Since the pandemic, we’ve gotten so used to seeing retail corners in restaurants that we forget we were doing that long before 2020 came around. This grab’n’go comptoir and a wall of Japanese imports has been doing what it does since 2015, and they do it well, pulling together a menu full of maki, hosomaki, nigiri and sashimi, onigiri, poke bowls, and more at cheap and filling prices. Hands down a solid spot for lunch.

One of the few spots that’s so recognized for its food some would argue it’s barely even a dep. Le Pick-Up brings its owners’ New York roots to the city with a bodega-style spot complete with swivelling stools and outdoor diner tables regularly stacked with clientele. Try the cubanos, chipotle chicken clubs, those grilled halloumi and pulled pork sandwiches everyone orders, burgers, all-day breakfast—and always pull a bottle out of the fridges to go with it.

When signage proclaims that it’s as much a dep as a place to get Chinese food, you know you need to try it. This is one of those proof-of-concept spots where the lower the price goes, the better the food tastes. That said, from tempura shrimps and egg rolls to pad Thai and pad see ew, General Tao, chow mein, and even bowls of pho, it’s all good, and a meal here just barely breaks the $10 mark.

Pass through the aisles of products pulled from just about every continent save for the Antarctic, and you’ll come to a counter slinging some of the city’s better fried chicken. The pandemic’s boom of takeout operations may have created a lot more options, but while that was happening, this place was easily ahead of its time—and super cheap, too.