Omars Mediterranean Cuisine

"Ask anyone who works near Grand Central and Bryant Park how often they go to Omar’s, and they’ll probably get embarrassed about their answer. This is a very dependable Lebanese lunch option in the area, and it’s the kind of thing that will help you get through an otherwise sh*tty week. There’s a sit-down area if you have a full lunch hour to spare, and a take-out line that usually snakes out of the restaurant and on to 39th Street (and moves extremely quickly). The chicken shawarma pita is the first thing you should try here, but they also have platters with lamb, beef, and chicken that come with salad and two sides of things like tabbouleh, hummus, and eggplant salad. Plus, you get a tiny piece of baklava with every order." - hannah albertine, bryan kim, matt tervooren

"Ask anyone who works near Grand Central and Bryant Park how often they go to Omar’s, and they’ll probably get embarrassed about their answer. This is a very dependable Lebanese lunch option in the area, and it’ll help you get through an otherwise sh*tty week. Their take-out line usually snakes out the door, but it moves quickly. The chicken shawarma pita is the first thing you should try, and they also have platters with lamb, beef, and chicken that come with things like tabbouleh, hummus, and Turkish eggplant. Plus, you get a tiny piece of baklava with every order." - team infatuation

"Omar’s has been a Midtown staple for Muslims who frequent the area for years, but it’s also a great destination for food and prayer - there’s a mosque upstairs, which provides the perfect schedule for eating and worship. All of their dishes come with two sides, like the flavorful chicken shawarma that’s shaved from a roasted rotating spit and partnered with tabbouleh and hummus drizzled with olive oil. They also provide pita bread and baklava with every meal, which we very much support. To top it all off, douse your shawarma in their white sauce, which is a thinner version of tzatziki." - Jiniya Azad, Tahirah Baksh, Sameen Choudhry

"Ask anyone who works near Grand Central and Bryant Park how often they go to Omar’s, and they’ll probably get embarrassed about their answer. This is a very dependable Lebanese lunch option in the area, and it’s the kind of thing that will help you get through an otherwise sh*tty week. There’s a sit-down area if you have a full lunch hour to spare, and a take-out line that usually snakes out of the restaurant and on to 39th Street (and moves extremely quickly). The chicken shawarma pita is the first thing you should try here, but they also have platters with lamb, beef, and chicken that come two sides of things like tabbouleh, hummus, and Turkish eggplant. Plus, you get a tiny piece of baklava with every order." - Hannah Albertine