Open Kitchen

Great selection of a wide variety of foods. Great lunch place.

We needed a quick place for lunch and found this place near our hotel. It is open bar style where you pick and choose your dishes.
This was perfect for our two children who are finicky eaters as they get to choose what they want to eat. And the selection is really great. The food was fresh and delicious. Much better than the Whole Foods salad bar.

First time here and probably last time here. Came here for a quick coffee. The cashier messed up the order and was rude.

This place is super expensive for what you get. They mark everything up heavily. the food selection is still better than anything else in the area though

Came here for how convenient it is. They have set menu of all sorts and a hot and cold buffet. Not much seating above, seems to be a good place to grab and go back to work.
I had the Mediterranean dish with chicken, couscous, grape leaves a salad. Was not a fan of the tzatiki sauce or the grape leaves. Food otherwise was decent.
Smoothies on point.
They are really quick with order too… I mean, its served in front of you !

It seems like this place draws a pretty big crowd… I suppose we are doing a number on their doors. Despite the many paper asking you to «please close the doors behind you», not only do the doors never actually close, but they seem to remain open at even the slightest suggestion of a gentle breeze.
Once you get in the doors, there is food, and there are a lot of excellent options. The salad is usually at the top of my list — unlike some salad places that use terrible tiny spoons to give you your 6 mini cubes of chicken and 7 chickpeas, they pile it on here, along with plenty of meat (or non-​meat) of your choosing. My favorite is a half arugula half romaine [with 5 varying toppings] and a heap of salmon. It’s a very generous salad for $ 9.
They also have a really good mediterranean bar — I’d recommend half chicken half falafel (plate) with two salads and a giant scoop of hummus. If I weighed the container before I left…2 to 3 pounds, easy. Plus, pit on the side! For $ 12, it’s enough for two meals, and a way better deal (much more of everything) than the pita sandwich, which is $ 10.
I had stir fry once… and it was okay, I think i’d go with spicy sauce next time, the regular one didn’t taste like much. Sandwiches are good, they offer some really good specials ($ 8 chicken sandwich is my go to) and those specials come with no less than 5lbs of fries (plenty to share).
There are a few other stations I haven’t had yet, as well as a hot bar… which is hit or miss, depending on the time of day. I’m a late eater (1:45−2:15) so by that time the hot bar has been out for a few hours. I’ve had it once or twice, and I liked what I ate. Nothing astounding, nothing bad. They must have dense food because at $ 10.50/lb, it adds up really quickly.
You can get a lot for your money here, and at the same time come in the next day and pay way more for way less. Just depends on what you are in the mood for.
Unless i’m coming in specifically for a salad, Open Kitchen is good for my indecisive lunch days when I can’t quite figure out what I want to eat… if I walk in circles enough, i’m bound to land on something.

A nice, «open» spot to go to for lunch. I usually head here when I’m not craving anything specific but want some quality food. The aroma of flavors from the hot bar hit you on your way in that I can’t help but make this section my first stop. They have a great selection and change it up throughout the week! I love when they have seared tuna or honey mustard chicken. There is also an open salad bar to pad your containers with some greens. As tempted as everything looks, be careful not to put too much on your plate. At a little over $ 10/​pound, you can end up spending quite a bit for your mid-​day meal.
Also be sure to check the specials of the day by the sandwich counter. I’ve gotten their citrus grilled chicken sandwich with curly fries for $ 8. Not bad, they really pile on the fries into the container. I almost always grab a Joe Tea on the way to the checkout line. May be a sentimental thing for me since these teas remind me of my childhood/​favorite pizza restaurant growing up… but trust me, they’re great! I rarely ever see these around anymore so I always take a peach or raspberry for the road.

Ordered ramen noodles with spicy broth and chicken… not good. Broth was bland. I didn’t even eat it because it was the worst ramen I’ve ever had. Also ordered French fries. I know it doesn’t go, but that’s what I craved. In any event the fries were ok. A bit oily but ok. I ended up throwing out everything. $ 14.70 down the drain.
I heard others rave about this place, but I’m so not interested. Will not return.

Great place for a quick but and lots of variety. The salad bar is great.
Most of the pasta, like the ravioli, and the chicken are very over cooked. You need a steak knife to cut the ravioli.

I’ve come here few times on my lunch break. The place is like 15 steps from my office so it’s really convenient. The variety factor here is really nice. From stir fry to salads to hot buffet, you’ll definitely find something to eat.
Whenever I come here, I usually make my way to the Mediterranean counter. The guy who works this station is cool dude. It seems like he enjoys working here and he always loads up the platters.
The chicken is seasoned well and cooked nicely in the vertical broiler. The falafel is hand rolled and fried right then and there. Top your platter off with the hummus and you’ll be set. (I would pass on the canned stuffed grape leaves).
Anyhow, the amount of food you get at the Mediterranean station is so worth it. This is my quickest option for Greek food fix and l usually leave really full.
Oh and also, the service at the register is so quick — blink and you’ll miss the whole transaction.

Great grab and go spot in Midtown. No minimums on credit cards. Wide range of options — Salad Bar, Burgers, Sandwiches, Ramen. Salad/​Hot meal bar is very reasonably priced $ 10.50 per pound. One of the best deals in the area.
Place is kept clean and fully stocked with everything. Decent amount of seating even during lunch time. As great as this place is, I do wish they had more soup options. But overall I’m a fan and will keep this place in my lunch line up.

Food is amazing … BUT … Door says they close @ 800 … Google says 1000 … You say 900 … Went by @ 845 — they were closed!!!

What a great place in a perfect location! They offer anything and everything you could possibly want to eat. Healthy and not so healthy too. The hot bar is well stocked and the salad station made a perfect salad. I can’t wait to get hungry again so I can eat here some more.
Very convenient to the Hilton Garden Inn I might add!
RRY

Great place in midtown to grab lunch. They have lots of yummy food to choose from at the food bar and they also make salads, sandwiches and more. You can get almost any food you want here. It’s a huge space with two floors which is always nice in NYC where most places are cramped. The only downfall is that you will spend around 10 – 15 bucks here for your lunch. The price is pretty typical NY. I usually never know what I want to eat and it makes me happy to enter this place and have so many options most of which are on the healthier end.

If you want bang for your buck, go with the salad bar. Seriously. I don’t know why it took me so long to find this place. I don’t know why I’ve been making do with $ 10 salads at other local eateries that barely fill me up. I’ve been missing out big time.
I got a kale salad and topped it with snowpeas, edamame, cucumbers, roasted brussel sprouts, chickpeas, and salmon. There are a TON of different toppings to choose from, which makes it perfect for even the most picky of eaters. They are sooo generous with their scoops of the toppings, and I love that they thoroughly chop and mix everything together after all of the toppings are added. They have the typical dressings in addition to a few unique ones. I got the carrot ginger dressing which was light, but just flavorful enough to add a little somethin’ to my salad.
It was probably because of the toppings I chose, but the end product was so heavy I almost dropped it when he handed it to me over the display case. For $ 9.80 including tax, I had such a large salad I could only finish one third of it for lunch. ONE THIRD. In addition, it was super delicious and really, really fresh.
Highly, highly recommended for a healthy lunchtime option!

I think I was expecting… more.
You walk in and the place is enormous! It feels like you’ve walked in to one of those really posh shops that has, like, 4 black shirts on a rack and nothing else in a 2000 square-​foot space. But with food.
Everything is very clean and modern.
Everything on the menu is around $ 12 plus or minus $ 5 (which is pretty normal for lunch NYC, maybe even downright cheap). There’s a really large variety of choices (unlike that posh joint with the shirts) from salad, sandwiches, stir-​fry, Mexican, noodles, and there’s even a hot and cold buffet line (like in every other NYC lunch place). The food on display looks tasty.
The people behind the counters are really nice and the servings are borderline enormous.
I just… don’t love this place.
The food looks and sounds a lot more interesting than it actually is (kinda like those black shirts).
When you get to the line, they kind of hustle you through. And speaking of lines, get there before 12pm or after 2pm to avoid waits at the more popular stalls.
Because of the modern look, the hard surfaces make juice bar blenders sound like there’s a 747 landing in the 2^nd floor eating area.
I also think with all the money they’re spending on rent, how good could the food quality be?
I’m still going to come back because sometimes you just need a «black shirt» for lunch and that they can deliver.

It’s like a cafeteria for adults with better selection and high quality food! Seriously how long have I been schleping by with subpar lunch choices before I found Open Kitchen. Its really in its title, a HUGE open kitchen for all equipped with many different counters serving different dishes from the traditional sandwich stations and salad bars to stir fry stations, East Asian cuisine and Mexican taqueria.
If prepared foods aren’t your style, hit up the buffet. It is everything. Literally everything under the sun. Just three tiny warming tables crammed with delicious and unique eats. Who knew that sliced quarter avocado salad was a thing? Or that cold shrimp salad was so high in demand? From salad builders to the spicy sliced pork, Open Kitchen does not disappoint when it comes to its buffet options. Its about 9 bucks a pound so be wary on how much you are piling on!
Aside from the ready to eat foods, Open Kitchen also has a great drink and snack selection. My favorite had to be the pre-​sliced and prepared fruits found in the drink fridge, for 4 bucks you get a healthy portion of sweet and fresh fruits — the perfect dessert!
There are two seating areas inside, one to the left as soon as you enter and another area upstairs. The upstairs area has larger tables that accommodate for larger parties and there is just more room overall. They also have two one stall bathrooms tucked away in the rear of the eating area.
It tends to get a bit crowded around lunch time and all, but the staff is so efficient and has people in and out in no time. Whether you are in line at one of the speciality stations or in line to pay, they are quick and courteous. Utensils and extra condiments are behind the pay counter so just make sure to ask.

My to go place for salad. $ 9 for five toppings + meat choice (salmon, chicken, falafel, avocado). The five toppings includes fancy toppings such as walnuts, fresh mozzarella etc. Also interesting dressings but tell the guy behind the counter to hold back unless if you want your salad to swim inside the dressing.
Checkout counter always has a long line but moves very swiftly.

I give this resteraunt five stars across the board.
GREAT FOOD
AWESOME SERVICE
GOOD PRICES
LARGE VARIETY
This is an eat-​in and buffet style resteraunt located in Midtown. For those who are seeking a quick but hearty lunch this is a good place to go. There is an open floor plan with two large buffet bars, one is cold and the other is hot. There is a wide variety of options from fish, to steak to dumplings. On the salad bar they have fruit, green salads, avocados and many choices. The buffet is sold by the pound and one pound of food was good enough for me.
They have a sandwich, wrap and panini bar with many many options to chose from. They have cold and hot, many dressings, types of bread, and toppings.
If you’re looking to hang around, they have cute little tables with a lot of seating. I don’t recall there being waitress/​waiter service but you can grab your lunch and sit down and eat.
The lines aren’t very long and the cashiers are very attentive and helpful. The crowd is all business people and the place is very modern.
This is a MUST try.

I came by because I was looking for a quicker, healthier option and just a little sick of Chipotle at the time. Open Kitchen seems to be the trend of bigger, brighter lunch hot bar upgrade. The usual weird mix of strange foods replaced with grilled chicken and salmon and ringed by different food stations and juice bar.
I went to the salad station and built my own, for 10 dollars was a pretty good deal considering I loaded it up with veggies and got an extra meat for no additional charge. A solid place I would go to again if I was in the area and looking for that quick, healthy choice again.