Checking Out The Newly Renovated Pump

The Pump 55th Street
Earlier this month we got the news that the midtown health food chain, The Pump, has finished renovating their West 55th Street location with a new look and a new local/seasonal menu. While the Pump has their fair share of detractors on ML, I’ve been an occasional customer for almost as many years as I’ve been Midtown Lunching. So I decided to check out the new look and new menu for the ML team.

Inside The Pump 55th Street
I arrived at the new location and true to their promise the place has been fully renovated. Actually not such the fan of the new design. While you can see your food get dished up like the other Pump location and they have a little smoothie/shake prep station, the new configuration comes at the expense of the limited seating. This location is now takeout only. As for the bric-a-brac? Meh. I sort of miss the clean white walls and signed photos of local newscasters and Joan Rivers. Nevertheless, we’re all about the food here at ML, so I lined up and placed my order.

Lunch from The Pump
I went for a late-ish lunch (sometime after 2:00pm) and the small store was crowded, but not the crazy crush I remember from years back. I decided to go for a build your own Super-Charged Plate with brown rice ($9.64 with tax) with bison meatballs, spinach, and two seasonal vegetables: spaghetti squash, and roasted brussels sprouts with a side of “hot” hot sauce and yogurt dill sauce. Service was quick and efficient.

The “hot” hot sauce legitimately brings the heat and leaves a spicy afterburn. Proceed with caution unless you can handle real heat, especially since the bison meatballs have a little bit of spice to them as well. The roasted brussels sprouts were still crunchy lightly seasoned with a little pepper. The spinach was nicely steamed, again not overly cooked. This was my first foray into spagetti squash. It had a nice bit of crunchiness–I was expecting mush. It was a little saltier than I was anticipating, so if you’re eating at The Pump because you’re watching your sodium, you might skip this (of course, if you‘re watching your sodium, ML might not be the best site to frequent).

While my meal was towards the upper reaches of a Midtown Lunch, coming in at a little over $10 after tax, it was filling and satisfying without being heavy. And if I had chosen chicken or tofu, I could have gotten it in under $10. If you are in need of a (close your eyes, Zach!) healthy lunch, the Pump still delivers in terms of quality and taste.

The Pump, 40 W 55th St (btw. 5+6th), 212-246-6844

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