- Mighty Quinn's Barbeque - 6th & 7th st, 2nd ave - Barbeque.
- Tac N Roll - 4th st, 1st & 2nd ave - Tacos.
- Otto's Tacos - 8th & 9th st, 2nd ave - Tacos.
- Golden City - 33rd & 34th st, 9th ave - Chinese Takeout. Typical and affordable Chinese takeout--still it's the only decent Chinese takeout spot within miles. Lunch specials are around $6 and comes with a drink. If you're looking to try something new, order their ($7) Singapore Mei Fun. Lines can get busy during lunch hours, and you may find yourself waiting over 15 minutes just to get your food so I recommend coming here before 12PM or after 1:30PM to save yourself 10 minutes.
- Riko's Peruvian Cusine - 30th & 31st, 8th ave - Peruvian. Great spot for authentic Latin American food and rotisserie chicken. There's an EXCELLENT selection of dishes to choose from ranging from chicken, to beef, to seafood. Grab the ($7) half chicken--the meat is very moist and distinctly flavorful. I'd skip the rice and beans and just split a ($11) whole chicken and feast like a king.
- Chicken House - 36th st, 7th & 8th - Vietnamese Takeout & Fried Chicken. Their ($7) Grilled Chicken Rice & Beans is my staple. For first-timers, grab the ($6) Grilled Chicken Sandwich, which is the largest Banh Mi you can get in the city. For more traditional American cuisine, try their ($6) House Special which comes with fries and 3 pieces of fried chicken--you can specifically ask for either leg or thigh. Alternatively, you can get the ($5) 2 Piece Fried Chicken With Rice and Beans, which is my quick go-to if I want to skip the long lunch line.
- Sushi Fussion - 35th st, 7th & 8th ave - Kosher Sushi. Their sushi is made with high quality ingredients and comes packaged with a generous amount of wasabi and sauces--lunch specials also come with a free drink. They're inside at the up-stairs floor in loading-dock--so be warned, there's no dining area. Nonetheless, their sushi totally makes up for it; this is some of the best sushi combos you can get in the sushi with a huge selection of rolls, sushi, and sashimi. I always get the ($13) 3 Roll Combo, and recommend the Munchies Roll, the Rock&n Roll, and the Golden Roll. Lastly, you get a 10% discount when paying with cash.
- GO! GO! Curry! - 38th st, 7th & 8th ave - Japanese Curry. One of my favorite lunch spots. If you haven't been there before, order their ($10) Home Run Katsu--it comes with white rice topped with brown curry, pork katsu, 1 tempura shrimp, 1 egg, and 1 sausage. If you go on any day that ends with a 5 (5, 15, 25), they will give you a free topping coupon.
- El Sabroso - 37th st, 7th & 8th ave - Latin American. Get either the ($6) Baked Chicken or the ($6) Chicken Stew. Both meals come with a chicken leg and thigh, yellow rice, and beans topped with an amazing specialty home-made hot sauce. Recently, they've been serving smaller pieces of chicken to keep up with the increased demand, but I recommend trying this place if you want a quick meal without ever having to wait more than five minutes before getting your food.
- Chef Yu - 36th st, 8th ave - Chinese Cusine and Takeout. This is definitely the best Chinese sit-down spot in the area; they're skimpy with takeout portions, but for some reason they give double the amount of food for the same price when you sit in. Their lunch specials which cost around $9 each will be more than enough to fill you up. On colder days, try out one of their noodle soups--their ($9) Everything Noodle Soup is delicious. My staple here is the ($9) Spicy Diced Chicken with Baby Shrimp and Vegetable Fried Rice. If you want Chinese takeout, I'd recommend visiting Golden City instead, which is about 5 blocks away.
- Cafe Bistro - 34th st, 8th & 9th ave - Sandwiches, Salads, and by-the-pound Buffet. The food here is great and beats out the other Cafes around the area by far. There's something for everyone here, and meals typically range from $7 to $10. It's a very spacious cafe with adequate seating and short lines. The hot and cold sandwiches here are spectacular.
- Halal Cart - 35th, Broadway - Halal Food. Best Halal cart in the area out of the five I've tried.
- Blossom Du Jour - 44th st, 9th ave - Vegan. Great spot for vegans and vegetarians with lunches ranging from $8 to $9. I'd recommend the ($9) Midtown Melt, ($9) Little Italy, and the ($8) Skyscraper Burger if you're feeling adventurous. I'd skip the salads here and recommend grabbing something at Maoz, Green Symphony, Just Salad instead. Avoid ordering anything greasy or oily since the sauce will easily leak through your container.
- Taqueria Tehuitzingo - Mexican. This is the spot if you want ($3) delicious and very filling tacos. I'd avoid the $12 platters and stick to tacos.