Xi'an Famous Foods 西安名吃 | Union Square

This is my wife's go-to spot whenever we’re in New York. We found ourselves in Manhattan, so naturally, we had to make a stop. The flavors here are absolutely intoxicating ... the spice, the seasoning, and the texture of the noodles are spot on. We went with our favorites: the Spicy & Sour Lamb Dumplings and the Spicy Cumin Lamb Hand-Ripped Noodles. As always, they did not disappoint. Pro tip: Don’t wear light-colored or white clothing ... the splatter is real. 😁 I highly recommend this place, especially if you like bold flavors and spice. That said, if you’re not great with heat, go for the regular. But if you can handle it, spicy is where it’s at. Just don’t expect anything fancy. It’s a walk-up counter, anf seat-yourself kind of spot with metal tables. It's a fast-casual vibe, or just take it to go. Either way, you will enjoy it.

The lamb cumin noodles were soooo good. The noodles are thick and doughy, and the flavor of the cumin is amazing with the lamb. I ordered at a kiosk and it came out pretty quick. While on the oilier side, most of the oil trickles to the bottom so the flavor and herbiness is still very enjoyable. You can adjust the spice level, and I got the max spice level, which was very comforting for a winter day.

Consistently great Xian biang biang noodles. My favorite is the curried lamb. Gets 1 or 5 stars for atmosphere. If you are willing to stand in line for one of the 6 seats, and want an experience reminiscent of quick food in China then this shop gets 5 stars. If that puts you off, give it 1. Either way the noodles are great.

Amazing authentic Chinese food! We got the vegetarian liang pi and the pork and cabbage dumplings and both were delicious and just the right amount of spicy. Definitely a small, cramped space, and unfortunately not much seating, so it is best for takeout. Very quick service and the price is absolutely unbeatable!!!

Very and savory fresh up to order, a coworker friend recommended this place for me to try, and the A2 as a vegetarian was good. The spice is optional to challenge yourself but it makes cold weather day go by faster

Very lowkey spot that packs a punch of flavor. Xians is hands down my favorite spot in the city for noodles. It’s a must for a quick lunch out with friends from town or rainy day meal if you can get home in less than ten minutes upon pickup to maintain the similar experience as eating in the store. No tips since they pay their staff a living wage which is always a W in my book. Photos below of my go tos.

Best Xi’an location! We always make the trip from South Jersey just for the liang pi, totally worth it. It’s a small spot, but the noodles here hit different every time. Definitely my favorite out of all the locations!

Popping flavor. This small fast food spot lives up to the hype. I got the spicy cumin lamb ‘burger’ and it was an incredible blend of spice and flavor. The bun soaked up the meat’s juices and the white bag it came in meant my hands stayed clean. I sat inside at the limited seating and thought back to how this same spot (different restaurant) used to be my go-to Chinese take-out 20 years ago. The sleek interior made me feel right at home. If I need a quick bite in Union square, I’m definitely coming back.

What can I say...XFF will always have a place in my heart forever. No matter if it's a sweltering hot summer day or a freezing cold winter night, you can always find something to warm you up or cool you down here. My go-to is always the Spicy Cumin Lamb Hand-Ripped Noodles for a nice kick that will keep you coming back for more. Be sure to always add a Stewed Pork Burger on the side and wash everything down with one of their delicious iced teas!

Xi'an Famous Foods is also another favorite spot of mine in NYC! Their hand-ripped noodles are definitely worth trying! My friends and I split the spicy beef hand-ripped noodles, and if you're into spicy food, highly recommend! I've also had the lamb one in the past, and both are great! We got the mild spice level, and I will say, their spice levels are pretty high, so keep that in mind! I also loved Xi'an Famous Foods had so many locations around the city, as it made it very convenient to pick the location on the way to our other stops.

Haven't been to a xi'an famous foods since pre-Covid, finally decided to go to the closed one next to me and nice to know once open so close to union square! Came At 12:30pm and it was probably the worst time since it was packed with people waiting, placed orders on a kiosk and took around 20mins for orders to come out. There are only 6-8 seats inside but luckily we managed to get a seat. The food is as good as always, the noodles was fresh and the seasoning was delicious! It does get a little messy with splash damage and a little heavy on the Chili oil, will definitely come again for lunch

Pros: - quick service even when busy - staff are nice and friendly - food quality good as usual, I love their noodles Cons: - really small, tight space so it gets super crowded during busy hours - not a lot of seating, iirc a total of 6 seats Comments: - went around 12:45PM on a Thursday, very busy and crowded

The spicy cumin hand-pulled lamb noodles had great flavor. I ordered them less spicy, and they were still decently spicy. Service was quick and easy. There's a small seating area in the back, but it can get crowded, especially during peak hours. Overall, it's a great quick and easy meal to grab and take home.

Noodles always delicious, fast service. This location is a bit small, not a lot of space for folks to sit. Either way, this is one of my favorite places to eat in NYC.

Coming from Boston, I'm comparing this place to our local legend: Gene's Chinese Flatbread. The spicy cumin lamb hand-ripped noodles (N1) are the must-get. For noodles, I think Gene's wins out. Theirs have more of that fresh, hand-pulled aroma and chew. Xi'an's noodles were definitely good, too. For the meat, Xi'an wins. The lamb was so tender and so flavorful. And finally, for the spices and seasoning, Xi'an wins as well. The flavors are much more complex and each bite is exploding with flavor. I recommend getting extra spicy, because for regular spicy they skimp out on the seasoning and aromatics. You'll only have spicy chili oil at the bottom. Speaking of the chili oil at the bottom, there was WAY too much of that. It felt very greasy at the end. We also tried the spicy cumin lamb burger (B2). The lamb, once again, was delicious. The bread was just okay. Definitely one of the best rou jia mo I have had (although I haven't had any in China). They have limited seating, and luckily we were able to grab two seats since people finish eating pretty quickly.

Shop is one of the smaller versions of Xi'an Famous Food that I've been to, tables along the wall around two edges of the storefront with round seats, and two wall-touchscreen ordering kiosks for you to use if the counter is busy. Service is brisk, quite a few folks sitting and eating or waiting on their food, and they don't have a lot of space for waiting. The first order kiosk is also close to the door, so you get in the way of people entering/leaving. The lamb burger came out super hot, but sadly was not as good as before, the spicing was slightly off compared to the past versions... will have to try again at another shop to see if it was just this store version? The liang pi was still good, though, the chili oil is still one of the most authentic, best parts!

I stopped by this East Village NYU Xi'an location and was not disappointed. It had been a while and I usually order the same thing: the NS1 Spicy Cumin Lamb Soup with wide hand pulled noodles. I order it regular spicy and that is good enough for me. The extra spicy is a bit much for my tastes. For under twenty bucks, you get a spicy savory bowl of goodness and a complete balanced meal that will satisfy the hungriest of appetites. There is a generous amount of tender savory sliced lamb that sets off your palate that amplifies the savory broth and that broth deserves its own attention. It's so good and I cannot overstate how good the broth is. The spicy broth has cumin, garlic and chili oil, with red and green onions. All of this accompanies and bathes the very wide hand pulled and ripped noodles that are cooked to the perfect al dente adding to the satisfying chewiness of the whole affair. I'm never hungry after eating this. I have ordered other items on the menu at other locations, but ordering the NS1 is my high recommendation and this location is serving a lot of people in its tiny space as efficiently as possible. They are friendly despite all the people. The NS1 on a hot summer day may be a bit much, but Fall, Winter and Spring will be a hit every single time on your palate. The NS1 would be in my regular rotation if there were a convenient location near me and it's only about fifteen or sixteen bucks. 4.2 stars!

Been coming here for years -- my go to when I want something quick and savory. I'm a sucker for a good hand pulled noodle. Xians is the perfect texture of chewy, cooked perfectly, holds the sauce so well so every bite is amazing. My order is always the spicy tingly beef extra spicy!

Amazing noodles!! I can see the staff making it from the front. Definitely love the texture of it. You can adjust the spicy level. They also sell the whole jar of chili oil if you are interested. Some seats for dining in for mostly a takeout place. I order zha Jiang noodles. Love it! Will come back for more.

Literally always, always hits the spot. I love how one of the lamb noodles can be stretched into two meals with the portion size. The lamb was cooked perfectly with just the right amount of seasoning. Noodles as well. Service was super quick for a Monday lunch. They don't have a lot of space to sit inside so I recommend doing takeout. For $15 you are getting your moneys worth!!

We ordered the spicy & tingly beef muscle hand ripped noodles, the Chang'an spicy tofu custard, and the stewed pork burger. The pork burger was absolutely incredible, the meat was unbelievably tender, rich with fat, and so flavorful. Honestly, worth the trip on its own. The noodles were thick and chewy, with some pieces of beef perfectly tender while others were a bit tougher. The tofu custard was fine. One nice detail is that you can adjust the spice level; my boyfriend can't handle spice at all, and he rated his food a 2/10, so even the "spicy" options can be made pretty mild. Service was fast and they answered all my questions. The space is quite small, with only five stools, so it fills up quickly, but the food comes out fast enough to keep things moving.

If you're like me and love noodles, dumplings, and some spice then this is the place for you! This location is just off of Union Square and is a bit smaller than other locations (there's maybe about five or six seats available here), so if the seats are full then you can snag a table across the street at Union Square. I ordered the Spicy Cumin Lamb Hand-Ripped Noodles and Spicy & Sour Lamb Dumplings, both with the regular amount of spice and they did not disappoint! The portion sizes were good and I had enough for two meals. You have the option to either order with someone at the counter or at the self-service kiosk, and they also have some grab and go drinks at the counter along with a shelf where you can purchase the XFF cookbook if you want to attempt to make these at home. Considering the fact I live about 5000 miles away from this place, I may actually attempt to make my own noodles until I can come back here, with how delicious the food is was!

This is a very small location. There is someone managing the cash register but you can also order on a kiosk. There were only a few seats along the window/wall, but it felt pretty cramped since there is also people standing waiting for their food. The service was okay, I ordered takeout on the kiosk and had to wait awhile for the noodles. The noodles are thick and chewy, flavorful, and reasonably priced!

Great food and great service. Always a generous portion and the taste is just unparalleled. I get cravings for the lamb hand pulled noodles dish and the spinach dumplings periodically. Highly recommend!

They were having a grand opening promotion for their location by union square (though it might be a reopening because I remember seeing xi'an famous foods here previously?) The line moved fast and I think the staff handled the line well. Inside, the owner was taking orders. He was very patient and friendly: giving recommendations and suggestions regarding the menu. I heard him offer to separate noodles and sauce for customers who are going to eat it later. The food came very quickly despite how many people and orders there were. You can see the chef cooking it up in the back. I ordered N3 which is a spicy pork noodles. I heard from the owner that the specialities are 1s and 2s on the menu. Unfortunately, I didn't have the chance to eat it fresh. I tasted it a few hours later, and I enjoyed the flavor and the texture of the noodles. I also reheated it the next day and the noodles and meat were still good. I ordered standard spicy and it was just the right amount of spicy for me. Dish wasn't particularly salty or oily. Some pieces of pork were a little fattier than I like. Other than that, I think it would've tasted even better fresh. A minor concern about the container because I'm not sure if it is actually microwaveable safe. I reheated in the microwave for about 2 minutes and the plastic bowl ended up cracking.

Very tasty, but not as spicy as I was led to believe. I got regular spice as a precaution, but I think I would go with extra next time. The lamb burger is an absolute must.

These noodles are amazing! I ordered the Spicy & Tingly Beef Muscle Hand-Ripped Noodles and enjoyed every single bite. It is very oily but very tasty. I chose the regular spicy but should've probably picked extra spicy because I didn't find it spicy at all. I plan to go back soon to try their spicy and sour dumplings. The service was pretty quick and I went during their lunch rush.

# Overall: I'll be back at Xi'an to try more items from their menu. If you're not sure about spicy food, I recommend checking out their burgers. # Ambiance This Xi'an's famous foods is one of the smaller franchises that I've visited. There's not too much seating, but it is pretty convenient to order takeout from. There's a self serve kiosk and an area for you to grab your utensils of choice. # Food and Drink Spicy & Tingly Beef Muscle Hand-Ripped Noodles The noodles are the main attraction in the dish. I've had the cumin lamb version before and I prefer that over the beef muscle. The cut of beef here just ends up a little more tough than I'd like to chew. You just can't go wrong with a spicy sauce on some noodles though. Stewed Pork Burger The burger is a great order in its own right. The bun is very dense, but it pairs very nicely with the meat, giving almost and extra level of sweetness to the bite, contrasting with the richness and the saltiness of the pork meat. This burger isn't spicy, but is still a great order whether or not you can handle spice.

Lamb cumin noodles are amazing! Service was quick and the food came out piping hot. Xi'an has been a staple whenever we visit NYC, has many locations. No frills, casual spot that we will trek to every time.

Quick, affordable food service but not much seating. This location is better for takeout. It gets a little cramped waiting for your food, since there's not a great spot to stand without being in the way of people trying to order. Food is good but not as spicy as I expected.

we ordered on the self-service kiosk and got the spicy cumin lamb hand-pulled noodles, which were amazing! the noodles are so chewy and satisfying to eat, and the lamb was flavored so well and was super tender (not gamey at all!). the food also came out pretty fast! this shop itself is super small but we were lucky to snag some seats by the window. i dream about these noodles all the time and hope to come back soon! 10/10 for sure

Love the noodles and the salad. So unique and tasty, very different from other Asian noodle joints. I'd like to try other items, but I keep going back to the noodles, they are addictive!

I cannot believe I waited so long to try this amazing restaurant! I live less than one minute from here and was ready for something new. OMGoodness! I had the Bourdain favorite, the spicy cumin lamb hand-pulled noodles, with regular spicy! Yum!!! Soooooooo good! And I'll get two meals out of one serving! I feel like this will become a once a week meal for me. Seating is limited, so take to go if you have to. If it s nice enough out, you can eat in Union Square Park.

This place is a must try. Anyone who comes to NY has to try this chain. This location in particular is less spicy though which if u can't easy spicy that well this place is best. The original location in chinatown is way more spicy and numbing. Both are 5/5 though

Food is good however their online ordering system is horrible and will leave you with cold food. I scheduled a pick up for 1-10pm. Then I got a text saying it would be ready 110-120pm. Twenty minutes later I got a text saying it would be ready 120-125pm. Then 8 minutes later at 1258pm- I got a text saying it's ready. This is comical because they make a point on their website to state that their food is meant to be eaten fresh right after being cooked.

Very pleasant atmosphere. Very fresh hand pulled noodles. Also dumplings, soups and "burgers". Other locations around too. Get a little spicy on the spiced dishes. Not zero spice. Try to get them to stay. Service was so kind. Generous portions at a great price for heart of Union Square.

Great place with amazing service. But I'm taking off two stars for the fuck¡ng lecture I have to listen to over their speakers and printed on their literature on how I'm less of a person for not ordering their spiciest food option. As someone who is a cancer survivor, my spicy days are over. The last thing I need is to be talked down to by a holier than thou obnoxious owner who wants his customers to end up in the emergency room. Seriously, what is this competition men are so obsessed with about ordering spicy food. Back in the day it didn't matter. Now I can't. It is none of your business.

Affordable and delicious. Cumin lamb noodles are an absolute delight. My cheeks were red for three days.

I have been to many XFF locations and I was so happy to see one open near where I work. The quality here is pretty much the same as the flagship locations. Always amazing! If your new to XFF, it's important to know it's very oily food. It's supposed to be that way, that's what makes it delicious.

Amazing food - ofcourse the cumin lamb is a must try!!! I ordered The spinach dumplings too - they were ok, a lil too doughy for me I ordered delivery so can't speak for the ambience of the place

Quick service, delicious Spicy Cumin Lamb Noodles - I had the regular spicy and it was a great amount of spice. I loved the rock, doughy noodles and finely sliced lamb! We also shared the sweet and sour pork dumplings- they were a bit raw in the middle.

Skip Chinatown, these are the best noodles in nyc. Spicy lamb is the bomb. Hot sauce to go.

I ordered the lamb noodles and it was gross. Too oily and noodles too lengthy. It gives heart burn.

The spicy cumin lamb burger oh god oh god oh god. The spicy cumin lamb noodles are great too and come in generous portions.