The Best Places to Dine Near Grand Central Station

Grand Central Station, NYCPhoto byAfif RamdhasumaonUnsplash

Stopping at Grand Central Station for a few hours and need some food tips? You’ve come to the right place! Grand Central Station in New York City’s Manhattan has been open to the public since 1913 and is a famous landmark (read this for more about its history). Besides being a central transportation hub in New York, it has also become an entertainment venue for some who live in the area as well as visitors who are passing through.

As nice as Grand Central Station is, you should get out and see some of New York while you're in town. It would be a shame to miss it. Among the huge attractions, you can also find some of the best restaurants. Even if your time in the city is short, you can still soak in the sights and savor some of the best cuisine around. So, drop your bags off at a luggage storage locker near Grand Central Station and go eat.

Asian Cuisine

• Obao

With two locations to choose from, Obao will tempt your tastebuds with the scents coming from the kitchen before you even sit down. The Vietnamese and Thai combination of foods blend perfectly together. Try the Vietnamese pork chop in fish sauce and honey or the crispy pork belly pad Ka-prow.

• Land

You can get any kind of Asian delight at Land no matter what you are looking for. Start with crispy calamari or larb duck then enjoy one of their crunchy fresh salads or steaming soups. For the main dish, you can try salmon, lemongrass chicken, duck breast, or grilled skirt steak with sesame sauce.

• Mei Jin Ramen

If you picture ramen as those cheap dry noodles at the grocery store, you are in for a major awakening at Mei Jin. Their ramen is a main dish with handmade noodles, meat, veggies, and eggs with amazing spices. Or try their many different spring rolls and sushi flavors. They even have cocktails like margaritas and mojitos.

Feel like Asian Ice Cream? Read this post.

Tacos and Burritos

• Los Tacos No. 1

Los Tacos No. 1 is the place to go for tacos in New York no matter where you are because they have quite a few locations. It is a very simple menu of tacos, tostadas, quesadillas, and mulas with steak, chicken, or pork on corn or flour tortillas. You should also try their grilled cactus or get a whole mixture on a plate.

• Casa Enrique

For a more relaxed meal, Casa Enrique serves up a variety of delectable entrées you can try. The branzino fish meal is marinated in achiote and guajillo with pineapple and cilantro. Or get the Cochinita Chiapaneco, which is roasted pork ribs in guajillo, rice, and beans. The lamb shank in chili pulla is also outstanding.

• El Centro

For a bigger variety of Mexican fare, try El Centro. They have eight kinds of tacos with chicken, beans, mahi-mahi, mushrooms, shrimp, short ribs, skirt steak, or veggies. Or try one of their five flavors of quesadillas, enchiladas, burritos, or chilaquiles. They even have four kinds of fajitas.

Pizza and Pasta

• East Village Pizza

You can get your pizza by the slice at East Village Pizza. This cute and cozy café has caricature paintings on the walls to add to the ambiance. They have specialties like the Ziti, pepperoni & jalapenos, and Grandma’s pizza with her secret sauce. Or get the double-stacked pizza if you’re really hungry!

• Sotto Casa Pizzeria

This award-winning pizzeria has authentic Neapolitan pizza cooked in a wood stove that was shipped from Naples, Italy! And they have 36 pizza flavors to choose from. The Tartufata has truffle spread and mushrooms, Autunno has Brussels sprouts and truffle oil, and the Capricciosa has artichokes and Italian ham.

• Tony’s Di Napoli

Tony’s Di Napoli is the place to go if you want real Italian pasta and other entrées. They have 18 kinds of pasta like rigatoni Bolognese, ravioli, and black linguini. They also have chicken parmigiana, veal Piccata, salmon fillet, eggplant parmigiana, lobster Fra Diavolo, and braised veal chops.

Dining in Style

• Benjamin Steak House

For the finest steaks in New York, Benjamin Steak House has what you need and then some. Get steak for two, three, or four or you can get the NY sirloin, rib eye, filet mignon, or a rack of lamb cooked how you like it. Seafood choices include Maine lobster, king crab legs, yellowfin tuna, sea bass, and Norwegian salmon.

• Le Bernardin

Get French food at its finest at Le Bernardin. Try the Almost Raw menu with caviar, oysters, tuna, kampachi, striped bass, and fluke or the Barely Touched menu with crab, scallops, sepia, trout, and lobster. The lightly cooked sole, salmon, snapper, halibut, striped bass, and monkfish are also fantastic.

• Daniel

Although the menu varies with the season, the tasting menu at Daniel is outstanding all year long. The spring menu includes Sierra Nevada Peas, Gulf Coast blue shrimp, Provence white asparagus, Cape Cod scallops, Montauk black sea bass, Scharbauer Ranch beef, and Peruvian chocolate or Washington rhubarb for dessert.

Desserts and Snacks

• Stuffed Ice Cream

If you cannot decide between donuts or ice cream, why not get both? Stuffed Ice Cream serves ice cream between two glazed donuts. They have cute names like Unicorn Poop with lavender and Thai ice cream sprinkled with Fruity Pebbles and Cereal Killer with Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Fruity Pebbles, and Captain Crunch.

• Eileen’s Special Cheesecake

Cheesecake lovers should try Eileen’s because it really is special. You can get a mini that serves one or a small, medium, or large pie or cake. Try strawberry, cherry, blueberry, raspberry, salted caramel, pumpkin, pineapple, or s’mores with chocolate or graham cracker crust. They also have cookies and cannoli.

• Spot Dessert Bar

You can get a variety of specialty desserts at Spot Dessert Bar like Yuzu Eskimo frozen citrus cream bar with Oreo crust or the Cookie Camp with a half-baked marshmallow cookie, pretzels, and cookie crumbs with milk ice cream. Or get the chestnut butterscotch cake with roasted chestnuts and milk ice cream.

Whatever you decide to eat, make sure you take some time to see some of the sights in New York while you are there. Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, and the Empire State Building are places you cannot see anywhere else. And don’t forget to grab your luggage on your way back to the station.