The 5 Best Places to Eat in Times Square, According To Reddit
Times Square has a justified reputation for overpriced, tourist-trap dining — and Reddit knows it better than anyone. Browse any thread on r/AskNYC or r/FoodNYC and the first advice is always the same: "walk a few blocks." But Reddit also knows that genuinely great restaurants exist within easy reach of the neon chaos, if you know exactly where to look. These five spots are what savvy visitors and New Yorkers actually eat near Times Square, according to Reddit in 2025 and 2026.
1. Los Tacos No. 1 — The Best Tacos in Times Square and It's Not Even Close
If there is one restaurant that appears in virtually every Reddit thread about eating near Times Square, it is Los Tacos No. 1. Located inside the Times Square EDITION hotel at 701 Seventh Avenue, it has achieved something almost impossible: becoming one of the most genuinely beloved food spots in a neighborhood otherwise known for tourist traps.
What Reddit Says: Redditors across multiple threads describe Los Tacos No. 1 as "surprisingly exceptional," "the real deal," and a place that even longtime New Yorkers make deliberate trips to. The tacos — birria, carne asada, adobada, and nopal among them — are made with fresh, quality ingredients that have no business being this good in the middle of Midtown.
What to Know: Counter-service only, standing room, and still largely cash-preferred. Lines move fast. Order three or four tacos and understand why this place has a cult following that extends well beyond Broadway visitors.
Order: The carne asada taco and the birria, with a freshly made agua fresca on the side.
Location: 701 Seventh Avenue | Hours: Open daily | Price: $ (budget-friendly)
2. Urban Hawker — A Singaporean Food Hall That Changed Midtown Dining
Urban Hawker opened on West 44th Street in 2022 and immediately became one of the most-discussed new food experiences in Midtown. Modeled on Singapore's famous outdoor hawker centers — the communal food hall model that produced the world's first street food Michelin star — it brings together 17 individual stalls serving authentic dishes from across the Singaporean culinary spectrum under one roof.
What Reddit Says: Redditors recommend Urban Hawker as one of the most legitimately interesting dining experiences available anywhere near Times Square. The Hainanese Chicken Rice stall receives standout mentions in nearly every thread, praised for its precise technique and remarkably clean, deeply satisfying flavor. Other popular stalls serve chilli crab, laksa, satay, kaya toast, and rojak.
What to Know: Order from individual stalls and find seating inside. It was conceived with input from Anthony Bourdain before his passing — which tells you something about its ambition and authenticity.
Order: The Hainanese Chicken Rice is the Reddit consensus must-order. Add a bowl of laksa if you like noodles.
Location: 135 West 44th Street | Hours: Open daily for lunch and dinner | Price: $–$$
3. Xi'an Famous Foods — The Hand-Pulled Noodles That Reddit Never Stops Recommending
Xi'an Famous Foods has multiple Manhattan locations, and the one accessible to Times Square visitors is a Reddit perennial. In thread after thread on r/FoodNYC and r/AskNYC, it is cited as one of the most reliable, consistently excellent, genuinely NYC spots you can eat at in or near Midtown — a counterweight to the tourist restaurant ecosystem that dominates the immediate area.
What Reddit Says: The hand-pulled noodles and the lamb dishes are described as "legitimately life-changing" by Redditors who clearly feel strongly about the subject. Multiple threads specifically call out Xi'an Famous Foods as the rare Times Square-adjacent restaurant you'd go back to on your own terms, not just because it was convenient.
What to Know: Xi'an's cooking — from China's Shaanxi province — is boldly spiced and entirely different from the Cantonese cooking most Americans know. The spicy cumin lamb burger (roujiamo) is an essential order alongside the noodles.
Order: The Spicy Cumin Lamb Hand-Ripped Noodles and the Spicy and Tingly Beef Hand-Ripped Noodles are the Reddit consensus best options.
Location: Multiple Midtown locations | Hours: Open daily | Price: $ (very affordable)
4. Margon — The Hidden Cuban Counter That Locals Have Loved for Decades
Margon on West 46th Street in the Rockefeller Center area is exactly the kind of place that should not work in this neighborhood but absolutely does. It is a small, no-frills Cuban lunch counter that has been feeding Midtown office workers, delivery drivers, and savvy visitors for decades — and Reddit has adopted it enthusiastically as the best-kept secret near Times Square.
What Reddit Says: Redditors across r/FoodNYC and r/AskNYC describe Margon as a "hidden gem," "criminally underrated," and the answer to "where do locals actually eat near Times Square?" The Cubano sandwich — slow-roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, mustard, and pickles on pressed Cuban bread — is called one of the best in New York City by regular posters who take their sandwiches seriously. The café con leche is referenced in almost every thread, often described as the best in the neighborhood.
What to Know: Lunch only, counter-service, closed for dinner. Arrives before noon on weekdays to beat the rush. Prices are remarkably low for Midtown — a big part of why locals have kept coming back for decades.
Order: The Cubano sandwich and a café con leche. The pernil (roast pork) plate is the other Reddit standout.
Location: 136 West 46th Street | Hours: Monday–Saturday, lunch only | Price: $ (cheap and excellent)
5. Carmine's — The Family-Style Italian Institution That Even Reddit Defends
Carmine's on West 44th Street is the rare restaurant that survives Reddit's tourist-trap skepticism with its reputation more or less intact. In thread after thread where users warn visitors away from Midtown dining, Carmine's keeps appearing as the exception — not because it's undiscovered or especially cheap, but because it is reliably, genuinely good and offers something truly different: enormous family-style portions of classic Italian-American cooking served in a warm, lively dining room that has been drawing theatergoers and neighborhood regulars since 1990.
What Reddit Says: Redditors consistently describe Carmine's as "worth it for groups," "surprisingly solid," and "the Times Square restaurant you can actually feel good about recommending to family visiting from out of town." The portions are notoriously enormous — one dish easily serves two or three people. Multiple Reddit threads recommend it explicitly for birthdays, pre-Broadway dinners with large parties, and any occasion where feeding multiple people without drama is the goal.
What to Know: Full table service, reservations strongly recommended on show nights. The family-style model means your table shares everything — that's the whole point.
Order: The linguine clam sauce, the chicken scarpariello, and the tiramisu. Redditors emphasize ordering fewer dishes than you think you'll need — the portions will surprise you.
Location: 200 West 44th Street | Hours: Open daily for lunch and dinner | Price: $$–$$$ (value improves with group size)
The Reddit Verdict on Times Square Dining
The consistent thread running through all of Reddit's Times Square food advice is this: the best meals near the neighborhood are not hiding in hotel lobbies or glowing chain restaurant menus — they're at a Cuban counter on 46th Street, a taco stand with a permanent line, a Singaporean food hall that treats lunch like a culinary adventure. Times Square may never be a world-class dining destination, but Reddit has made peace with it, found the five spots that genuinely deliver, and is sharing them freely with anyone who asks.
Pro Tip from Reddit: If you have 15 extra minutes and any interest in Thai, Japanese, or Korean food, walk west to 9th Avenue in Hell's Kitchen. Reddit's most consistent Times Square-adjacent recommendation is simply: "go to 9th Avenue and walk north. You'll find something great."
Related NYC Guides
7 Charming Towns in the Hudson Valley With Outdoor Adventures, Incredible Restaurants, and Local Art
10 Best Glamping Sites in New York According to Reddit
Disclaimer: Restaurant information reflects February 2026 conditions. Hours, menus, and availability may change. Always verify directly with each restaurant before visiting.