Real Cheap Eats NYC
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Posts by: Jeff Orlick - Jeffrey Tastes, Queens Custodian
- MAN
- BK
- $0.00-$1.00 With Beer
- VEG
- Photograph by James Boo
The business model is a modern classic: For every drink you order, the bartender gives you a ticket. Bring it to the oven at the back of the bar to exchange for a free personal pizza. By the end of the night (if you’ve had enough fun), you’ll have a slew of unused tickets and piled up fantasies about all the pizza you could potentially eat. Even though the price jumps to $1 at 8:00 p.m., each miniature pie is more than satisfying, since it it comes straight from the oven. Don’t forget to tip!
Alligator Lounge
600 Metropolitan Ave. at Lorimer St. (map)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 599-4440
Crocodile Lounge
325 E. 14th St. btwn 1st and 2nd Ave. (map)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 477-7747
- QNS
- $3.00 per quarter lb.
- VEG
- STREET
Just holding this little paper bag of twelve or so charcoal-roasted chestnuts on a cold day brings warmth. Cracking one open to reveal the yam-tasting nut brings further satisfaction. By the eighth one, you’ll master the art of peeling back an entire shell, leaving the meat inside unscathed. Three dollars for a quarter pound may not seem cheap, but it’s a small price to pay for this much nut-busting fun.
Chestnut King Stand
Main St. at 40th Rd. (map)
Southwest Cornwer
Queens, NY 11354
- QNS
- $3.00
- VEG
Here’s the challenge: Find a better grandma slice in the city. This one, which supposedly originated on Long Island, has fresh mozzarella cheese on the bottom, garlic and plum tomato sauce on top and a sprinkling of parmesan and basil leaves. Cooked in a pan, the bottom of the pie is essentially fried, leaving the middle perfectly elastic.
Louie’s Pizzeria
81-34 Baxter Ave. at Ithaca St. (map)
Queens, NY 11373
(718) 440-9346
- MAN
- $3.50
- VEG
The standout slice at Bleecker St. Pizza is the Nonna Maria. It’s not overwhelmingly garlicky, like other grandma slices, but the basil, smooth tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese come together beautifully above the crisp crust. Order one for your date, and you are gold. Order one for yourself, and (though lonely) you’ll still be happy.
Bleecker Street Pizza
69 Seventh Ave. South at Bleecker St. (map)
New York, NY 10014
(212) 924-4466
- MAN
- $2.50
- VEG
This is a real New York slice, what every slice in the city should be. It’s thin, greasy and a bit burnt—all great qualities. The dusty lip has swipes of char, and the smooth, slightly fruity sauce stands out under a blanket of gooey cheese. Plus, the cheese tastes like actual cheese—imagine that. Seating is scarce, so don’t bring your family reunion.
Sacco Pizza
819 9th Ave. at 54th St. (Map)
New York, NY 10019-4461
(212) 582-7765
- QNS
- VEG
- $2.25
- Photograph by Yvo Sin
Notice the generous movement of cheese, especially when folding the slice, exposing dimples formed from the crust-warping sauce. It’s a fun, burn-the-roof-of-your-mouth slice. And it’s a slice that was created by one of the original owners of the legendary Gloria Pizza of Flushing. Most customers don’t care about the history, though—they just come for the slice.
Lucia Pizza on Real Pizza of NY
136-55 Roosevelt Ave. at Union St. (Map)
Queens, NY 11354
(718) 445-1313
- QNS
- $2.50
- VEG
At Brother’s, nearly everyone orders a regular slice—oregano-tinged, thick-sauced and well heated over a smokey, crackling crust. There’s nothing behind a sneeze glass, and you won’t see a chicken-and-broccoli or buffalo-and-bleu-style slice. Instead you’ll see a regular and a square behind the counter and the ever-working pizza man making another.
Brother’s Pizzeria on Jeffrey Tastes
185-04 Horace Harding Expressway at 185th St. (Map)
Fresh Meadows, NY 11365
(718) 445-7888
- QNS
- $1.00
- VEG
- STREET
Mexican Coke can be elusive, but Indian Coke? Get a real sugar bite way in the back of the Apna Bazar. The soda’s black color shines through the bottle, without even a sliver of Coca-Cola red. For a Coke collector or a soft drink enthusiast, this is a nice pick-up.
Apna Bazar on Jeffrey Tastes
72-20 37th Ave. at 73rd St. (Map)
Jackson Heights, NY 11372
(718) 565-5960
- QNS
- $5.00
In the back of Tibetan Mobile, a trinket shop in Jackson Heights, you’ll find Lhasa Fast Food. Try the thukpa. Always made fresh, when ordered in multiples, it can overload the woman running the shop. The noodles are obviously pre-packaged, but the pile of greens and crumbled beef on top of this bone-broth soup make it nearly impossible to find something to complain about.
Lhasa Fast Food on Jeffrey Tastes
(Tibetan Mobile)
37-50 74th St. at Broadway/Roosevelt Ave. (Map)
Jackon Heights, NY 11372
(718) 205-2339
- $5.00
- SPICY
- STREET
Everything coming out of this two-in-one-shop (one selling dosas and kati rolls, the other selling Nepali snacks and dishes) is charming, but the momos (Nepalese dumplings) are fantastic. Their chicken curry filling is juicy and herby, and their crescent-form wrappers are nearly translucent, but the biggest tease is their scent. Price? 8 for five dollars.
Tawa’s Nepali Hut on Jeffrey Tastes
37-38 72nd St. at 35th Ave. (Map)
Jackson Heights, NY 11372
(718) 457-7766
- MAN
- $1.75
- VEG
- (Photograph by James Boo)
Patsy’s, one of New York’s oldest pizza institutions, serves jarringly cheap slices. Just north of their restaurant is this quick take-out shop for locals not wanting a sit-down meal. You’ll get a slice that’s smoky, soft, and delightful every time. If you see other locations, forget ‘em — they’re no Frank Viola. They’ll blow the game.
Patsy’s Pizzeria on Jeffrey Tastes
2287 First Ave. 118th St. (Map)
New York, NY 10035
(212) 534-9783
- BK
- $3.00
- VEG
Antonio’s grandma slice is loaded with garlic over a bed of fresh mozzarella. It’ll leave your mouth tingling. The sauce is specially made for this pie, burnt a bit to torque the flavor. It might be so named because only a grandmother could love you (and your garlic breath) after eating a slice.
Antonio’s Pizza on Jeffrey Tastes
318 Flatbush Ave. at Seventh Ave. (Map)
Brooklyn, NY, 11238
(718) 398-2300
- BNX
- $2.25
- VEG
This pizzeria is as 70′s as you can get, with heavily painted walls, blackened corners at every crook, pop-out signage and four arcade games in the back. The slices are big, fluffy, cheesy and doughy—this is pizza the Bronx way. There’s little sauce to wash it down; some will hate it, and some will “get it.” Do you?
Yankee J-Z Pizza on Jeffrey Tastes
1599 Westchester Ave. at Stratford Ave. (Map)
Bronx, NY 10472
(718) 328-4349
- MAN
- $3.50
- VEG
Cer Te is leading the New York pizza scene in sustainability, local ingredients, and environmentally minded construction (look for the basil growing on the wall). Aligning with their many mantras, the farmer’s slice is funky, marrying slick onions with the sweetness of real, irregular corn kernels. This slice may change you.
Pizza by Cer Te on Jeffrey Tastes
132 E. 56th St. at Lexington Ave. (Map)
New York, NY 10022
(212) 813-2020
- QNS
- $2.50
- VEG
One of Astoria’s finest, this quick shop is the epitome of a New York slice: casual, quick, greasy, cheesy and best tasted while folded in your hand. They will be busy when you step up and order. Take it as a reassuring sign.
Polito’s Pizza on Jeffrey Tastes
38-12 Broadway at Steinway St. (Map)
Astoria, NY 11103
(718) 626-6344
- SI
- $3.00
Nonna’s has the perfect example of an old-fashioned crust: smoky, buttery and with an extreme amount of integrity. It feels like my grandfather made it. Every slice under the sneeze glass is consistently amazing, including the Nonna, a thin square with mozzarella, basil and marinara. Check out their Staten Island-style rotating oven, too.
Nonna’s Pizza on Jeffrey Tastes
27 Brower Ct. at Giffords Ln. (Map)
Staten Island, NY 10308
(718) 227-8108
- BK
- $2.25
- VEG
Old school, new school, who cares? Honesty, integrity, quality ingredients, and pride; this is what makes Luigi’s one of the best pies in the city. Start with a regular or a fresh mozzarella slice. They won’t miss.
Luigi’s Pizza on Jeffrey Tastes
686 Fifth Ave. at 21st St. (Map)
Brooklyn, NY 11232
(718) 499-3857
- QNS
- $2.25
- VEG
Sunnyside Pizza only has room for a few people at a time, which is why you’ll see a line out the door. It’s all about their throwback sesame seed crust and small town friendliness. Who says Queens doesn’t have good pizza?
Sunnyside Pizza on Jeffrey Tastes
40-01A Queens Blvd. at 40th St. (Map)
Sunnyside, NY 11104
(718) 443-4040
