Hector's Cafe & Diner

"Coffee: $2.00 Scenes from Taxi Driver and Law & Order have been filmed here, but when Hector's isn't busy being a screen star, it's full of people eating diner basics, as well as gyros and Mexican food. This place has been around since the 1940s, selling strong coffee and cigarettes to meatpackers and partygoers—and though it’s no longer open 24 hours for early mornings or late nights, it’s still a useful spot when you need something to eat in the Meatpacking district and don’t want to pay hundreds of dollars. " - willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, will hartman, bryan kim, neha talreja, sonal shah

"This little red box of a diner calls upon the days of the Meatpacking District before the High Line and Chelsea Market. Hector’s Cafe & Diner has been serving tourists, meatpackers and the 4 a.m. masses since 1949. The restaurant still makes its burgers with meat from Weichsel Beef Company, which was one of the last meatpacking holdouts in the neighborhood before relocating in 2012." - Eater Staff

"Hector’s has been around since the ’40s, and in the 2010s, it was where actual meatpackers and glittering nightlife people came together for sustenance at 4am. These days, they’re only open from 5am-3pm on weekdays, and until midnight on weekends, but it’s still a useful spot for breakfast or lunch when you want to avoid the other overpriced eateries in the area. Hector’s is as old-school as it gets—Scorsese even filmed some scenes from Taxi Driver there—and you can get a hearty plate of hash and eggs for under $15. " - neha talreja, bryan kim, matt tervooren

"Since it first opened in the ’40s, this classic diner, tucked right under the High Line, has had many lives. For a long time, it fed its Meatpacking neighbors (as in, the actual meatpackers) pancakes and coffee starting at 2am. Then, in the early aughts, zonked out club-goers came in for fried food to soak up the alcohol after last call. At some point, scenes for Taxi Driver and Law & Order were filmed inside. Nowadays, it’s only open until 3pm on weekdays and midnight on Friday and Saturday, so it’s main function is to feed people who don’t want to pay for any of the other overpriced eateries in the area. You’ll get perfectly fine versions of all your diner basics here, as well as gyros, Mexican food, beer, and wine. They even sell cigarettes. photo credit: Alex Staniloff" - Neha Talreja

"Hector’s Cafe & Diner, open since around 1949 at 44 Little West 12th in the Meatpacking District, is known for omelets, fries, burgers, wraps, and milkshakes. Recently, Mexican dishes have been added to the menu, such as chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, and a breakfast burrito. The breakfast tacos are filled with scrambled eggs, jack cheese, salsa, and pico de gallo, with optional bacon, ham, or sausage. Huevos rancheros are served on fried corn tortillas with two runny fried eggs and sliced avocado." - Robert Sietsema