Gourmet 53

Can’t argue that they’re cheap;however, steer clear of the meat. The chicken in my chicken ceasar salad was awful and left me sick– I’ve heard the same from many coworkers. I am a fan of their Greek salad, but I guess everyone else is too because it’s usually gone by lunch time.

Friendly and fast service but very underwhelmed with my meal. I got the soup and salad combo for $ 9.20 which includes a free can of soda.
Greek salad: tons of veggies but almost no greens. They left all the seeds from the peppers in and I found more trunks of romaine than actual romaine. Good portion for a combo though.
Vegetable orzo soup: tasty, spicy and generous portion also. Tasted like minestrone soup.
The food set up looks unsanitary despite the A rating. I don’t know what the hype is about, this was a real meh experience.

Honestly I’m not a big fan of cheese, so after I opened up my salad bowl and discovered that about ¹⁄₃ of the food were cheese, I was actually pretty disappointed! That means the veggie/​eggs amount must have been decreased proportionally. The sauce was also way to greasy and you could literally see oil floating on top of the real sauce — no matter how hard I tried to pull them apart. Overall not recommend to come here.

These people are the kindest, they’re happy, quick and smiley. I love coming here for lunch. My «small» chicken & avocado salad is actually more than enough and includes a side, only costs $ 6.50. The salad includes generous servings of everything important. Haha I’ve also had their specials and they’re delicious& cheap as well.

Good deal. Ten bucks got me a veggie wrap (which was wonderful: sautéed bell peppers and onions with hummus and avocado), a salad, jello if I wanted it, and a drink. I’d like to add that the man working there was kind enough to improvise a veggie wrap for me since it was only listed on their catering menu. Yum!

Came here today for a salad after reading the Unilocal reviews. it was alright, not the «greatest salad ever». The Caesar was slathered in dressing which was a bit too much for my liking. Chips were good, they were out of cookies. Maybe I’ll go back. maybe I won’t. Other salads in the area are more expensive but the dressing situation is a dealbreaker.

Surprisingly good food considering it’s literally in a food court. My wife and I were easily able to split a Chicken Parmesan with a side of spaghetti and marinara and a greek salad. It also comes with a warm fresh dinner roll, a cookie and a drink.
For under $ 10, that’s incredible value for money.
The chicken was moist and perfectly cooked, well seasoned and went really well with the spaghetti and the bread. The salad was fresh and vibrant.
I really great place to stop for a quick lunch. Be warned though that the portions are massive so consider sharing.

I have a pretty great work cafeteria but one day ventured out to Gourmet 53. I’m now obsessed. There are so many great things about this place.
1) variety: daily rotating hot entrees (chicken parm, fried chicken, baked tilapia), salads (at least six choices-​Greek, Cajun, chicken Caesar, southwest, Portobello, gorgonzola and fruit, avocado chicken…), a grill in the back for wraps, sandwiches, etc.
2) the daily free lunch giveaway. the «take a number» machine isn’t for queuing, it’s for giving away free lunches! They give away several a day, so if your number is one of the lucky numbers posted, it’s on the house. this has happened to me! :)
3) the prices. A «Small» salad is plenty and comes with a cookie of my choice (love all of the cookies: chocolate chip, macadamia nut, oatmeal and raisin, I think there’s a fourth I’m forgetting), and warm! fresh out of the oven! pita chips or rolls/​bread. all of this for $ 6.50! The entrée meals (meat, two sides) are in the $ 9 range.
4) yummy: I have really enjoyed everything I’ve had. it wouldn’t win any Michelin stars, but it’s a tasty lunch.
5) super efficient and quick: the line is never too long and it moves very quickly. I’m in and out in maybe 3 minutes every time.
I didn’t expect to find such a great lunch spot hidden in the basement (I mean… concourse) of 875 Third, but it’s a happy surprise.
Tip: you can enter the concourse directly from the 53^rd and 3^rd subway station.

Thank-​you, Unilocal!This will definitely be one of my new go to salad places.
I went around 2pm. 875 Lex. Go down the escalators and voila. There is seating too. No queue.
~6 Pre-​Prepared Salad options with some changing daily
(Served in Small or Large bowl) including:
**MY FAV** I) «Avocado Salad» grilled chicken, romaine, avocado, chickpeas, corn, bell peppers, tomatoes, shredded cheese
II) «Portobello Salad» romaine, mushrooms, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, sundried tomatoes, cucumbers, olives.
III) «Southwest Chicken Salad» romaine, shredded cheese, red peppers, corn and grilled chicken. Served with balsamic vinaigrette or vinegar dressing on the side.
IV) «Chicken Caesar»
V) «Spinach Salad» including eggs, bacon
VI) «Cobb Salad»
VII) «Greek Salad»
VIII) «Teriyaki Chicken Salad»
Overall, very satisfying with complimentary breadstick or homemade pita chips (go for the chips!). Free cookie as supplies last.
I will update my review as I try all the salad options. It’s great that there are no price differences with or without protein. $ 7.50 flat including tax.

I go here often because they have delicious salads at a great price. The Greek salad is one of the best around and comes with a cookie and bread for only around $ 7.
It is a little hectic in there and difficult to tell what each salad is, so try to come the first time with a veteran so they can help you pick out the right salad. They also offer a variety of entrée plates that are supposed to be very tasty.
The bad: I once found a hair in my salad here and it happened to a coworker once, too. It seems like this happens because the salads are out in big tubs, but needless to say, it hasn’t deterred me from going back!

obsessed w their Greek salads. A «small» is pretty darn big (deceivingly so) and costs only $ 6.80 including tax and comes with free pita chips and if you want it, a cookie, fruit etc. definitely the best value you can get for lunch in midtown. careful with those pita chips tho– addicting!

I work in the building where this hidden gem is located and I am so thankful for it. The majority of the time I get lunch from this place and I have never been disappointed. The food is delicious, portions are large and the staff are super friendly. You literally get a three course lunch meal for less than 10 $. I am definitely a fan of this place…

Found this hidden gem based on Unilocal reviews. This is as good as it gets. Came here on a Tuesday and got the Cowgirl Chicken special (3 pieces with rice or pasta and salad of your choosing). Long line, but it goes quick. Also you get a free cookie or jello, a can of soda or bottled water, and bread or chips. I usually eat everything but I only could finish half the chips and soda. You win this time, Gourmet 53. But I’ll definitely be coming back for a rematch.
There’s also a bubble tea next door that’s not bad if you’re into that kind of stuff.

Big salad! Seinfeld fans rejoice! Not only is your salad pretty big (definitely filling), but they scoop it out of huge bins right in front of you, so you know exactly what you’re getting. I also like how they have a free add-​on of a cookie, fruit cup or jello. Yes, jello. Not that sugar free, watery stuff, but real (red) jello.
Service is kinda like at a bagel shop. You line up, and eventually a staff person behind the counter asks what you want.

Read about this place on Unilocal and decided to try it out for lunch. All in all it wasn’t bad. Not super fantastic but the meal was indeed pretty reasonably priced, the service was quite fast and my food was good, though not great.
Better than going to McDonalds for lunch but not as good as Taco Bell (but so few things truly are).

This place was great. The atrium had a piano player over lunch. I had a chicken melt sandwich and salad combo which was delish. The guys at the counter were helpful and friendly.
I went to lunch with 3 other girlfriends and they were all happy and no longer hungry.

I decided to try this place after I read about it in «Broke Ass Stuart’s Guide to NYC» (Great place to find cheap places in NYC. Highly recommend it.) I also searched it online and it got pretty good reviews. So I went there and I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting… but it was just okay. I got a Southwestern Salad, plus they gave me chips, brownie and maybe a fruit cup (can’t remember). The brownie was my highlight… very good! Everything wasn’t bad actually… just average. You did get quite a few things included in the price and I believe I only spent about $ 9.00 so not bad at all but not sure if I’d be back. I was expecting more and I felt like I could only choose from salads, I saw nothing else on the board. Just okay for me. Side note: it is in an office building so don’t look for it on the street like me!

I love this food court (located downstairs) as there is live music. Currently, it’s a pianist. Always nice to step away from the desk to enjoy some nice tunes. Gourmet 53 has lots of options and is reasonably price. I usually get their salad and all their entrees come with complimentary sides. I definitely recommend their bread as it is hot out of the oven and has the perfect crunch on the outside, yet soft and chewy on the inside. The dressing that comes with it is also pretty amazing. It’s a house dressing that is all around fatty goodness and goes perfectly with the bread.

As many other reviews for this hidden away gem attest, this is solid solid lunch fare. Better than average quality, lots of selection, and oh my god, so much food.
On my last trip I had pasta rigatoni, delicious side salad, yummy homemade (?) chips, fruit salad, and a dark chocolate cookie. For less than $ 10!
All found on the basement floor of the building, along with other takeout places.

Great lunch spot. Don’t feel like paying $ 10 for a salad? Come here. You get a salad, and free pita chips, a cookie (oatmeal raisin was good) for about $ 8.50
I think they forgot to give me the free fruit cup. I had the shrimp salad, which was delicious. Dressing comes on the side.
HOW TO FIND THE PLACE
I came here looking confused. You have to go inside an office building and take the escalators to go downstairs. There, you will find a bunch of take out places with seating. There was even a guy playing jazz piano.
Can’t wait to come back and try the other salads!