Must-eat Restaurants near Times Square
 

We are looking for a reasonably priced restaurant (America, Italian, steaks/burgers) in the Times Square area. We don't want to spend more than $30/person (we don't drink). Thanks for your suggestions!

Hi teach - my family's favorite is Stage Deli, on 7th Ave between 52nd & 53rd. The sandwiches are expensive (eg $15+/- for corned beef) but they are way too big for one, so splitting is usually in order. Onion rings amazing. Cheesecake coronary inducing. Home made pickles.

Also John's Pizzeria on 44th just west of Times Square.

Virgil's BarBQ on 44th just east of Times Square is a fun place with good food easily in your budget.

Don't miss cheesecake at Junior's right on Shubert Alley (44th to 45th) just west of Times Square. Some say the food is good too, I wouldn't know, but it sure is popular.

If you're a little more adventurous, go over to 9th Avenue from 42nd to about 52nd -- there are about a zillion restaurants of all types, mostly neighborhood type places of every ethnic type imagineable. Island burgers and shakes is a tiny place with great burgers and shakes if you can stand NOT having French Fries -- they don't do them.

Vinyl is like a modern really upscale (foodwise) diner on Ninth. Roberto Passon at Ninth and 50th is a really good Italian that easily fits in your budget -- the three course lunch is an amazing bargain at just $13 per person with really good choices for each course.

I can't think of a really good steak place that you can do for $30 a person, though.

I second john's pizza, great place.

I second Junior's for cheesecake! You can get it to go...

I second John's and the Stage, and I would also added the Carnegie Deli. I haven't been there in years, but Carmine's (family style Italian) used to be good. The other three are excellent, but I would also recommend getting away from Times Square.

A hidden gem is Metro Marche within the Port Authority terminal. Food is excellent with low prices. Great for any meal. And, they have a terrific take-away shop adjacent for sandwiches, salads, pastries, etc.

agree w/djkbooks; have eaten there a number of times. And also check out Roberto Passon's other restaurants at www.nycrg.com, all of which come in at very reasonable prices.

Don't think there are any decent steakdinners at that price anywhere in the city -never mind Times Square.

As for burgers you can get a decent one in lots of places, and the pizza you've been recommended is OK - but I wouldn't call anything n that price range must-eat.

I find most of the food in those delis just too much - and way too much fat and chlesterol.

Definitely agree that you should head over to 9th Avenue. That's where you'll get away from the tourist traps and enjoy more cozy restaurants.

For Italian, we like Pietrasanta, at 47th and 9th.

Basilica is another Italian that's inexpensive. I think Maria Pia's pre fixe dinner is under $30 (3 courses).

You should be able to eat at Kodama for Japanese for under $30/person.

I can give you a NON-recommendation!

On Restaurant Row: <b>avoid O'Flaherty's Iris Pub</b>. In fact, run for your life!

It was filthy. The food was sub-airline-food quality...and cold.

Horrible experience.

Other than that, we had good experience at several other restaurants in that neighborhood.

We like John's Pizzeria and love Pietrasanta. For some reason, we always find ourselves going back there when we are in that area.

Well &quot;must-eat&quot; might not be the correct moniker but I'll second Virgil's:

http://www.virgilsbbq.com/

It's near Times Sq and BBQ is fine. Hush puppies good too.

&quot;Must-eat&quot;? None.

But you've been offered a few passable suggestions.

There is a major difference between simply &quot;must eat restaurants&quot; in NYC and restaurants in the &quot;under $30 category&quot; that people would call &quot;must eat&quot; for that price range. I think most of us have indicated good examples of the latter.

If people have ideas of much better choices in the area for under $30 I'm sure the OP would welcome them. That would be more helpful than just calling the suggestions listed so far as &quot;passable&quot; and raising one's nose high into the air.

ditto above

Metro Marche is actually very good, much to my amazement. I ate there with DS in the summer when we were waiting for a bus and not feeling like we had time to go off in search of restaurants. We were sort of hoping just not to be poisoned (I'm terrified of the food in the PA-and with good reason-we took a chance only because it looked and smelled good) but actually had what was probably the best pot of mussels I've ever eaten (top 2 or 3 anyway-and DS felt it was hands down his best) served with some excellent fries. DS reported that his lemonade was fresh-squeezed and very good (charged by the glass however, and not cheap), and his dessert was excellent, although not as memorable as the mussels.

I believe they also have burgers and steaks, and while teacher traveler doesn't really need this information, a nice list of wines by the glass. I don't know if I'd call it a &quot;must eat&quot;, but it's more than passable, and certainly possible to get out of there for under $30 each without wine, especially at lunch. Our bill was around $38, which would have been for the pot of mussels (we split it-and there was plenty), two lemonades, a glass of wine, and DS's chocolate cake. I'd second Johns, but I've never been a big fan of Stage Deli. I'm not familiar with the others, although we'd love to try Roberto Passon, and we just keep not getting that far.

At Rockefeller Center I like Morrell's a lot, and particularily the outside tables, but it's a little harder to get out of there for $30 (although it can be done) and the food is more complicated.

I don't think it's raising one's nose in the air&quot; to point out that prices in NYC are different than many other places. And while there are certainly plenty of decent places you can have a dinner for $30 - they really don;t fall into the &quot;must eat&quot; category.

It's not being a snob - it's just letting people know what to expect.

(I know there are towns where $30 will get you a much different experience than it will in NYC. And unmet expectations can make an experience very disappointing, rather than just fine for the price.

nytraveler, your points are well taken, but apparently you aren't familiar with the poster who posted that non-helpful comment. Trust me -- when it comes to anything involving anything within a mile of Times Square his nose IS in the air.

And maybe I mistook the original post, but I really didn't get the idea that the OP is looking for a great dining experience. I took &quot;must eat places&quot; in a very different way -- considering the OP made clear it was a budget and wanted reasonably priced. I don't think it's wrong to assume he meant &quot;fun&quot; or &quot;different&quot; or simple &quot;good for the price&quot; and not &quot;world class dining experience&quot;.