Midtown Lunch

There are a lot of places over by the South St. Seaport that I forget about until someone reminds me, and Meade’s Bar is one of those places. It’s on an obscure corner that’s currently blocked by construction, and on the same block as a bunch of other cafes and a delightfully divey bar with equally cheap lunches and decoration consisting of bras. Last week Lunch’er Robyn mentioned her love of Meade’s burger with blue cheese, and a look at the bar’s menu showed a few of the sandwiches could be had for less than $10, including fries, salad or rice. That’s a bargain not often found in or near the Financial District.

Although the burger ($9.50) was tempting, I instead opted for the chicken sandwich ($8.75) that comes on rosemary focaccia (because it’s too big for the brioche bun, the waitress explained) with tomato and romaine lettuce with a side of barbeque sauce. I would imagine you could add cheese, too, if that’s your thing, although it would push you over the $10 mark.

The sandwich was large and simple. The grilled chicken breast was juicy, and the tomato miraculously not mealy. I liked the bun, although I think it would have tasted better if it hadn’t steamed in its aluminum container before I ate it.

The same can be said of the fries, which were limp but still tasty and plentiful. I was impressed with what I got for my $9 here, when I likely would have paid $10 or $12 for the same thing elsewhere. I could also imagine this would be a nice place to grab an alcoholic beverage or two if you’re not into fancy cocktails and just want a low-key place to get tipsy with some cheap food.

Meade’s Bar, 22 Peck Slip (at Water), (212) 791-1818