Portable and Affordable, This Pakistani Food Cart Is Right for the Moment

In New York, halal carts are ubiquitous, but in Karachi, rolls are undeniably king. These charcoal-grilled rolls are found in nearly every neighborhood and are eaten year-round, especially late at night. Their look and taste are unmistakable too: tender, slightly charred meat wrapped in a flaky, layered flatbread, small enough to fit two — or even three — in one hand for the perfect portable snack that stays in transit.

Last year, Syed Mushbir Jafri, along with his childhood friends Azhar Parvez and Kunal Parwani, decided to launch Karachi Kabab Boiz to bring a smoky taste of Pakistan to the masses. Since debuting at the Queens Night Market in April 2023, Karachi Kabab Boiz has catered to the Pakistani community over their kebab rolls, and exposed more New Yorkers to their signature Karachi-style grilling.

The trio grew up in Karachi but their friendship blossomed after they all moved to the United States around 2012. After reconnecting over FAFSA applications, video games, and, what they described as, the dire state of Pakistani food, they pieced together the business idea, armed with an outstanding family recipe from Parvez’s father.

Every morning, the cart announces its evening location on Instagram; you can typically expect to find the cart in Queens, around Long Island City and Astoria, on weekdays from 2 to 11 p.m.

While growing up in Karachi, Jafri remembers how roll culture was embedded into the fabric of everyday life. As a kid, Jafri would snack on a handful of rolls with friends during school lunch or after class.

“There are people who eat rolls twice a day as meals,” says Jafri. Parwani, who oversees the cart’s social media, says rolls are tied to his most formative memories. “You’d have 15 friends going out having rolls. You would go on dates with rolls. You would have fights while eating rolls,” says Parwani. “[Rolls] bring everybody together, regardless of the situation.”

The city’s kebab roll culture is modest but gaining momentum. Spots like Kolachi in the East Village, whose founders also grew up in Karachi, recently celebrated its first anniversary and dish out flaky rolls with flame-grilled beef and chicken. Then there are older spots serving kathi rolls with roots in Kolkata, India such as The Kati Roll Company, Thelewala, and Tikka Indian Grill.

While similarities between kathi rolls and their Karachi-style kebab rolls abound, Jafri is quick to point out their differences. At Karachi Kabab Boiz, they use a homemade pani paratha, a half puri and half paratha mix, which allows for a unique flaky texture (kathi rolls typically use only paratha). Similarly, their charcoal grill set-up, which imbues the meats with a noticeably smokier flavor, differentiates their selection from the rest of the pack.

Currently, the cart offers three roll options — beef Bihari, chicken tikka, and chicken malai — with homemade sauce and onions. Their most popular roll is the chicken tikka, which is marinated in a spicy concoction of yogurt, chile powder, and spices, before getting a smokey kiss on the charcoal grill. Lesser known but equally delicious is the beef Bihari. Marinated for 48 hours in a medley of fried onions, chile flakes, and other spices imported from Pakistan, the beef becomes tender.

“If somebody’s had our beef Bihari, their pupils dilate, and they’re like, ‘Oh shit, this is good,’” says Jafri. The chicken malai, creamy with a whisper of spice, is made with cumin, coriander, and green peppers. Eventually, the team hopes to expand the menu to include more diverse chicken parts and more sauce options.

Since it launched last year, Karachi Kabab Boiz has become a consuming business that has taken the founders all over the city. Jafri and Parwani, who work full-time jobs in finance and consulting, commute from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and Boston respectively to help the cart with large-scale events. Only Parvez, who has lived in Queens for 12 years, quit his job to work on Karachi Kabab Boiz full-time, where he manages ingredient sourcing and kitchen responsibilities. According to Jafri, some of their most loyal customers drive from Long Island and New Jersey for a taste of their Karachi-style rolls.

Before opening the food cart, the team started at the Queens Night Market.

Abeer Minhas, whose family hails from Karachi, discovered Karachi Kabab Boiz after attending the Queens Night Market last year. Once she learned that the cart relocated to Long Island City, where she lives, she made a concerted effort to visit often and bring her friends, too. “I am a huge fan of kebab rolls, and my family is directly from Karachi,” she says. “It’s an authentic kebab roll experience, which is hard to find in New York.”

When Minhas brought her parents to New York for a short weekend, she knew she had to take them to Karachi Kabab Boiz. “They’re always excited to see Pakistani food and I brought them here because it’s literally around the corner,” she says, adding they “approved.”

With its bright orange exterior and sizable crowd on recent a Tuesday night, the cart has also attracted a steady stream of passersby, many trying the rolls for the first time. Moe, an MTA worker, first noticed the truck while repairing the Queens Plaza subway station. “The elevator keeps shutting down, so we decided to finally take a lunch break,” he says. “I’m looking forward to the spicy one.”

Pranav, who stumbled upon the truck after work, is a fan of the Kati Roll Company in Manhattan. So when he saw the Karachi Kabab Boiz sign, his curiosity led him. “I know Karachi is a place in Pakistan and these rolls are similar to those I’ve eaten in India,” he says after ordering the chicken tikka roll.

“Getting compared to the big brands back home is an achievement,” says Parvez. “That’s something that keeps us going.”