We all can pretty much state that midtown is riddled with tourists and overpriced, underwhelming bars and restaurants.

We avoid it like the plague. 

Seriously, we can't stand weaving our way through the tourists nearing Times Square just to get ourselves a bite to eat. 

But since our headquarters is located in Midtown, we've explored the Midtown lunch scene, experienced a lot of lunchtime failures and frustrations, and even found some hidden gems.

If you're stuck in the tourist hell, we feel your pain. You don't have to dish out half of your paycheck for a less than stellar meal simply because you're locationally stuck.

Lucky for you, we've done the experimentation for you. Here are our 9 favorite lunchtime restaurants and pubs you should hit up in Midtown-- like now. 

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1. Black Iron Burger (245 West 38th Street)

If you're doing lunch with a friend and realized Midtown is your halfway point/necessary lunch location in your allotted lunch hour, don't fret. 

Just head on over to Black Iron Burger. Their burgers are truly supreme, with all natural, certified black Angus beef. 

We recommend the "Wasabi Burger." It's a double 4 oz. patty with wasabi horseradish cheddar, portobello mushrooms, scallions, roasted seaweed, and special wasabi sauce. 

If you're not a beef person, Black Iron Burger also offers a salmon burger and a turkey burger. 

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2. Carragher's Pub & Restaurant (228 West 39th Street)

This is a great spot if you're looking for a sit down lunch at the bar. Unlike many spots in Midtown, it's clean, reasonably priced, and has some great pub food.

Even better, Carragher's has three projector screens behind the bar, so you can spend your lunch break watching your favorite international sporting match.

We highly recommend the fried pickles, which come with a ranch dipping sauce.

If you're looking for something a little more nutritious, try  "The Rigby," which is a salad with grilled lemon pepper chicken, baby spinach, goat cheese, cranberries bacon, fresh fruit, candied walnuts, and balsamic vinaigrette.

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3. Melt Shop (135 West 50th Street)

Sometimes the winter weather in NYC makes you really crave some comfort foods like grilled cheese and tomato soup with a side of tater tots. Or at least, that's what we're craving during this rainstorm today. 

We're heading on over to Melt Shop in Midtown to get our fix. If we're feeling particularly ravenous, "The Big Skinny" is a great go-to. It has mozzarella, grilled mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, red peppers, arugula, and sherry vinaigrette on sourdough toast. 

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4. Ippudo Westside (321 West 51st Street)

If you haven't had either location of Ippudo yet, you need to spend your lunch hour here. Their ramen is some of the best we've ever had. 

You need to try their "Shiromaru Hakata Classic." It's their pork broth, a slice of pork loin, seasoned bamboo shoots, sesame kikurage mushrooms, scallions, and pickled red ginger. 

If you've almost eaten all of your noodles, you can say "Kaedama, please," and your server or the Ramen Chef will bring you more noodles for the remainder of your broth. 

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5. Margon (136 West 46th Street)

This is a staple for workers stuck in the pit that is Midtown. From it's unassuming exterior, you'd probably be doubtful of this suggestion, but have some faith. 

This little spot has some really excellent latin cuisine. You must try their Cuban sandwich. 

You will get a lot of food, but be prepared to spend a bit of your lunch break waiting on line. Don't worry though, the line goes pretty fast and is well worth the wait. 

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6. The Little Beet (135 West 50th Street)

Some people eat healthy food because it's healthy. We typically only like to eat healthy food when we have to or when it's smothered in something to make it taste good. 

Luckily for our waistlines, The Little Beet has some really excellent foods that won't make you feel like you've just splurged your entire daily caloric intake in one meal. 

We recommend their "Butternut Squash Soup" with cinnamon, nutmeg, maple syrup, onion, and celery. 

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7. Soup Spot (220 West 31st Street)

Sometimes you really just want some soup that isn't from Hale & Hearty. If you're working in Midtown, this is the perfect little soup lunch spot for you. 

Each day, the Soup Spot makes 17 different soups from their menu of over 100 soup recipes. That pretty much ensures that you can never get bored with their soup options. 

With the weather turning colder, we're happy that we can run to the Soup Spot for lunch.

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8. Totto Ramen (366 West 52nd Street)

If you like Ippudo, you'll really enjoy Totto Ramen. It's another hit Midtown ramen spot that's definitely Ippudo's biggest competitor. 

We'll let you decide which one you like more. But we're grateful that they're both in Midtown... did we just say we're grateful of something in Midtown. First in last time, we promise. 

Make sure to order the "Totto Spicy Ramen," which is their original rayu, with spicy sesame oil for a kick, and their original ramen (that includes homemade noodles in a chicken and soy sauce based soup with scallions, onions, char sui pork, and a nori). 

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9. Don Antonio (309 West 50th Street)

If you're looking for pizza in Midtown, you may have a difficult time... unless, that is, you've discovered Don Antonio's. 

The best pizza in Midtown comes from Don Antonio. That's right, we're putting that out there. Make sure you try the Margherita pizza, because that's what you should judge any pizza over. If they can't make a good Margherita, there's no sense trying anything else. 

You will not be disappointed. 

Check out 7 Midtown Restaurants That Absolutely Don't Suck.