Midtown Lunch

The Ear Inn is one of those places that you really have to want to go to since it’s off the beaten path in SoHo, and not exactly a typical lunch destination. Despite that, when I and my co-luncher walked in for a later lunch on what was a holiday for some people, the place was still full and not just with people drinking at the bar. It had been recommended not once, but twice by profiled lunch’ers who work in the area and that was good enough for me.

The bar is one of the oldest in the city and smells like it. Honestly, I’d rather smell old and musty than that weird odor that surrounds every Subway location I’ve ever walked by.

They have a blackboard full of daily lunch specials like corned beef on rye, soups and meatloaf as well as a short menu with bar staples like burgers and a few sandwiches and salads.

It’s no wonder they don’t get too fancy with the menu when the kitchen is the size of a closet.

I ordered a burger ($9) which comes with home fries and some salad. My co-luncher went with the meatloaf and mashed potatoes ($10) that also came with salad. I always go into a bar with low expectations for the food, for some reason, but this food was good whether you’ve had a few drinks or not.

The burger, while not overly massive, was a good size. And wow, was this thing juicy even though it wasn’t overly pink in the middle. It was probably the best burger I’ve eaten since Five Guys a couple of months ago which is no easy feat since I have been eating a lot of burgers lately. The only thing I was sad about was the lack of actual french fries. I mean, the home fries (three large chunks of potato) were good and all but for some reason I was let down.

My co-luncher declared the giant piece of meatloaf as better than he had expected. It was really good and covered in the same delicious gravy that was over the mashed potatoes.
If you’re looking for a good lunch of comfort food in a place that is the opposite of most of the hip, trendy places you find in SoHo, then you might want to check this place out. As an added bonus, you get to draw on the table with crayons.
THE + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

• It’s historic and I like eating where many people drank heavily.
• They serve good comfort food that someone’s mom could have cooked.

THE — (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

• I’m not walking that far for lunch.
• It smells all musty, and the number of older men at the bar depresses me.
• I want fries with my burger!

Ear Inn, 326 Spring St. (btw. Greenwich & Washington), (212) 226-9060