Everyone knows New York City is known for its food. Since we're one of the most diverse cities in America, with 8.3 million inhabitants, it makes sense that we'd rock the grub scene.
This city even invented some of the world's most amazing foods, like Eggs Benedict, coal oven pizza, clam chowder, and even the Reuben.
So if you're going to live here, there are foods you definitely must enjoy before kicking the can. Like, absolutely have to. Or else, what's the point of living here?
So, we've compiled a handy list of 21 iconic foods for your NYC bucket list. Now, see how many you can cross off. And get working on the ones you haven't yet tried. Slacker.
(P.S., if you need more delectable eats to check out in this wonderful city, read up on these classic NYC foods and some other quintessential ones as well.)
1. Pastrami and Corned Beef Sandwich from Katz's Deli (205 East Houston Street)
whalehuggin You should never go to New York and not visit the phenomenal Deli that is Katz's!!!! If you did and/or plan not to, I will pray for you😏. Established in 1888 Katz's, has been serving up its Godly and unchanged pastrami recipe for more than a century. NewYorkers, food pilgrims and myself have been happy to get fat on their wholesome pastrami packed rye sandwiches. God bless those Jews!!!!🙏 #katzsdeli #deli #newyork #pastrami #rueben #pickles #choppedliver #DamnIWishIBoughtATShirt #nystateofmind
Founded in 1888, this iconic deli sandwich from Katz's Deli is more NYC than most of NYC's inhabitants.
It's not just because the pickles are free. It's not just because the meat is perfectly cured (it takes thirty days to cure, and includes no chemicals or additives). It's definitely not because of the fries.
[anad]
It's because, at the end of the day, Katz's reeks of history and legacy. The nostalgia of yesteryear is plastered on everything in Katz's, from the hand-written signs to the booths.
2. Lobster Newburg from Delmonico's (56 Beaver Street)
p1foodbox throwing back to this lobster newburg from delmonico's (its historic birthplace in 1876!) #delmonicos #lobster #newyork #lobsternewburg #fidi
Sure, Delmonico's is basically the reason "New York Steak" is an option on menus all over the world.
But that's not why you need to go to Delmonico's before you kick the bucket.
The reason is that the classic, gourmet dish Lobster Newburg was invented at Delmonico's.
If that's not reason enough for you to try it, consider this: Fox Magazine calls it "the richest lobster you'll ever eat."
It's topped with caviar to heighten its extravagance. It's also made with butter, cream, cognac, sherry, eggs, and Cayenne pepper. Basically, it'll blow your mind.
So be sure to get a reservation for restaurant week and try the Lobster Newburg before, you know, you die or something.
3. Ramen Burger from Berg'n (899 Bergen Street - Brooklyn)
If you haven't yet been to the Williamsburg edition of Smorgasburg, you really need to get on it.
If you have been, you've likely seen the gigantic line of hungry New Yorkers stretching past the Berg'n booth, and even curving backward.
The biggest plunge is deciding to wait in that line, deciding that the famed Ramen Burger is worth it.
Trust us, at least once you should bear the time commitment and sweating that goes into waiting in that line, and chow down on your very own Ramen Burger.
4. Pizza from Di Fara (1424 Avenue J - Brooklyn)
ankush22 Craving some pizza from Di Fara - a bold statement but probably one of the best pizzas I have had #DiFara #pizzeria #brooklyn #newyork #bestpizzaever #foodporn #foodgasm #igfood #ignyc #livetoeat #foodie #nofilter #latergram @snehasheth @runi.mehta @milan.manavat
Eating a slice from Di Fara Pizza at some point during your time in NYC is essential.
It doesn't matter if its sausage pizza, square pie, or cherry tomato. It doesn't matter at all. What matters is that you eat any kind of pizza at all from Di Fara.
The mozzarella is so fresh you'll float off into cheese nirvana. The basil is so fresh, it tastes like it's just been picked. Di Fara's pizza is expertly prepared for over an hour, and completely lives up to its history and well-earned hype.
It's cash only. Its crust contains four flours. It's difficult to find a seat, but it's completely worth it to witness the amalgamation of millennials and senior citizens both enjoying a slam-dunk pizza pie.
You might even find yourself eating way more pizza than you expected.
5. Steak from Peter Luger (178 Broadway - Brooklyn)
lieselcxy An unassuming establishment by the sidewalk, a brimming glass of a good ol cosmo, a generous glass of chianti, a porterhouse t bone dripping with succulence...
If they have steak in heaven, it's absolutely from Peter Luger.
Crispy on the outside, tender and savory on the inside, if you're only going to eat one more thing in this city before you die, it should be a sizzling slab of this delectable steak.
Be sure to eat it alongside the German potatoes and creamed spinach, too, as they are also the food of angels.
Yes, Peter Luger is pricey. Like really pricey. To the point where some would say it's overrated because it's so expensive.
But let's be realistic here. It's the most delicious steak you'll ever have in your life. And no, we're not lying about that.
6. Stewed Pork Noodles from Xi'an Famous Foods (various NYC locations)
If you're looking for authentic Chinese delicacies, you need to look no further than Xi'an Famous Foods.
Sure, it's packed and sweaty in the restaurants, and the line often stretches out the door and around the corner, but that's extra proof that it's good, right?
[anad2]
The best part about Xi'an Famous Foods is that you get to choose the spice level. So whether you have a pallet for placid foods or raging ones, it's all up to you to decide.
These noodles are long, thick, and succulent, and it's definitely best to eat them in the restaurant rather than taking them to go. As multiple signs in the restaurant warn.
7. Cookie Shots from the Dominique Ansel Bakery (189 Spring Street)
a.couple.eats We would rather have this over a summer bod ANY DAY! 😩 Chocolate Chip Cookie & Milk Shots from @dominiqueansel. #dominiqueansel #dominiqueanselbakery #cookieshots #food #foodies #foodpics #foodporn #foodgasm #foodstagram #instafood #dessert #munchies #eeeeeats #nyc #newyork #acoupleeats
Backed into the shape of a shot glass and filled to the brim with milk, these cookie shots are heavenly in every sense of the word.
Do you drink the milk, or slowly wait for it to soft the interior of the cookie? Well, that is entirely up to you.
This amazing culinary innovation is available at the Dominique Ansel Bakery from 3 p.m. onwards.
,8. Black Label Burger from Minetta Tavern (113 Macdougal Street)
bogotawinefood One of my favs! #blacklabelburger #minettatavern #awesomefries #perfectsize #burgersnyc
Minetta Tavern burgers are savory, succulent, and scrumptious. It's made with premium dry-aged cuts of beef topped with caramelized onions on a sesame bun.
[anad]
There's no cheese on the burger, but when the meat is this good, who needs it?
We're pretty sure there's no better burger in the city.
9. Pierogi from Veselka (144 2nd Avenue)
jkim2176 Not pretty but still tasty! Specialty short rib pierogis from veselka. Finally went @don.fei ! #latergram #pierogi #veselka
Some might say that Veselka's pierogis are better than... well, sex.
The pierogis at Veselka are perfectly plump with potato heaven, and packed with the absolute perfect amount of filling. The juice is fresh squeezed, and the sauerkraut is sour and savory.
This Ukrainian diner is famous, and open 24/7. It's an NYC staple.
And we pledge allegiance to the food bucket list of NYC that Veselka isn't just a tourist trap. It's also amazing, authentic Ukrainian cuisine.
10. The Salty Pimp from Big Gay Ice Cream (various NYC locations)
audabiz FINALLY got to try Big Gay Ice Cream! Dear god this was good -- Salty Pimp cone wassup! Vanilla ice cream, salted caramel injections, and coated in chocolate. #icecream #alldayerrday #audnoms #biggayicecream #unicorns #saltypimp
Of all the ice cream joints in all the land, this one is absolutely the one with the most flair.
Do we even need to discuss how hilarious the name "Salty Pimp" is? We didn't think so. Let's talk instead about what's in this amazing specimen of ice cream.
With vanilla ice cream, Dulce de leche, sea salt, and dried chocolate chip, trying this ice cream before you die is integral.
What we meant to ask is, if you don't have a Salty Pimp from Big Gay Ice Cream before you die, have you ever really lived?
11. Bagel with Cream Cheese and Lox from Russ and Daughters (179 East Houston Street)
alexandria_rivera_ Totally blissed out by the deliciousness happening here! #russanddaughters #bagels #lox #😍
The best bagels in America are obviously made in NYC.
And the lox-and-cream-cheese combo at Russ and Daughters is dynamite. They're fresh, crispy, and explosive in flavor.
Once you consume one of these bad boys for breakfast, you'll never be the same again.
So what the heck are you waiting for?
12. Fried Chicken from Amy Ruth's (113 West 116th Street)
Amy Ruth's is definitely one of NYC's most underrated restaurants.
We suspect it won't be for long, though, as this Harlem soul food is as much delicious as it is classic.
The chicken and waffles at Amy Ruth's are no-frills perfection. The fried chicken on its own, honey dipped or not, is the best fried chicken in the city.
So crispy on the outside the chicken snaps when you break it apart, and so tender on the inside it'll almost make you cry, you won't be able to believe how delicious this fried chicken is.
If you're looking for an amazing pre-death meal, fried chicken from Amy Ruth's has got to be it.
13. Pancakes from Clinton Street Baking Street (4 Clinton Street)
ikuyazzz クリントン・ストリート・ベイキング・カンパニーのパンケーキ #パンケーキwithメープルバター #ブルーベリー #スイーツ #clintonstreetbaking #南青山 #表参道 #東京 #Tokyo
Hope you're hungry!
That's because pancakes from Clinton Street Baking are guaranteed to leave your head spinning and your stomach pleasantly close to bursting.
Clinton Street Baking's pancakes are often voted the best in the city, but that doesn't prevent Chef Neil Kleinberg from remaining down-to-earth, and making his pancakes with locally sourced, high quality ingredients and lots of love and butter.
14. Hot dogs from Gray's Papaya (2090 Broadway)
Hot dogs have always been a well-known a staple of all New Yorkers' diets.
Downing a delicious dog from Gray's Papaya before you die is necessary because it's a classic, old school NYC hotdog.
[anad2]
Whether you eat it with onions, sauerkraut, or plain, it doesn't matter. When you bite into that hot dog and its taste explodes in your mouth, you'll be tasting the history of this city.
Gray's Papaya is open 24/7, and not just famous because it's on this list. It's also appeared on Grey's Anatomy, Gray's Sports Almanac, and Back to the Future 2.
So, you don't have to just take our word for it.
,15. Eggs Benedict from the Waldorf Astoria (301 Park Avenue)
Why wouldn't you want to eat breakfast at one of the world's most historic luxury hotels before you die?
Peacock Alley, the Waldorf Astoria's newly-renovated restaurant, serves the city's best Eggs Benedict.
The combination of sunny-side-up eggs atop an English muffin smothered in hollandaise sauce is the perfect hangover cure, and the Waldorf Astoria is the perfect place to eat it.
[anad]
Why should you eat this breakfast at the Waldorf Astoria, you might ask? Well, because Eggs Benedict was invented at the Waldorf Astoria in 1942 when Lemuel Benedict ordered all the ingredients, hoping to find a cure for his hangover.
Oscar Tschirky, the maître d'hôtel at the time, was so impressed with the order that he put it on the menu. And the rest is history.
16. Pretzel from any hot dog stand (various NYC locations)
misscarissxo My first trip to the city, especially Times Square, wouldn't have been complete without one of these. (Note to self: next time, get more mustard!)
Because we just do pretzels best.
Even though 80% of America's soft pretzels are made in Pennsylvania, 100% of America's most delicious soft pretzels are made in NYC and sold at hot dog stands across this city.
They're soft, chewy, and perfectly salted. These boiled, baked pretzels will forever be quintessential NYC.
They also usually cost only a couple of bucks tops, which is a huge win in this expensive city.
17. Cheesecake from Junior's (386 Flatbush Avenue - Brooklyn)
Cheesecake is the most famous of all NYC desserts, and one of the most timeless and classic NYC foods. Now, Junior's cheesecake is the most famous cheesecake in this city for the simple reason that it's the most delicious cheesecake in this city. It's that simple.
It's filled with rich cream cheese beneath a crunchy graham cracker crust.
Junior's also offers seasonal cheesecake selections, alongside amazing flavors like red velvet and crumb cheesecake with cinnamon streusel crumbs on top. Did someone say the most mouth-watering dessert in NYC?
We thought so.
18. Chicken and Rice from The Halal Guys (various NYC locations)
andresarcilanyc You're not a real New Yorker till you've had Halal from the Halal Guys on 53rd and 6th. #ifyouknowyouknow #original #halalguys #NY #lamb #overrice #notthatchickennonsense #streetmeat #whitesauce #hotsauce #extra #causeiliketosweatwhenieat #fuckthatsdelicious #stepcondo
If you haven't been drunk and frantically spooning oversized bites of chicken and rice from The Halal Guys into your mouth, you aren't quite an New Yorker yet.
There's just something so incalculably satisfying about the combination of the chicken, its succulent sauce, and the gooey rice to soak it all up.
Chicken and rice from The Halal Guys is the best drunk food in the galaxy, and instantly upgrades any night on the town from mediocre to delicious.
19. Grandma Slice from L&B Spumoni Gardens (2725 86th Street - Brooklyn)
What's a grandma slice, you ask?
It's any pizza that's thin, square, with a crispy crust, and made with fresh-from-the-garden vegetables and herbs.
Where's the best place in NYC to get a grandma slice?
L&B Spumoni Gardens is the clear choice here, as it's not just a legend. It's innovative. Its mozzarella and sauce actually switch places, so you're bombarded with flavorful sauce before you even reach the cheese.
Eating this pizza is an experience, and one you absolutely must have before you die. Now get to it.
20. Falafel from Mamoun's (various NYC locations)
Mamoun's is the oldest falafel restaurant in New York City.
So if you want to eat classic falafel, there's no better place to find perfectly shaped balls of fried chick peas stuffed inside a pita with hummus and tabouli.
[anad2]
The best part? The notoriously yummy falafel at Mamoun's is inexpensive, and its hole-in-the-wall vibe is so lovely its bound to keep you coming back again.
21. Live Octopus from Sik Gaek (various NYC locations)
meee_mo The famous Sik Gaek seafood hotpot! Yes! That's a live, kicking lobster on top! #sikgaek #korean #hotpot #seafood #lobster #koreanhotpot #nyc #newyorkcity #queenseats #yum #foodie
Definitely the most wild selection on the list, but it's oh-so-worth-it.
Maybe you read this and said "Digusting! I can't eat anything that's still alive!" And to that we say, sure, maybe.
But what's the point of having a list of foods to eat before you die if you're not going to live on the edge?
These Queens spots are famous for their famous seafood hot pot, which you might recall Anthony Bourdain and David Chang chowing down on in an episode of No Reservations.
The seafood hot pot continues to cook while you eat, so digging into lobsters, clams, mussels, shrimp, sea snails, crabs and abalone, all drenched in a spicy red broth beside a squirming octopus, just keeps getting better with every bite.
Check out 13 Iconic NYC Things You Don’t See Very Much of Anymore.
[Feature Image via Uni-Watch]