5 Top Lunch Spots in Union Square (According to the Teachable Team)
What to do for lunch? It’s a core question of every New Yorker’s day. We all have aspirations of packing (and not forgetting) a beautiful lunch from home every day, but let’s get real, that doesn’t always happen.
The Teachable team is a big group of food-loving people, so there are lots and lots of opinions on this question. We’re also located right in Union Square and have plenty of awesome restaurants and quick lunch options within a few blocks in any direction. It’s almost an embarrassment of riches.
After nearly 4 months at Teachable, I have put together a list of excellent lunch options for every agenda and taste. It has taken a lot of boots-on-the-ground reporting and painstaking polling of the Teacha-fam, but I think it was worth the work.
1) Laut, 15 E 17th Street
This place is a TRUE gem and a common option among the team. It’s a great choice when you want something tasty and don’t have a lot of time, but also want to sit down. I have been to at least three work lunches here while at Teachable and see people eating takeout from Laut all the time.
Laut specializes in Malaysian, Singaporean, and Thai dishes served quickly in a laid-back, sit-down atmosphere. They have awesome, affordable lunch specials, which are also available for pickup if you’re short on time. I can’t even recommend a specific dish because they literally are ALL good. There are also plenty of options for different diets, which is always a plus.
2) Dos Toros, 668 6th Ave
This is a great option when you have literally NO time and need something you can just take back to the office. There are a lot of options for “fast-casual” Mexican food, and not to be too divisive, but Dos Toros beats out Chipotle in quality, price, and speed. They have quesadillas, tacos, burritos, and bowls, built to your tastes, and offer amazing hot sauces. There are also vegan and vegetarian options. You can definitely eat in if you want, but this is more of a great choice for a filling desk-lunch.
3) Oramen, 575 6th Ave
Ramen is a top-notch comfort food, especially as it gets colder. Oramen has a some of the best broth in the area and offers lunch specials too! This is more of a sit-down spot, but the service is super fast, so you can have an awesome meal without losing a lot of time.
4) Union Fare, 5 E 17th St
This place has a food-hall-style setup and offers tons of different seasonal options for all diets. Their main offerings are sandwiches, noodles, and tacos, but there is always something new and exciting. It’s almost impossible to get bored with what they have.
5) Dainobu, 498 6th Ave
Okay, to be honest, this is more of a grocery store than a “restaurant,” but their Japanese food is incredibly good. This place is the top choice for awesome sushi and other Japanese noms for lunch. Everything is super fresh and incredibly fairly priced. There isn’t really a place to sit down here, but the food is so good you won’t mind taking it to go.
BONUS: Union Square Greenmarket
(only on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturdays)
This is definitely not a “restaurant,” but it’s a great way to eat well and get some time out of the office on a nice day. There are plenty of vendors selling fresh fruit, savory breads, sandwiches, pastries, and cheese to build an awesome lunch with on the cheap. Walking around Union Square Park while munching on something homemade and amazing and watching people, dogs, and squirrels run around is one of the best ways to refresh your mind for a bit.
There are so many ways to feed yourself at Teachable. As for me, when I’m not checking out a restaurant, I usually get a fresh piece of fruit (whatever is seasonal) and a savory ciabatta from one of the bakeries. It’s honestly a choose-your-own-adventure situation though!
Narrowing down these options was crazy hard, but hopefully this provides some tips on what’s good in the Teacha-hood. Maybe you’ll see one of us around soon!
