Everything goes in New York City, and that includes dining alone. Of course, it’s better to do this in a more casual place, where you might even be able to get the food for takeout.
Obviously, if you’re in NYC, you probably have enough casual restaurants here to fill up a traditional phone book. But you can shorten the list of options if you insist on getting a truly healthy meal. In a city filled with restaurants that excel in making pizza and burgers, this will be a shorter list.
And if you want the best casual restaurants among them, then visit the following places:
Sweetgreen
One of the main advantages of visiting Sweetgreen is that they have almost a thousand locations across the country, and 250 of them are in the state of New York. Naturally, a lot of them are in NYC.
Sweetgreen is even considered by many as the best fast casual restaurant in the whole city, and not just the best fast casual salad restaurant. The brand made its mark by producing bowls and salads that are both healthy and delicious, using fresh ingredients from local suppliers. Add the fact that you pay only $13 for a warm bowl and even less for most of the salads, and it’s not surprising that Sweetgreen is now a billion-dollar business.
You can customize your own salad here, or you can go with any of the preset menu options. The Harvest Bowl is one of the bestsellers, featuring roasted chicken with roasted sweet potatoes, goat cheese, apples, shredded kale, warm wild rice, roasted almonds, and balsamic vinaigrette.
Abracadabra Brooklyn
This is a Turkish restaurant in Williamsburg that offers a mostly-vegetarian menu. It’s not exactly overly roomy, but you should find a place to sit. If not, then just take the food to-go and enjoy your meal in front of your own TV at home.
Nothing costs more than $15 here, so you can fill up with Turkish meatballs and burritos filled with quinoa. Or you can get a veggie burger with some green hummus among the toppings.
Greenpoint Fish and Lobster
If you’re in Brooklyn and you’re jonesing for some seafood, try this restaurant-slash-market. You can always just eat here when you order a fish sandwich or a crudo, and then buy some seafood that you can cook at home for the next few days.
Try the fantastic rice bowl that features nori and a soft-boiled egg, along with whatever the fish of the day might be. There’s a nice little table outside the joint where you can enjoy your meal while you are people-watching, or you can just take the food home.
Little Mo
Get to Bushwick and you might just stumble upon this Vietnamese counter spot where you can have a quick meal or have the food to-go. If you’re determined to eat healthy, then you can stick to the summer rolls, kale salad, and pho. But you might not be able to resist the temptation to ignore your diet for the moment, once you get a look (and a taste) of the banh mis and pork buns.
Risbo
If you’re ever in Prospect Lefferts Garden and you’re dining solo, try this counter-service spot. Risbo gives off that warm vibes that you might encounter in a cozy neighborhood coffee shop. You have several tables along white brick walls and a full bar.
Check out the menu, and you’ll find a nice mix of Mediterranean and Caribbean cuisine, along with some familiar American comfort food. For those who insist on going healthy, you can get a salad or a bowl of veggies, or even a platter with a protein and several sides.
There’s a terrific backyard where you can enjoy your meal in peace. But if you’re up to making some new friends, you can seat yourself in one of communal tables and enjoy your meal with the other diners beside you.
Tsion Café
This might be the ultimate health food restaurant in West Harlem. The Tsion Café offers Ethiopian cuisine, and it feels like you might just get here every nutrient, vitamin, and mineral that you might need to maintain your health.
You can get yourself a huge piece of injera, and then top it with stuff like sauteed greens, beets, lentils, and a yellow chickpea stew. And with other options like shakshuka and salmon, you can really get your taste buds a good workout.
Duzan
Get to the Little Egypt section in Astoria, and you’ll find this fast-casual restaurant that specializes in Middle Eastern fare. The kebabs and falafel are simply fantastic, and the prices are extremely affordable.
If you’re really serious about eating healthy, then pick out a few side salads, and add any of the 6 varieties of hummus available here.