New York City is famous for a LOT of different foods. But there are a handful of recommendations I’ve gotten over the years each time we mention we’re headed to The Big Apple. So over the course of a few different trips… over a lot of different years, we’ve managed to eat a lot of these famous NYC Foods! Some of them were well worth the hype, and others… not so much.
So, without further ado… here are some honest reviews coming atcha!
1. Grimaldi’s Coal Brick Oven Pizza: Delicious!
New York is well known for lots of different pizza places, including the huge thin NY slices you can buy all over the city, like at Two Brothers. Grimaldi’s Pizzeria (now a chain restaurant that you can find in 11 states!) is famous for their iconic location right under the Brooklyn Bridge.
We’ve tried a lot of NYC pizza but my very favorite that we’ve had is Grimaldi’s coal brick oven pizza (not to be confused with aforementioned Grimaldi’s Pizzeria!) on 6th Avenue. That’s what you’ll see pictured below, and I highly recommend it. I think it may truly be the best pizza I’ve had. Now I’m just craving pizza.
2. Levain’s Cookies: Hyped Appropriately
Levain Bakery is the self-proclaimed home of “New York City’s Most Famous Cookies.” They aren’t wrong: I’ve had multiple NYC residents rave about how good they are, and they constantly rank high on lists online, too. The chocolate chip walnut cookie is the one they are best known for, but my favorite is the dark chocolate peanut butter chip cookie.
I’m not ready to say that these cookies are overrated, but I’m also not ready to say that they are better than many homemade cookies that I’ve had. If you love cookies I think it’s worth getting them, just so you can decide for yourself. I think the cookies really benefited from a minute or two warming up in an oven (if you can wait that long)!
They are pricy, at around $4/5 per cookie, but they are also huge, dense/ rich, and a great size to share. There are several locations in NYC (The Upper West Side 74th St. Location being the original) and a few more dotted along the East Coast. Check all locations here.
3. Nathan’s Hot Dogs: Overrated
My husband and I took a bus down to Coney Island during one trip while I was pregnant. We had fun walking around and decided to try a Nathan’s corn dog and a hot dog. They were fine! We finished them both and had nothing bad to say. While Coney Island had a full-on establishment, many of the other Nathan’s in NYC are simply hot dog carts. I say simply, but they are probably the most famous food cart in American history, so there’s that.
I learned on their website that Nathan’s was started by two polish immigrants. Nathan (a hot dog roll-slicer) met Ida (a waitress) in 1913 and their love turned into a hot dog shop for the storybooks. I love a good love story!
But… I’d take a grilled hot dog at a backyard BBQ just as soon as I’d re-order the Nathan’s hot dogs in Central Park or Coney Island. And I’d definitely put the corn dogs form Disneyland/ DCA WAY above any other corn dog anywhere.
4. Junior’s New York Cheesecake: Delicious!
I’m not too proud to admit that I’ve changed my tune on these cheesecakes lately. The first time we had one in Times Square I felt slightly underwhelmed. Maybe the hype was too great– or more likely, the wait time in order to eat there was too great.
We picked one up in the airport though (I know, weird, hear me out) before leaving NYC on our most recent trip there, and I LOVED it. The strawberry sauce was so sweet and the perfect complement to the creamy cheesecake. Topped with the crumbles that gave it the right amount of crunch? YES!
I really loved this one and highly recommend it (but… maybe not right after a weekend show in the Times Square location). You can even find mini Junior’s cheesecakes in the freezer aisle at Costco now– btw, has anyone tried those? Are they good??
5. The Halal Guys Carts: Hyped Appropriately
You can find variations of halal carts throughout NYC but the most successful franchise is The Halal Guys.
“The Halal Guys’ incredible journey begins in 1990 with our three Egyptian founders. They first started a hot dog cart in New York City, then pivoted to selling halal food to Muslim taxi drivers who at the time had few outlets for authentic halal food in the five boroughs.”
–“Our Story” TheHalalGuys.com
My husband really enjoyed these when he was working in NY long term and recommended we get one during a visit. They are so convenient and pretty easy to find! I am always a bit skeptical that any food that comes from a cart will taste freshly prepared and delicious (see my disappointment in hot dog carts above).
BUT I needn’t worry- The Halal Guys provided a warm, filling, flavorful plate full of seasoned rice and tender lamb. It wasn’t my very favorite meal in NYC but it was one I’d easily get again!
6. Magnolia Bakery’s Banana Pudding: Overrated
I just don’t even know about this one, people. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by too many relatives and friends that are fabulous makers of dessert, but this one just felt meh to me. The store itself is so iconic (especially that location right at Rockefeller), but I couldn’t see what was so special about that pudding. My husband agreed it was just OK for him.
I didn’t think to take a picture of it because I didn’t care to remember it, and frankly it wouldn’t have photographed too well. Just imagine a blob of cream colored instant-banana pudding mixed with soggy graham crackers. And then maybe give it a little more credit than that because maybe they had an off night??
They offer tons of other desserts and baked goods so maybe their other treats are better. Let me know in the comments if you love Magnolia banana pudding (or any other treats from there), I’m intrigued how others feel about this one!
7. Ess-A-Bagel’s Bagel Sandwiches : Delicious!
Location: 831 3rd Avenue (between 50th & 51st Street),
New York, NY 10022
I saved the best for last here. I still dream of this sandwich. Anytime we have had any other breakfast or brunch item while in NYC I wonder afterwards WHY WE DIDN’T JUST GO TO ESS-A-BAGEL for goodness sakes?! I’m sure there are other bagel shops in the world and I’m sure they are amazing but for me personally, it’s the best I’ve had the pleasure of tasting.
The lox sandwich (titled “A Signature Favorite”) is their most famous (and apparently their most favorite) item, and I highly recommend it. Read all about it, and their other sandwiches, on their website here.
That’s it!
Have you had many of these famous NYC foods? If not, which would you like to try?
Do you agree with my assessments?
Let me know in the comments below!
Be sure to check out our other touring & food guides for big cities:
HONEST REVIEWS OF THE TOP 10 PARIS TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
CHECK OUT THE 4 MOST MEMORABLE EATS: PARIS, FRANCE
5 GREAT THINGS TO DO IN HONG KONG (WITH KIDS!)
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