New York City is my all-time favorite place to eat, simply because it’s impossible to go wrong. Pizza that melts in your mouth, desserts that are enough to wreck any diet, and some of the most mind-boggling food creations you’ll ever stumble across. And my favorite part, now there’s an abundance of cheap outdoor dining in NYC.
Any shifty-looking $2 dollar taco stand can compete with a world-class restaurant that serves diamond-encrusted Japanese Wagyu steaks.
Now that times are tough, and money is tight, it’s time to find the best cheap outdoor dining in NYC. COVID-19 Operating Hours are listed below each business (Bring a mask!)
1. Levain Bakery
Levain on 74th St. is closed temporarily, but the Amsterdam Ave. location is open 8 AM-8 PM from Monday to Sunday, for Takeout and Delivery ONLY!
Dessert before dinner is never really a good idea. That is unless it’s Levain Bakery.
Located just outside Central Park at 351 Amsterdam Ave., Levain serves cookies that taste as though you’re biting into love itself.
Image by @thatfoodiefriend_nyc
Picky eaters beware, Levain offers only three types of cookies: chocolate chip walnut, oatmeal raisin (a personal favorite), and dark peanut butter chocolate chip.
That said, what they lack in selection they more than make up for by packing these warm, gooey cookies to the absolute max. So don’t let the hefty price of $4.00 scare you as you get so much cookie for your buck.
2. Joe’s Pizza and Rocky’s Pizzeria
Both Joe’s and Rocky’s Pizza are open 10 AM-3 AM from Sunday to Monday, for Takeout and Delivery ONLY!
In your search for cheap outdoor dining in NYC, if you happen to crave a solid slice of traditional New York pizza, then Joe’s Pizza, located at 7 Carmine St., is going to be your jam.
Offering slices for around $2, you’ll find few places that give that kind of bang for your buck. Sometimes you’ll even see celebrities pop their head in late at night to pick up a quick slice.
Now if you’re looking to get out of your pizza comfort zone, then you want Rocky’s Pizzeria, located at 607 2nd Ave. Rocky’s serves an array of specialty pies, but none so great, or as carb-filled as their pasta pie.
It’s a cesspool of cheese, pasta, and bread; your waist-line might hate you, but it’s something you absolutely have to try.
3. Halal Guys
Halal Guys are open across the city 10 AM-2 AM (Some till 4 AM) from Monday to Sunday, for Takeout and Delivery ONLY!
Founded by three guys with meager halal carts on the southwest corners of 53rd Street and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, New York City; Halal Guys is the king of delivering inexpensive Middle Eastern cuisine to hungry customers.
Halal Guys likes to K.I.S.S., “keep, it, simple, stupid.” You can get a chicken, gyro, falafel, or a mixture along with salad and rice. They call it a “platter,” and I’m no psychologist, but for some reason, that word goes a long way in making me feel more satisfied with my purchase.
Image by stupidning from Pixabay
A platter (ugh that word really gets me going) and a drink will run you less than $10. Oh and don’t forget to drown your food in the famous “white sauce;” it isn’t good for your health, but it’s good for your soul.
4. Tipsy Scoop
Tipsy Scoop is open 12 PM-8 PM from Tuesday to Sunday, for Takeout and Delivery ONLY!
Ever wanted to get drunk off ice-cream? During these times, I don’t know why you wouldn’t. If the idea has crossed your mind go check out the aptly named Tipsy Scoop, located at 217 E 26th St.
Once there you can choose from the most fantastic sort of flavors, including cake batter vodka martini, maple bacon bourbon, and dark chocolate whiskey salted caramel. Tipsy Scoop is match-made in heaven for ice-cream and alcohol fanatics (and it’s cheap!).
5. Punjabi Grocery & Deli
Punjabi Grocery & Deli is open 24 hours from Monday to Sunday for Takeout.
The NYC tourist will likely scratch their head when they see Punjabi Grocery & Deli. “Is the navigator working alright? This doesn’t look like a Chipotle,” are likely thoughts as they arrive.
The NYC local, however, will see the hole-in-the-wall establishment and know they’ve just struck a gold mine.
Punjabi Grocery & Deli, located on East 1st St., was started in 1994 by a cab driver as a place for other cabbies to feel welcomed. It’s the crowning jewel of cheap outdoor dining in NYC.
When you arrive, march straight into the homely grocer and order a “large plate,” (a combination of words that gets me going more than “platter”) which is a large helping of rice and your choice of three vegetarian dishes: daal (lentils), chana masala (chickpeas) and saag paneer (creamed spinach). All that will run you only $6.
6. Joe’s Steam Rice Rolls
Joe’s Steam Rice Rolls is open 9 AM-6:30 PM from Monday to Sunday
Photo by SJ Baren on Unsplash
Cantonese-style dim-sum and street food that’s bursting at the seams with flavor — and it’s cheap. Not much more needs to be said. Located in a retro mini-mall in Flushing, Queens, Joe’s Steam Rice-Rolls which have fillings like curry, pork, beef, and dried shrimp are best experienced, not described.
In an interview with the New York Times, owner and chef Joe Rong seemed to embody the idea of letting the food speak for itself; “Ours is fresh,” is how Rong described the taste of heaven he delivers to his customers.
7. Superiority Burger
Superiority Burger is open 12 PM-10 PM from Monday to Sunday, for Pickups and Delivery ONLY! From Wednesday to Friday orders must be placed online.
There’s just too many beef burger places to choose from; so why not one that sells meatless patties, and at a cheap price?
Superiority Burger, located 430 E. 9th St. in Manhattan serves weighty quinoa-chickpea burgers topped with Muenster cheese, iceberg lettuce, roasted plum tomato and dill pickle, all sandwiched between two lightly grilled buns. Tread lightly, as you may never want a beef burger again.
8. Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop
Peter Pan Donuts is open 5 AM-6 PM from Sunday to Thursday and 5 AM-7 PM from Friday to Saturday, for Takeout ONLY!
The New York Times described Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop as a “shop where time stands still.”
Photo by Nerfee Mirandilla on Unsplash
Located in Greenpoint, Brooklyn — a neighborhood packed with trendy businesses trying to out-Instagram one another— Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop is a 1950’s period piece. The shop has more or less looked the same for the last 60 years; if it ain’t broke, right?
Peter Pan only charges a little over a buck for its piping hot, melt in your mouth donuts. These aren’t stale Dunkin’ pastries or reheated Starbucks treats; bring a dozen of these to work and your boss and co-workers will praise you as the messiah of the office.