Huda

"You might have read the rest of this list and thought we don’t appreciate a thin, crispy-edged smashburger. You would be wrong. Huda’s Smash Burger, served “animal style” with caramelized onions, tangy pickled green tomatoes, and Huda sauce stands up to the thick boys any day of the week. The Rittenhouse sandwich shop serves lots of delicious combos on their house made golden milk buns, but this is one of the best. Add an extra patty, side of fries and house dijonaise sauce when you’re especially hungry." - candis mclean, alison kessler

"The sandwiches at Huda are amazing: Fluffy, soft milk bread buns are filled with grilled swordfish and kimchi tartar sauce, spicy chicken with pickled chilis, and burger patties with special Huda sauce. The salads and sides are wonderful complements to the flavorful sandwiches, and even if you think you’re too full, it’s essential to get a cinnamon milk bun to savor after lunch." - Ernest Owens, Melissa McCart

"Surrounded by places that all require reservations or hour-plus waits, Huda is something that Rittenhouse needed: somewhere to run in and grab a sandwich between saving the world at the office or window shopping on Walnut Street. But the location isn’t the only reason we keep telling everyone about this place—all eight sandwiches, served on homemade milk buns, have us murmuring “Hoo-dah” in our sleep. We typically go for the grilled swordfish topped with a spicy kimchi tartar sauce, and we always pair it with an order of fries that comes with a choice of southwest, dijonaise, sour cream and onion sauce, and that same kimchi tartar." - candis mclean, alison kessler

"Huda makes great bread for sandwiches, burgers, and more — but their milk-bun challah is top-tier. Grab that along with their memorable duck-broth matzo ball soup and honey panna cotta for the holiday." - Ernest Owens

"Huda in East Williamsburg is a useful, yet still festive, place for an impromptu date at a last-minute two-top. It’s a neighborhood corner spot, with floor-to-ceiling picture windows, but inside it’s still dark and sexy enough to remind your partner of how attractive you are. A glass of arak with mint and an upbeat global playlist gets the evening going. Continue it with sharable plates of Levantine food, like a shredded carrot salad, some grilled squid with hummus, and a side of batata harra. And don’t miss the beef-stuffed shish barak dumplings." - bryan kim, will hartman, willa moore, sonal shah