# [SOBAK](https://www.instagram.com/sobak.han/)

Sobak is a relative newcomer to the Dimes Square food lineup, right next door to Dimes. The Korean joint is small, and the menu is even smaller. There are three big menu items and a couple of sides, all of which are excellent. The amazingly tender kochujang eel with cabbage salad and rice is one of the best things you can eat on the LES, no exaggeration.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Lunch

**_Price:_** $$

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 1-2

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** Kochujang enagi (eel) bowl

**_Also Great:_** Bibimbap, kalbi soup, daily specials

**_Drink Order:_** Korean sodas

**_Note:_** There are only two seats available inside. If it’s shitty out, eat there. Otherwise, take your food and eat in Seward Park.

# [SCARR’S PIZZA](https://www.scarrspizza.com/)

Yes, it’s still the best slice of plain pizza in NYC. And yes, just about everything else at Scarr’s is top tier too. Weekdays at off hours are definitely the move here, as it gets crowded as hell on the weekends. If you can grab a booth at the back, or one of the three seats on the far end of the bar, do that.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Lunch

**_Price:_** $

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 1-4

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** Pepperoni slice

**_Also Great:_** Vegan Caesar salad, eggplant parm sandwich, mushroom slice, sausage Sicilian, white Sicilian pie

**_Drink Order:_** Presidente on draft

**_Note:_** Line on weekends, moves pretty quickly. Order a pie for pickup. Eat it on the sidewalk or in Seward Park.

# [SUPER TASTE RESTAURANT](https://www.yelp.com/biz/super-taste-new-york)

Super Taste specializes in noodle soup, which most patrons will order, but their dumplings and buns are also great. The “Szechuan Style Dumplings” are unreal, served in a bit of broth with chile crisp and fresh cilantro on top. Across the board, everything is very affordable.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Dinner

**_Price:_** $

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 1-2

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** Szechuan Style Dumplings

**_Also Great:_** Hand-pulled beef noodle soup, pork buns, steamed pork and chive dumplings

**_Drink Order:_** a can of soda

**_Note:_** If you live in the area, takeout is the move. Space is small and seating is limited.

# [FACTORY TAMAL](https://www.factorytamal.com/)

This is THE spot for tamales, not only in LES, but anywhere in Manhattan. The tortas are also excellent, as are the soups. Factory Tamal cooks the breakfast of champions, and yes, there is another location in the East Village.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Breakfast

**_Price:_** $

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 1-2

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** Mole poblano tamales

**_Also Great:_** Salsa verde tamales, chipotle tamales, green soup, longaniza torta

**_Drink Order:_** Jarritos

**_Note:_** There are a few chairs, but it’s best to take your order to-go and eat it in Seward park, if the weather looks good

# [DOUSKA](https://www.douskanyc.com/)

Anyone looking for relatively affordable sushi without getting into low-quality fish territory needs Douska. They have a lineup of hand roll sets at approachable prices (Think 6 hand rolls for ~$35), as well as additional rolls and starters to fill out the menu. Sit at the counter if you can. Pound-for-pound, this is probably the best sushi value in NYC.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Dinner

**_Price:_** $$

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 2

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** Handroll sets

**_Also Great:_** Seaweed salad, edamame with matcha salt, yellowtail crudo

**_Drink Order:_** a Kirin (wine menu is bleh, and the sake menu is fine)

**_Note:_** Only dine-in. They deliver, but handroll nori crispiness never holds up in transit.

# [LING KEE BEEF JERKY](https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ling-Kee-Beef-Jerky/139379259441322)

Ling Kee is not a restaurant. Or, maybe it is, and it only serves one thing? Either way, the fresh (not dehydrated) jerky that comes out of the ovens at Ling Kee is one of the great LES food staples that needs approximately 1000% more love. The thinly pounded squares of tender meat are seasoned with a sweet, spicy, salty marinade that makes you feel like you’re ascending to a higher plane.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Snack

**_Price:_** $

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 1-873,000

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** spicy pork jerky

**_Also Great:_** regular pork jerky, spicy beef jerky, regular beef jerky

**_Drink Order:_** A soda from E-Smoke on the corner

**_Note:_** Jerky is sold by the pound (definitely affordable), but you can also ask for just a slice or two of whatever you want.

# [KING DUMPLING](https://www.yelp.com/biz/king-dumplings-new-york-2)

As the name implies, you go to King for dumplings. The spot is always filled with some LES highschoolers, art gallery assistants, and skaters. The wrappers are always perfectly chewy and freshly pressed. And the filling is always super flavorful. They get compared to North Dumpling, a few blocks away. I prefer King any day of the week.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Lunch

**_Price:_** $

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 1-2

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** Steamed pork and cabbage dumplings

**_Also Great:_** Fried pork dumplings, steamed pork and chive dumplings, steamed chicken dumplings, sesame pancake with pork

**_Drink Order:_** a can of soda

**_Note:_** Cash only. Buy a bag of frozen dumplings for your freezer. They sell bags of 50 to-go.

# [WAYLA](https://www.waylanyc.com/)

Wayla is 100p the best spot for Thai on the LES. Their menu is large. The food is incredibly fun. And every single dish on the menu is good. You will not find deep, nuanced flavor in short supply on any table at this restaurant.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Dinner

**_Price:_** $$$

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 4

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** Whole fried branzino

**_Also Great:_** Fried calamari, veggie curry, curry puffs, chicken wings, wok-fried string beans, crab fried rice, lobster noodles

**_Drink Order:_** Cold beer, the cocktail menu leans sweet and the wine list is shallow

**_Note:_** The backyard at Wayla is lovely, if the weather looks good.

# [DON CEVICHE](https://www.doncevicheny.com/)

The ceviche at Don Ceviche is totally fine. But the Peruvian rotisserie chickens and green sauce are excellent. The stall in Essex market is all to-go, so you can eat it at a food hall table there or take it home. I always buy a pint of the bright, herby, creamy green sauce to drizzle on rice, salads, or whatever else I’ve got going at home that week. It’s unreal.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Lunch

**_Price:_** $

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 1-2

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** Green sauce

**_Also Great:_** Rotisserie chicken, lomo saltado, arroz con mariscos

**_Drink Order:_** a soda

**_Note:_** Extra green sauce. Don’t forget it!

# [WILDAIR](https://www.wildair.nyc/)

Classic LES wine bar with killer small plates, and a few larger options for groups. This is a perfect first date spot, IMO. Fun, cool scene, excellent wine list, food that encourages a sprawling order and makes you happy. Fabian von Hauske’s desserts are some of the best in the city. Order more than one.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Dinner

**_Price:_** $$$

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 2-4

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** Tomato toast

**_Also Great:_** Potato darphin with uni, XO clams, beef tartare, fried olives, dry-aged steak, bread

**_Drink Order:_** natural wine by the bottle, amaro or eau de vie for dessert

**_Note:_** Seating is all high tops. Some complain that chairs are uncomfortable. Worth it, tbh.

# [CERVO’S](https://www.cervosnyc.com/)

Cervo’s used to be a little more chill (less of a scene), but it doesn’t really matter because the simple portuguese inspired seafood is still EXCELLENT. It’s a killer date spot (maybe 2nd or 3rd date), and the drinks coming out of the bar are perfectly executed.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Dinner

**_Price:_** $$$

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 2

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** whatever seafood happens to be served on toast or fried

**_Also Great:_** Olives, piri piri chicken, prawns, and some bread for mopping up sauces

**_Drink Order:_** Sherry or vermouth spritzes, classic cocktails

**_Note:_** You will probably wait for your table. Showing up on the earlier side is never a bad move. Not the place for large parties.

# [FAT CHOY](https://www.fatchoynyc.com/)

Chef Justin Lee says his food is “kind of Chinese” and “also vegan.” It’s also one of the best bangs for your buck in the city. Whether you’re vegan or not (I’m not.), you will want to eat here often. (I do.) Perfect for a quick lunch that feels special.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Lunch

**_Price:_** $

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 2-4

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** Rice rolls

**_Also Great:_** Salt and pepper cauliflower, cucumber salad, sticky rice dumplings, whatever’s on special

**_Drink Order:_** Tiger Beer or Little Sumo Sake

**_Note:_** Vegan!

# [CONTRA](https://contra.nyc/)

Contra is the best tasting menu experience in NYC. Period. Attitude is relaxed. Food is stellar. Room is cool. The wine list goes deep. And if you don’t want the tasting menu, you can order a la carte. I’ve done birthdays and anniversaries here. It’s perfect for a celebration that doesn’t feel stuffy. And it needs to be said that Jeremiah Stone’s maple-caviar-tofu dish at Contra belongs in the NYC restaurant dish Hall of Fame.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Dinner

**_Price:_** $$$

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 2

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** Tasting menu

**_Also Great:_** Tofu, smoked eel, monkfish

**_Drink Order:_** Deysi cocktail to start, wine by the bottle(s) after that

**_Note:_** Make a reservation!

# [CHEEKY SANDWICHES](https://www.yelp.com/biz/cheeky-sandwiches-new-york)

Cheeky feels a bit ramshackle in terms of the space. It’s not about glitz and glam. It is, however, about very good, very comforting sandwiches and New Orleans treats. Another great stop for lunch while strolling on Orchard St.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Lunch

**_Price:_** $

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 1-2

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** Fried chicken biscuit

**_Also Great:_** Breakfast biscuit, braised short rib sandwich, ben-yays

**_Drink Order:_** Chicory coffee

**_Note:_** A bag of Zapps chips is mandatory with any sandwich.

# [SHU JIAO FU ZHOU](http://www.shujiaofuzhou.com/)

This is the best budget meal option on the LES, IMO. The peanut noodles (the best in the immediate area) are $2.50, and you’ll see most folks with a plate of them on the table. The food comes out quick, and I like it more for takeout than dine-in. But if you love to bask in the glow of searingly bright florescent lighting, definitely take a seat.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Lunch

**_Price:_** $

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 1-4

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** Peanut wheat noodles

**_Also Great:_** Pork ball soup, fish ball soup, steamed pork and chive dumplings

**_Drink Order:_** Can of soda

**_Note:_** Cash only. And SJFZ recently relocated from their old spot on Eldridge and Broome to a spot down the street on Grand and Eldridge.

# [GOLDEN DINER](https://www.goldendinerny.com/)

This is the best spot for brunch in Manhattan. Period. The menu is all hits. Zero misses. The avocado toast here (with fresh turmeric, basil, galangal, and lemongrass) is single handedly keeping the avocado toast genre alive. The Korean-leaning spins on just about everything on the classic diner-style menu are brilliant.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Lunch

**_Price:_** $$

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 2-4

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** Chicken Katsu Club

**_Also Great:_** Avocado toast, egg sandwich, pancakes, seasonal bibimbap, cobb salad, hash browns

**_Drink Order:_** Coffee and a grapefruit juice

**_Note:_** The weak link here is the booze menu. And there can definitely be a line. Put your name
in and grab a coffee at Oliver Coffee a few blocks away while you wait.

# [ERNESTO’S](https://www.ernestosnyc.com/)

Ernesto’s feels like a proper sit-down restaurant, even a little old school. The room is beautiful. The staff is on point. The Basque-inspired menu is large. It’s a place to go for a celebration, a big date, or maybe (definitely) when someone else is paying.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Dinner

**_Price:_** $$$$

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 2-4

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** Tortilla with jamon and truffle

**_Also Great:_** Shrimp toast, gildas, tuna pinxto, bikini Hemmingway, duck breast, bacalao

**_Drink Order:_** Spanish wine by the bottle

**_Note:_** Ernesto’s doesn’t have a full liquor license, so the cocktails are all made with wine-based spirits, instead of full-proof booze

# [PHO GRAND](https://www.pho-grand.com/)

Pho Grand will not blow your mind, but it will satisfy a craving for pho. I know that seems like a weak sell, but it is not. The broth is perfect. The bowls of soup are classic. And there’s almost always a spot to sit down. This is what we talk about when we talk about reliability.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Dinner

**_Price:_** $

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 1-4

**_Best Thing on the Menu: Big Bowl:_** Brisket, Tripe, Tendon, and Eye Round

**_Also Great:_** whatever pho you want, water spinach with garlic sauce, Malaysian tofu with shrimp, stewed beef cubes with curry in tomato sauce

**_Drink Order:_** Singha or a salty plum soda

**_Note:_** Pho Grand has two locations, the original on Grand St. and a new one in the basement of Essex Market.

# [EL CASTILLO DE JAGUA](https://www.castillodejagua.com/)

The beauty of El Castillo is that it is both a classic American-style diner and a Dominican-Caribbean restaurant. Sure, you can order a plate of pancakes, but if it’s your first time in, I’d say go for a mangu and Dominican sausage breakfast platter. Either way, it’s super affordable, simple, and comorting.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Breakfast

**_Price:_** $

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 1-4

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** Mangu with fried Dominican sausage

**_Also Great:_** Pork mofongo, carne guisada, diner-style omelets

**_Drink Order:_** Coffee

**_Note:_** There are two El Castillo de Jagua locations, but the one on Rivington is the original.

# [CAFE KATJA](https://www.cafekatja.com/)

Cafe Katja deserves so much more love than it gets. It’s on the same block as Dudley’s, so it always gets lost in the brunch chaos over there. Those folks should be going to Cafe Katja though. The beers are cold. The sausages are excellent. The schnitzel is crispy. And Gulasch could fuel you for a week. There aren’t many Austrian spots in NYC. Get this one into your rotation.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Dinner

**_Price:_** $$$

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 2-6

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** Emmentaler sausage

**_Also Great:_** Wiener schnitzel, beef gulasch, Katja’s reuben, krainerwurst

**_Drink Order:_** Steigl lager

**_Note:_** The sausage sampler is available to be ordered for two people. Do that.

# [GEM](https://www.gem-nyc.com/)

Everything at Gem is pretty. That’s kind of the “thing” there. The Joe Henry Baker paintings on the walls are fantastic. The wooden built-ins are impeccable. The lighting is nice. But the food is also very good, and the tasting menu tip-toes the line of being precious and novel, without making you roll your eyes. It’s well done, all the way through. The wine menu is also great, for all you natural wine folks out there.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Dinner

**_Price:_** $$$$

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 2

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** Tasting menu

**_Also Great:_** N/A

**_Drink Order:_** Wine by the bottle

**_Note:_** Tasting menu is 10 courses for $140.

# [PEPPA’S](https://peppasonline.com/)

I’m not 100% sure why more people haven’t been talking about the fact that legendary BK jerk chicken spot Peppa’s opened a location in the LES, but they did. And they’re open late, so the late night jerk chicken and festivals fix is very much achievable post-bar on a Friday.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Late night

**_Price:_** $$

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 1-2

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** Jerk chicken meal

**_Also Great:_** Festivals, curry goat meal, oxtail

**_Drink Order:_** Soda or a sidewalk bodega beer (with caution)

**_Note:_** Open until 4am every night.

# [MIGHTIE’S](https://www.mightiesburgers.com/)

The Wildair and Contra crew opened a burger spot in the basement of Essex Market, and it’s amazing. The menu is small, and all of the beef comes from the legends at End’s Meat. The patty’s are perfectly portioned. The sear is serious. The cheese is melty. This is one of the best burgers in NYC, no doubt. And yeah, it’s a burger spot, but the hot dog is unreal. Order both.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Lunch

**_Price:_** $$

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 1-4

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** Double cheeseburger

**_Also Great:_** Mightie’s Burger (wildly juicy steakhouse burger), Mightie’s Dog, fries

**_Drink Order:_** Soda

**_Note:_** Mightie’s does a dry-aged burger only on Friday’s

# [KATZ’S DELICATESSEN](https://katzsdelicatessen.com/)

I always say you should never plan to go to Katz’s. But if you’re walking by and there’s no line, you should definitely stop in. There’s not really much more to say. It’s a goddamn institution. You know what it is. You know what you want.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Late Night

**_Price:_** $$

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 1-4

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** Pastrami Sandwich

**_Also Great:_** Hot dogs with kraut, chili dog, corned beef sandwich, matzoh ball soup, cheese blintzes, hot turkey sandwich

**_Drink Order:_** Soda

**_Note:_** Katz’s is open 24 hours. Do with that information what you will.

# [DIM SUM GOGO](https://www.dimsumgogonyc.com/)

Dim Sum Go Go is directly across the street from Golden Unicorn, the Dim Sum capital of Manhattan. And while I do love Golden Unicorn, Dim Sum Go Go I always enjoy a bit more. The options, as is tradition, are vast, and the rice roll, dumpling, and fried options are all immaculate. You can BYO to Dim Sum Go Go, and you absolutely should.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Brunch or Dinner

**_Price:_** $$

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 2-8

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** Dim sum options. As much as you can. Go crazy.

**_Also Great:_** Fried salt and pepper squid, minced duck with lettuce leaves, roasted garlic chicken, peking duck, Go Go seafood rice

**_Drink Order:_** BYOB of wine

**_Note:_** The restaurant is also quite large (they have a second floor) and can accommodate larger groups. It’s a great spot for a birthday.

# [MANOUSHEH](https://www.manousheh.com/)

The original location of this Lebanese spot is over on Bleecker in Greenwich Village, but they opened a MASSIVE location on Grand a couple years ago. For the uninitiated, manousheh is a Lebanese flatbread topped with herbs, sauces, meats, veggies, or whatever else the chef wants to throw at it. They’re crispy, chewy, and perfect to eat at literally any time of day. The kishek (dried yogurt aka kishek, with sesame seeds, tomato, onion, and potato) is one of my favorite things to eat while walking in NYC.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Brunch or Dinner

**_Price:_** $

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 1-4

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** Kishek manousheh

**_Also Great:_** Cocktail manousheh, lahem bi ajine manousheh, muhammara manousheh

**_Drink Order:_** a cold Almaza

**_Note:_** Manousheh also stocks some Lebanese pantry items worth checking out while waiting for your food.

# [RAMEN NAKAMURA](https://www.nakamuranyc.com/)

There are a few great ramen options on the LES (not as many as the East Village), but Nakamura is my favorite by far. The broth of the torigara shoyu ramen, a blend of chicken and seafood broths, is wildly good. It’s rare I deviate from that bowl, but the rest of the soups are spectacular as well.

**_Ideal Meal:_** Dinner

**_Price:_** $

**_Ideal Group Number:_** 1-4

**_Best Thing on the Menu:_** Torigara ramen

**_Also Great:_** chicken curry ramen, spicy yuzu wonton soup, chili cabbage, jidori chicken mini bowl

**_Drink Order:_** Panda junmai

**_Note:_** Nakamura also offers a few (very good) vegan options to boot