if you ask for some more Mexican flourishes. El Rey regulars and street meat lovers looking for something different should take note of this off-the-menu option.

El Rey Del Sabor, 43rd btw. 5+6th