Chicken & Rice Guys – Catering & Food Trucks

I got the combo plate for lunch on Monday. A couple hours after eating it, my stomach started feeling not so great, and it got progressively worse on the way home from work. Around 8pm, began vomiting… it did not stop for about 12 hours. Kept waking up through the night, puking my brains out (as well as the other end). Chills/​Fever, muscle aches, lethargy, and extreme nausea.
48 hours later, and I still haven’t eaten anything, but I’m just now starting to feel like i’m on the mend. Definitely some sort of food poisoning from this place. Have notified the Boston board of health. Will never eat there again, just the thought of it gives me dry heaves.

I used to get this from the truck every Monday at work, but after finding a THICK black hair in my food, I’m pretty turned off. What a shame…

Note: This is for their new MEDFORD location at 64 Salem Street, which just opened today.
I saw that the Chicken & Rice Guys were opening a new physical location today in Medford, and since they served lamb and beef gyros, I had to try it. (I had never tried food at their trucks or downtown Boston location, so I had no idea what to expect.)
Any resemblance to a conventional gyros is in name only. There was no rotisserie spinning layers of meat, or a cone-​shaped hunk of lamb/​beef that gets heated up and shaved off to order, with nicely browned long strips of flavorful meat. The meat came from a deep-​well tray (like in a burrito assembly line) of finely minced ground meat, with no definable texture because of the small mince.
I ordered a small, seeing that there was no real gyros about to be served to me. The small comes in a plastic container about the size that would hold a hamburger. Most of the container had curried rice, some loose grains, some clumpy, but VERY tasty. There was also some shredded undressed iceberg lettuce, and probably no more than two ounces of ground up, loose «gyros» meat… for $ 5. I frankly could not discern the flavor of the meat because there was not enough of it to taste, since every bite also contained the flavorful rice. There were also two tiny triangles of pita bread no more than two to two-​and-​a-​half inches wide.
Looking at the other reviews here, people seem to love this place. Maybe the chicken, which appeared to be finely shredded has more flavor and texture, but to call the gyros disappointing is giving it too much credit. I hate to rain on their opening day parade, but this was my first and last visit.
UPDATE: In less than an hour after posting the above review, the owner of Chicken & Rice Guys posted an apology, below, and generously offered a refund. THAT is great customer service. I thank him for his kind offer.

Love coming here for lunch. They have a truck stop near my location, but the stroll to their brick and mortar store isn’t far so I usually trek there. Always get extra sauce! People pour this over their rice and grab extra. Sometimes it is not enough! Medium spicy has a kick. Haven’t tried the BBQ or extra spicy yet. A small combo always fills me up!
The service here is great. The ladies at the front counter today were super nice and even answered some questions from the customer in front of me. They always tend to the sauces when they’re low cause they know people craze over them!

SO GOOD! Great simple food at a great price. I bought a small lamb gyros from one of their food trucks. I thought the rice had a great texture and was amazingly flavorful, and paired really well with the lamb and simple lettuce salad. The food truck service was fast and friendly. I can’t wait to go again!
PS: Get the white garlic sauce! Get two!

to update: I was very impressed with chicken and rice guys’ customer service in regards to this.

Not surprised with their high stars rating. The meals are quick, inexpensive and quite tasty. I do not usually order from food trucks often, but when I’m in food truck mood, I will always wait for Mondays to roll around for this truck. The line usually moves for that being lunch time. Their flavors have also been consistent each time. The combination of their garlic and hot sauce on the grilled chicken is amazing. A regular usually fills me, although I’ll order large and take leftovers home. Last year they were even at the Revere Beach Sand Castle festival. They raised the price quite a bit ($ 10 per meal) but I was still satisfied. Hope to see them again this year. Definitely try it!

The only reason I’m able to get out of bed and go to work on Monday’s is because of this glorious food truck! Thank you for bringing meaning to my life

I was craving for chicken and rice, but didn’t feel like driving 4hrs to nyc, so I decided to hit up this spot. Got there at 11:45 just right before the crowd. Just in minutes, there was about 20 hungry office workers lining up for their box of chicken & rice that they probably have been thinking of, in their cubicle. The line stretched way beyond the door, almost as long as the long line of senior citizens right outside getting on the bus to Mohegan.
This was much better than the time that I ate at their truck location. The chicken was more tender and moist because it had to came from the grill. It would be better if they gave more lettuce and less rice. Inside seating was a plus since it was cold as ballz (btw, only 1 table w/​4 chairs) I got the chicken reg. With extra meat.

It’s not like the famous Halal guys chicken and rice, but it did satisfied my cravings. They are doing well and opening up new locations (Cambridge). I hope they will get better. I will revisit in a few months.

I love it when these guys come to campus :)
Really good chicken and rice. Chicken is moist and the pita bread on the side is sooooo good. Only thing I would suggest is giving a little bit less rice and perhaps more lettuce. Also, for first time goers, don’t be overzealous with the hot sauce because it’s quite spicy and overwhelmed me the first time. Would also recommend their baklava — they offer small pieces for $ 1 and are probably the best I’ve had in Boston :)

I’m not giving this place my 6^th 5 Star review in 5 years because my friend is like a founding member and they’ve grown into 2 more trucks and a brick and mortar spot… naw, not at all.
5 stars because it’s cheap and it’s dericious.
My friend catered his birthday with this stuff and **** *** ******!
This is a must visit for any foodie in Boston. If you can only eat at one food truck, just do it right here.
And add some special sauce.
You place your order, and your food is ready for consumption before you even get your change back.
They were parked in front of the aquarium when I went, which was a perfect spot surrounded by ample seating and ample bars for you to wash that rice down with.

I’m so fricken happy these guys opened a 4-​season storefront! After doing catering with them a couple times and not being in a position to chase down their food truck at random times during the day, this is brilliant. Their $ 5 small combo option is the shit – foolproof every time and my order was up with my coworkers in I kid you not, 30 seconds. Then it’s great to go down the line and load up on cilantro sauce, sour cream, bbq and medium-​spicy sauce. Love their owner who was a pleasure to organize catering orders with as well and hooked us up with lots of Chicken & Rice T-​shirts!

I am a follower and supporter of The Chicken & Rice Guys. This is the best Halal Food in Boston!
Years ago, I would go to NYC at least once a month and I had a ritual of getting a Gyro from a food truck once I’d arrived and again when I was leaving. Out of all of the places I’ve been to in Boston, this is the only place that gives that authentic taste that I love so much. It’s great that the Food Truck culture is picking up in the city and that these guys are establishing themselves as a mainstay. The prices and portions are great, but the best part is that you can put as much sauce as you’d like on the food. You can never have too much sauce either.
Enjoy!

It’s 12 pm and lunch time.
You walk outside and voila! today is chicken and rice guy and the truck is parked closed to you.
You stare at the line that’s about 50 people deep, about twice as long as the next possible longest line for lunch.
What do you do?
Stand in the line and wait for chicken and rice. If you say anything else (unless it’s to come back for 2nds at 1:30 pm), you are out of your mind.
Their extra spicy and the mint sauce is great.

Food: 4.0÷5.0
Service: 1.5÷5.0
Value: 3.5÷5.0
Décor: 1.5÷5.0
Overall: 3.5÷5.0
I’m a big fan of the halal trucks in New York. Real good, real cheap, real fast, what’s not to like? C&R is an attempt to bring a little of New York up to Boston, and they do an okay job of it. For a typical guy, a regular plate perhaps with extra meat is the way to go. Also the combo meat option if you’re okay with lamb and beef (which is in the lamb).
Compared to New York? The rice doesn’t look the same (you can search for pics) and isn’t as good, the food is more expensive than the original, and the line moves really slow (I’m pretty sure the 53^rd St cart in NY can feed half of Boston in the time it takes C&R to get through the noon lunch crowd — throughput can probably be fixed with a one-​day ops assessment). I gave this truck three Unilocal stars, but just know that I struggled between three and four. Sorry Boston, you’re just not New York. But since we are in Boston, C&R it is.

Updating my review accordingly: that white sauce is incredible, and mixed with the BBQ sauce, you could slather them on an old shoe and it would taste delicious. SAUCE FOR THE WIN.
Still would love to see a veg other than lettuce included in their plates, but that’s just a personal preference.

If you’ve had the chicken and rice from the halal guys in NY then this just doesn’t compare. The meat here is thinly sliced but just tastes like paper. There’s no warmth in the spices (if any) for the meat. And the rice had no juices from the meat to flavor it. To be honest, I took two bites, one of the chicken and rice, one of the lamb (I got a combo) and I didn’t touch it after that. Even the hot sauce and white sauce felt second rate and didn’t help. I felt bad wasting it but I was at an event with plenty of other options and this wasn’t worth the stomach space. Really wanted to like this place but looks like NY just can’t be beat.

The #CNRGuys parked next to my office building in Cambridge today and the instant we saw the truck about 10 of us headed down to check them out.
I noticed there was a small ($ 5) and a large ($ 7), and the large was VERY large. I opted for the small with just chicken, though truth be told the large is double the size and a way better value! They also offer lamb, or a combo of lamb and chicken.
Within 1 minute of ordering I had my food: chicken, rice, lettuce, and pita. I smothered it all in garlic sauce and medium hot sauce, which I would definitely recommend. I’m glad I asked how hot the extra hot was because the medium hot was quite spicy for me!
They also offer the devil’s herb (via a mint cilantro sauce), but I will let that slide.
Service was super friendly and welcoming.
I heard that they will be back again next Tuesday, and may have done a little dance at my desk.

Here at the Worcester Food Truck Festival. These guys are, by far, the best vendor here!
The food is the tastiest, everything is done well. The people working on the truck are friendly.
The sauces are the best. I have the combo chicken and lamb rice dish. I tried three sauces on the side. Creamy garlic, extra spicy, and cilantro mint. All of them excellent! The extra spicy truly is VERY spicy. Great flavor. I mixed it with creamy garlic. Yum!

Went out to the Farmers Market today at work (Kendall Square near the Canal) and have always seen the line & finally decided to stand in it… SOOO worth the wait, dont fret — It moves fast…
So Its my turn & Im like UMMMM what do I do? So the woman graciously informed me of what the options were so I got Chicken & Rice and topped it off with some cilantro, mint sauce… NOT MY FAVE… So bummed the Creamy Garlic is Mayo based as I have Mayo allergies, but one of the guys there told me he would check into their ingredients so fingers crossed, I might be able to try… Will def come back next week to check in…
$ 7 for a large, $ 5 for a small. Sooooo goood, The BBQ sauce is good, The mild is BY NO MEANS MILD. I like spicy, but WHOA… this was pull your tongue out & stab it with a kitchen knife spicy — I cant even begin to imagine what the «You dont want to try this spicy» was like…
Def worth a try… Cant wait until Next Thursday

From the name I always pictured bland, dry chicken with rice. Just plain. No flavor. Desert-​like. Sheee-​yewt, was I wrong. It’s the exact opposite. They have several sauces on the side of the truck so flavor and sauce saturation are totally in your hands. Basically this means if it sucks, it’s your fault.
The first time I went I got a little bit of each sauce, because there seemed to be too many tempting varieties to commit to just one. I actually liked all the sauces for a different reason and I would recommend them all depending on what you’re looking for, but my tried-​and-​true favorite is a butt-​ton of Creamy Garlic sauce with a butt-​ton of Medium Hot and a touch of Extra Hot just for that extra kick. If you’ve ever eaten at the transcendent Garlic and Lemons in Allston… I hate to compare, but this combination of sauces comes closer than anything else I’ve had in Boston.
The line can sometimes be very long but in my experience they can move it along pretty quickly. The last time I went the line was 50 feet back from the truck but 10 minutes later I ordered and was instantly handed my meal. Perks of not serving too many items, I guess. Also, it’s cheap. $ 5 for a mini, (which is pretty generously sized) and $ 7 for a regular, they’re cheaper than most other Boston food trucks.

Oh chicken and rice guys. I’ve been waiting to try this food truck for like ever. So I finally tried it and I was one happy gal.
I reached the food truck about 10 minutes before they were closing up shop for the midday rush. I ordered a regular plate with chicken. Damn. I tried the garlic sauce (damn delicious), hot sauce and the green stuff (mint and jalapeño etc). For my first visit I wanted to try a little bit of each sauce. End verdict? More garlic and hot and less of the green stuff.
Entire plate was tasty. I don’t think I had dinner that day cuz I was SO full. Chicken and rice guys peeps were awesome… they were in utter shock that I hadn’t tried their food yet. But this girl has completed a rite of passage in the food truck world of Boston and I can’t wait to come back!!!

CASH ONLY.
Had The Halal Guys in NYC? Well this is pretty much the closest you’ll get to them in Boston and also price makes it worth it if they’re near you for work.
Can be a line but it moves fast!

I can’t be 100% sure why the truck was parked on an essentially deserted center of the Financial District on a holiday weekend, but it served my needs particularly well, if it meant that there was no line or wait. Hailing from a similar brand of food from New York, curiosity obviously grasps at wanderers and tourists, wondering if it’s just as good.
What you get: a combo plate of chicken and lamb, extra white garlic sauce and a bit of hot sauce, some pita bread, yellow rice, and crisp salad; eat it together! Apparently its even better if you mix all the ingredients together first, and some people say the more white sauce the better.
For the price you end up with some decent food and portions, though I could offer perhaps two suggestions: first, though I did like the overall taste, the flavoring/​cooking of the rice has the notable room for improvement. Secondly, it would seem that this lunch truck is primarily that, and I could only imagine that this would serve just as well after hours around bars and college campuses. I liked it; just don’t compare it to Manhattan.

The combination of words «chicken and rice» is a strong one among people who know street food. You mention that phrase in New York or anyone who’s been to New York, and you immediately think Halal Guys with their giant platters of yellow rice, pita, gyro, chicken, magic white sauce and blistering red sauce.
CaRG in Boston offer a very serviceable version of that classic. The red sauce isn’t as hot, but they also offer up barbecue sauce and a cilantro-​y green sauce. You also don’t get a giant platter of food, but what you do get is perfectly sized for lunch.
I’d say skip the chicken here, but definitely go for the lamb gyro and load it up with all the sauces you can carry. I’ll give them extra love for showing up at the convention center during PAX East; I think I’ve become actually depressed from eating too much convention food. If you’re ever walking around Boston and spot their yellow truck, give them a visit!

I am *obsessed* with the halal food trucks in New York, so when I heard that there was a NYC-​inspired Halal truck in Boston I was determined to hunt them down. The line gets super long, but they the food comes out quick and they really try to get people moving through.
They have a very friendly yellow truck with a happy chicken. Their menu is somewhat limited — meat over rice only, so none of those delicious, carby gyros. They have lamb shawarma in very thin slices, and cubed chicken, and sometimes tofu (they’ve usually been sold out when I’ve come so I wouldn’t bet on it). The meat is pretty good — the chicken is very tender and juicy. The lamb was a little lacking — the cuts were very thin and I think I would have preferred something a little more substantial. I think they deep fry or pan fry their pita, which makes them slightly crunchy but also extremely greasy. I think I prefer the soft, pillowy unfried pita, but to each their own. The price is right at 5 $ for a small (still a lot of food!) and $ 7 for a regular. They also have baklava on the menu for $ 1 a pop.
They’ve got the white sauce, and also have BBQ sauce and a pretty good green sauce, and two kinds of hot sauce. Their white sauce is pretty good, and you can definitely see that they go through quite a few large bottles in the hour with people slathering it on. It tastes a little off to me — it’s slight *too* creamy — but its definitely very good.
The service is speedy but I’ve always found the staff a little snarky. Asking about their lamb gyro (the sign says it contains beef) got me a condescending speech about what gyro meat is, and a lot of times trying to order a small gets me a snarky speech about how I’m cutting myself short unless I get a regular. There’s usually a back and forth (even an eye roll once) before they put my small order in. Yes! I want the small! Just take my order!
Overall, CNR is very good and I can definitely see myself coming back over and over again. They have a few kinks they need to iron out, but I’m really excited that they’re in the Boston food scene!