9 New York Foods People Skip & 9 They Can’t Get Enough Of
New York is a food lover’s playground, but not every bite hits the mark.
Some dishes get plenty of hype yet end up forgotten after a single taste, while others become instant cravings that keep people coming back for more.
From street eats to sit-down classics, the city’s food scene is full of surprises. The real fun is figuring out which ones deserve a pass and which ones live up to their legendary status.
1. Sweet Cinnamon-Raisin Bagels
Locals roll their eyes when visitors order these fruity imposters. Traditional bagel purists consider them more dessert than breakfast staple.
The sweetness overpowers the authentic New York bagel experience, making it impossible to appreciate the chewy texture and slight malt flavor that makes NYC bagels legendary.
Save your appetite for a proper everything or plain bagel instead.
2. Overpriced Chopped-Cheese Sandwiches from Upscale Shops
Gentrification strikes again! Fancy restaurants charging $15+ for bodega classics miss the entire point of this Bronx-born treasure.
Originally a budget-friendly meal created by bodega workers, the authentic version costs around $5 and comes wrapped in paper, not served on artisanal plates.
The elevated price tag doesn’t improve the flavor. It just removes the sandwich from its cultural roots.
3. Cronut Imitations
Beware the fakers! Since Dominique Ansel’s hybrid creation took the world by storm in 2013, countless bakeries have attempted to recreate the magic.
Most knockoffs fall catastrophically short, offering dense, greasy approximations that barely resemble the flaky, delicate original.
The textures are wrong, the flavors uninspired, and the experience disappointing. If you can’t make it to Ansel’s bakery, simply skip the imitators entirely.
4. Black and White Cookies (from Supermarkets)
Grocery store versions of this iconic treat commit cookie crimes! Mass-produced black and whites feature stale, crumbly bases with waxy, artificial frosting.
The texture resembles cardboard rather than the cake-like softness a proper version should have. The icing tastes of chemicals instead of vanilla and chocolate. These sad impostors give the beloved NYC staple a bad reputation among visitors who don’t know where to find the real deal.
5. Buffalo Wings (in Manhattan)
Geography matters! Despite New York State being home to the original Buffalo wing, Manhattan joints often serve overpriced, undersized versions that would make Buffalo natives weep.
Tourist trap sports bars charge premium prices for wings that lack the proper crispy-outside, juicy-inside texture.
The sauce frequently misses that perfect butter-hot sauce balance that defines authentic wings. For the real experience, head upstate or find a true dive bar.
6. Chopped Cheese (Outside Bodegas)
Authenticity vanishes the moment this beloved sandwich leaves its bodega birthplace. Restaurant versions often use fancy ingredients like aged cheddar or grass-fed beef that completely miss the point.
The magic happens on flat-top grills that have seasoned decades of late-night orders.
Chopped cheese requires American cheese, not artisanal blends, and basic white rolls, not brioche. The sandwich loses its soul when removed from its humble beginnings.
7. Generic Hot Dogs (from Random Carts)
Not all street meat is created equal! Random hot dog carts stationed near major tourist attractions often serve mediocre franks that have been swimming in tepid water for hours.
These sad specimens lack the snap, spice, and character of proper New York dogs. The buns turn soggy, the toppings wilt, and the experience disappoints.
Skip the anonymous vendors and seek out established names like Gray’s Papaya or Nathan’s instead.
8. Cheesecake (from Chain Restaurants)
Chain restaurant cheesecake commits dessert crimes against New York’s signature sweet! These mass-produced slices taste like they came straight from a freezer, because they usually did.
The texture feels rubbery rather than creamy, the graham cracker crust soggy instead of buttery-crisp. Even worse, many chains overcompensate with excessive sweetness and artificial flavors.
True New York cheesecake balances tanginess with sweetness in a way these pretenders never achieve.
9. Pastrami on Rye (Tourist Traps)
Tourist trap delis near Times Square serve shadows of what pastrami should be. Meat often arrives pre-sliced, refrigerated, and reheated rather than freshly carved from a steaming brisket.
The portions shrink while prices soar, sometimes hitting $30+ for a mediocre sandwich.
Authentic pastrami should be hand-sliced, juicy, and piled high on twice-baked rye. The tourist version’s dry, thin meat and machine-sliced bread creates a deeply disappointing experience.
10. Pastrami Sandwich from Pastrami Queen
Heaven between bread! Each bite delivers melt-in-your-mouth meat with the perfect balance of smoke, spice, and fatty richness that true pastrami aficionados crave.
Hand-carved to order, the warm slices pile gloriously high on twice-baked rye that holds up without getting soggy.
A light schmear of mustard cuts through the richness perfectly. This Upper East Side institution serves a sandwich so good that locals happily travel across boroughs just for a taste.
11. Classic Bagels with Cream Cheese and Lox
Breakfast nirvana achieved! The quintessential New York morning ritual combines chewy, hand-rolled bagels with silky cream cheese and buttery smoked salmon.
What makes it special? The bagels boil before baking, creating that distinctive shiny crust and dense interior.
Add thinly sliced red onion, capers, and tomato for the full experience. Whether from Ess-a-Bagel, Russ & Daughters, or your neighborhood spot, this combination represents New York food culture at its finest.
12. New York–Style Pizza Slice
Fold it like a local! The perfect New York slice features a thin, foldable crust with a crisp bottom and chewy interior that somehow supports generous toppings without sagging.
The sauce offers subtle sweetness against tangy, melty cheese that stretches with each bite.
No need for fancy wood-fired ovens or artisanal ingredients. Classic corner pizzerias nail the formula through decades of tradition. At $3-4 per slice, it remains one of the city’s best food values.
13. Manhattan Special Espresso Coffee Soda
Brooklyn’s best-kept secret in a bottle! This century-old beverage combines real espresso coffee with carbonated water and cane sugar for a refreshing jolt unlike any modern energy drink.
The glass bottle preserves tradition while the contents deliver a perfect balance of bitter coffee, sweetness, and fizz.
Locals grab it at old-school delis and Italian groceries, especially during summer months. One sip explains why this humble soda has survived while countless trendy beverages have disappeared.
14. Irish Soda Bread Scones at Mary O’s
Hidden gem alert! These East Village treasures transform traditional Irish soda bread into scone form, creating the perfect texture balance, crisp exterior giving way to a tender, slightly sweet interior.
Studded with plump raisins and caraway seeds, they honor Irish-American heritage while creating something uniquely New York.
Locals know to arrive early before they sell out, especially around St. Patrick’s Day. Pair with Irish breakfast tea for the full experience.
15. Chopped Cheese (Authentic Staple)
Bronx-born brilliance in sandwich form! The authentic chopped cheese represents New York ingenuity, bodega workers created it by adapting the classic cheeseburger into something unique and accessible.
What makes it special? The technique of chopping the beef as it cooks, allowing the American cheese to melt directly into the meat.
The result delivers all the flavors of a burger but with improved texture and portability. No wonder it’s become a cultural icon celebrating the city’s diverse food heritage.
16. Hand-Pulled Noodles
These legendary noodles have earned cult status among NYC food enthusiasts for good reason.
The chewy, ribbon-like strands swim in fiery, aromatic broths that balance Sichuan peppercorn numbness with vinegary tang, a combination that’s utterly addictive.
Originally a basement stall in Flushing, Xi’an Famous Foods now operates multiple locations across the city, each preserving the northwestern Chinese recipes passed down through generations.
The noodles are made fresh daily, stretched by hand until they develop their signature elastic bite.
17. The Legendary Halal Cart Chicken and Rice
Yellow taxi cabs circle the busy intersection of 53rd and 6th Avenue, where the intoxicating aroma of The Halal Guys’ famous chicken and rice draws massive lines at all hours.
This simple street food combination has achieved cult status among New Yorkers for good reason.
Tender chunks of well-seasoned chicken rest atop a bed of fragrant basmati rice, complemented by crisp lettuce and juicy tomatoes.
The magic happens when you add their signature white sauce – a creamy, tangy condiment that New Yorkers would bottle if they could.
18. Italian Ices from Lemon Ice King of Corona
Tucked away in Queens, this family-owned institution has been cooling down New Yorkers since 1944 with their heavenly Italian ices.
Unlike the mass-produced versions found elsewhere, these ices burst with authentic flavor using real fruit chunks and natural ingredients.
Summer evenings in Corona Park aren’t complete without locals lining up for their favorite flavors.
Lemon remains the classic choice, but adventurous options like peanut butter and cantaloupe have loyal followings too. The strict no-mixing-flavors policy only adds to its charm.