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A REAL Midtown Lunch challenge: $5 LUNCHES
Posted: 4:13 pm, July 9th, 2009 in Midtown Eating
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59 Comments
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Btw, "REAL" = "absolutely huge challenge"
(not taking shots at ML, Zach, don't worry :) ) -
This is not so different from the $6 lunch thread, but it's my favorite topic, so I'll bite.
Does it have to include tax? Let's say it does, just to make it really difficult.
The obvious would be the majority of street meat carts and pizza places. Beyond that, there's the unda masala roll (b/c potato is more filling than meat) at Kati Roll for $4.25 plus tax. I like the jap chae at Woorijip for $4 plus tax, but it's also vegetarian. For the meatatarians they have an awesome new item: curry-flavored fried chicken wings ($4 plus tax), but it's not very filling. I forgot the price of Khodiar chaat, but it's definitely under $5.
But for me, the king of quality and cheapness is Cafe Zaiya. The Zaiya Meal at $4.25 plus tax offers variety, size, and cheapness. (Fried fish sandwich is also great, but it's not a complete lunch. You'd have to supplement it with a baked good or rice ball.)
P.S. As much as I love Hing Won, it ain't a $5 lunch. Most of the items on the menu are $6 plus tax, or more.
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2 tacos from El Rey del Sabor... mmmmmm, goood
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Guys, you are awesome. I have to try the Zaiya Meal at Cafe Zaiya; my only problem with them is that they're so dang far away from the office!!
Where is El Rey del Sabor?
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And yes, it's not much different from the $6 forum, but I wanted to see if I can go to $5...
Thanks again! Keep the suggestions coming!!
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El rey Del Sabor 60th and 3rd
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But isn't Bojangles a US chain serving chicken and biscuits. You can easily get the same big chain fast food lunches here for $5.
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Jamaican Dutchy: $5 for either stewed or curry chicken mini-meals.
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Bojangles' IS a US chain, but the food there is exponentially better than most chain we can get here.
(also, the $5 meals would not be limited to Bojangles', haha)
Thanks, Apikoros18! (and thanks, locondcoco for the Dutchy cart; I pass by him all the time)
Keep 'em coming!!
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Zaiya is less than 10 little blocks from RockCenter. Inconvenient but still walkable. Closer to RockCenter, Indus Express has some chaat for under $5. The funny thing about eating chaat for lunch is that although it's often big enough, it doesn't "feel" like lunch. It feels more like an enormous snack.
Speaking of chains, I'm actually a bit surprised that Subway honors the $5 footlong deal in Midtown. Too bad subway is gross. And if you can find the McDonalds dollar menu, you could choose any 5 items from it for $5 plus tax. Completely disgusting, but imagine eating 2 McDoubles, 2 McChickens, and 2 apple pies for $5 plus tax. That's astounding "value" when you think about it. I did the math, and that's a 2000 calorie meal (860 from fat).
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Good point, Dan L. I have ventured to Indus many times.
Variety Cafe has a Mongolian grill in the back, but I'm wondering if I can get a dish there for $5...
And yes, Zaiya is about 10 blocks, I'm lazy, sue me :P
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A huge Gyro (or 6 other sandwiches) from Uncle Nick's is $4.95
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That looks DELICIOUS, MWinston. Thank you!!
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When I went down to NC to see my girlfriend a month ago, we were eating lunch at Bojangles' and talking about the price of lunch here versus back up in NYC (where we went to college together). In her words:
"If you spent more than $5 here, you'd feel guilty. If you spent less than $5 in NYC, you'd feel like you didn't get much at all."
That made me think: can you get a meal in Midtown for $5 or less???
What I have so far:
- Gyro from the 53rd and 6th St. cart ($4)
- Classic American cheese grilled cheese from Burger Heaven ($3.50)
- 1 full dish from either Yip's or Hing Won ($5 tops)
- Fried fish sandwich at Cafe Zaiya ($3.50)
- Burrito from the 50th St. btwn. 6th and 7th Mexican taco and burrito cart ($5)
What else???