8 showing · 197 on the list
Flor de Mayo
Chino-Latino holdout from 1977 — the Peruvian-Cantonese hybrid cuisine that once lined upper Broadway survives here. Half a rotisserie chicken with fried rice for under $20 remains one of the neighborhood's great deals.
Order: La Brasa special: half rotisserie chicken with green sauce, fried rice or tostones on the side.
Verified open Aug 2026 (official Yelp page updated Aug 2026, active official site).
2651 Broadway (between W 100th & 101st St) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Gray's Papaya
The last original Gray's, open 24/7 at 72nd and Broadway since 1973. Standing at the counter with two snappy griddled dogs and a papaya drink is one of the cheapest complete NYC experiences left.
Order: The Recession Special — two dogs with onions and sauerkraut plus a papaya drink.
Verified open 2026 (active listings; dogs ~$3.45 each). Counter/standing only; historically cash-preferred.
2090 Broadway (at W 72nd St) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Hungarian Pastry Shop
Dim, no-wifi, no-frills cafe across from St. John the Divine where half the dissertations in Morningside Heights were written. Bottomless coffee refills and Old World pastries since 1961.
Order: Cherry strudel or a hamantaschen with the house coffee — they refill it free while you sit.
Verified operating 2026 (Columbia University neighborhood guide, current listings). Cash only. No laptops-and-outlets culture — bring a book.
1030 Amsterdam Ave (between W 110th & 111th St) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Koronet Pizza
Home of the comically oversized jumbo slice — roughly a quarter of a 32-inch pie — and a Columbia late-night rite of passage since 1981. Not the city's best slice, but the best slice-per-dollar theater in Manhattan.
Order: The jumbo slice, folded with two hands. Regular slice if you're being sensible.
Verified open Aug 2026 (Yelp updated Aug 2026, official site). Open until 2am, 4am Fri-Sat.
2848 Broadway (between W 110th & 111th St) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Levain Bakery
The original W 74th St basement bakery that invented the six-ounce cookie arms race in 1995. Now a chain, but this is the mothership and the cookies still come out warm.
Order: Chocolate chip walnut cookie, warm — center should be underbaked. One is a meal.
Verified open Aug 2026 (Yelp updated Aug 2026, official site). Daily 8am-8pm; line moves fast.
167 W 74th St (at Amsterdam Ave) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Mama's Too
Frank Tuttolomondo's square slices made this counter nationally famous — in Feb 2026 a Mitchum world pizza ranking called it the best slice in the world. The crisp-bottomed pepperoni square is the modern NYC slice benchmark.
Order: The pepperoni square (cups of char, hot honey optional) plus a vodka slice. Expect a line at lunch.
Verified open 2026 (West Side Rag Feb & May 2026 coverage). Slices run pricier than average but still a cheap meal.
2750 Broadway (at W 106th St) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Sal & Carmine Pizza
The anti-Mama's Too: a classic salty, cheese-heavy New York slice made the same way since 1959, two blocks down Broadway. The famously brusque service is part of the deal.
Order: Plain slice — it needs nothing. The salt-forward cheese is the signature.
Verified open 2026 (West Side Rag UWS pizza guide May 2026, active listings). Bring cash to be safe.
2671 Broadway (between W 101st & 102nd St) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Tom's Restaurant
The Seinfeld exterior, but locals know it as a real Greek diner that has fed Columbia since the 1940s. Suzanne Vega wrote a song about it; the coffee is still bottomless.
Order: Cheeseburger deluxe or the gyro platter; milkshake if it's late. Breakfast served all day.
Verified open Aug 2026 (Yelp updated Jul 2026, official site). Open late — until 10:30pm or later most nights.
2880 Broadway (at W 112th St) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07