Cheap, healthy Flatiron lunch?

February 23, 2009 9:36 AM

NYCfilter: I work at the Flatiron (at 23rd and Broadway), and I'm looking for cheap (~$7), healthy (more veg, less fried) lunch places within five to ten blocks. Where would you recommend?

I'm trying to keep costs down and eat more healthfully. So, no Shake Shack or Eisenberg's. What places do you like?

posted by ocherdraco to food & drink (23 comments total)

Rainbow Falafel, on 17th St. between Broadway and 5th Avenue.
posted by j1950 at 9:50 AM on February 23

http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2009/02/union-square-area-falafel-nyc-best-maoz-moshes-pita-joe-rainbow-shawarma.html
posted by j1950 at 9:50 AM on February 23

Press is about a ten minute walk away. I like that place.
posted by Optimus Chyme at 9:50 AM on February 23 [1 favorite]

5th Avenue Epicure on 5th and 19th has pretty good soups, salads and sandwiches. Also, Rickshaw dumpling on 23rd is pretty good, although overpriced for dumplings.
posted by miniape at 9:58 AM on February 23

Maoz (north east corner of USQ). So very much Maoz. Its one of the things I miss most about the city.
posted by allkindsoftime at 10:11 AM on February 23 [1 favorite]

Roomali is an Indian wrap place at 27th St and Lexington. Fantastic chicken tikka wrap, which is chicken, egg, greens and yummy spices. Only $5.

The Waffles & Dinges truck is in the neighborhood once a week (Fridays).

Hale & Hearty Soup has a location on 23rd St between Park Ave and Madison Ave.

If you like Chinese food, head over to the place right next to Baruch college. It's next to Mike du Pizza on 25th St (almost to Lex.). Sorry, I can't remember the name. But it's fantastic Chinese food.
posted by camworld at 10:45 AM on February 23

I'd exercise some caution with the Maoz site - my AV identified a virus there.

Head's up.
posted by watercarrier at 11:10 AM on February 23

29th street, just around the southeast corner from third avenue. Awesome curry place (I don't remember the name, it doesn't really matter.) For a few dollars, you can eat like a queen. Easy to make a whole meal out of veg there. And, it's probably the cheapest option out of all the curry hill places.
posted by Citrus at 11:16 AM on February 23

Epicure is a good place for soup and sandwiches. The udon and cold salad bar at FoodWorks (19th between 5th and 6th) is also good. Some of my coworkers like QDoba on 23rd between 5th and 6th.
If you like Thai, Pongsri on 23rd between 6th and 7th is cheap and tasty.
posted by bastionofsanity at 12:07 PM on February 23

Walk north from 23rd towards the university on Lexington (Baruch). I used to go to a lot of little places around there. Notably, the little middle eastern place just past Subway (should still be there) makes an excellent Gyro. There's also a couple carts up that way to service the university as well.
posted by teabag at 12:29 PM on February 23

And Citrus, I believe, is referring to Curry in a Hurry. Curry Hill, which surrounds the area around 27th and Lex, should have lots of cheap Indian food. So you should find your veggies there.

Curry in a Hurry is always surrounded by cabbies at night, because they all eat there. Should indicate to you how cheap it is.
posted by teabag at 12:32 PM on February 23

If you like spicy, then also check out the new Vietnamese sub/sandwich place that is next to Subway on Lex between 25th and 26th. Spicy hot but delicious.

The place next door is also great. It's called Latin Thing. Fantastic beef and rice dish.
posted by camworld at 2:40 PM on February 23 [1 favorite]

Tossed, the guys who seem to have invented the choose-your-ingredients salad, are at 23rd at Park. They are worth checking out because they have more/different stuff and for some reason it's really really yummy. Looks like they'll deliver to you, too.
posted by CunningLinguist at 4:00 PM on February 23

Pho32 on W. 32nd and 5th. Bowls bigger than your head, filled with delicious beefy soup. They also do Japanese stuff there, but I've only ever had the pho. They don't deliver, though. :/
posted by elizardbits at 4:08 PM on February 23 [1 favorite]

And Citrus, I believe, is referring to Curry in a Hurry. Curry Hill, which surrounds the area around 27th and Lex, should have lots of cheap Indian food. So you should find your veggies there.

No! Curry in a hurry is overpriced! This is a different place, which isn't really visible from Third Avenue (you have to turn the corner toward Second). It's only $7 for more than the $10 at CIAH. The reason why the Bangladeshi cabbies go there is not because it's cheap, it's because it's open. Most of the steamtable places in curry hill are only open for lunch.
posted by Citrus at 5:27 PM on February 23

There's a Chipotle on 6th between 21st and 22nd. Decent veggie burritos for the east coast. Not sure if it matters to you, but ever since I found out McDonald's sold their entire stake in the company I feel okay eating there.
posted by funkiwan at 6:13 PM on February 23

The under-the-radar lunch take-out menu at Pamplona is worth a look.
posted by kathryn at 9:28 PM on February 23

If you like spicy, then also check out the new Vietnamese sub/sandwich place that is next to Subway on Lex between 25th and 26th. Spicy hot but delicious.

It's called Baoguette!
posted by kathryn at 9:30 PM on February 23

And they serve both pho and bahn mi!!! I've always thought that was a combo that would take over the world and never understood why restaurants only ever serve one or the other.
posted by CunningLinguist at 9:51 PM on February 23

Maybe you already know about Menupages.com, but it is the first site I check for questions like these.
posted by MS_gal at 10:05 PM on February 23

I do know about menupages, but I'm looking for personal recommendations from mefites, because I know mefites have good taste.

As it happens, I'm not so into spicy food (I do spicy flavorful, not spicy hot). And I'm not vegetarian, I just need to eat more veggies, and so want to put myself into environments where I'm more likely to find them.
posted by ocherdraco at 10:13 PM on February 23

Check out Bonobo. They are a vegetarian eatery. Their food is very fresh, organic and made for you on the spot. A very healthy choice, just 1/2 block away from the Flatiron.
posted by orehek at 6:40 AM on March 1

I second Pongsri for not-too-expensive, tasty Thai food. I'm there for lunch about once a week. Also fond of Izumi Sushi on 28th between 6th and 7th, but it's a tiny place and always packed around lunchtime so takeout or delivery are usually the way to go.
posted by emmastory at 5:28 PM on March 7