| Venue name: | Xi'an Famous Foods | Contact: |
|---|---|
| Address: |
81 St. Marks Pl New York 10003 |
Cross street: | between First and Second Aves |
| Opening hours: | Mon–Thu noon–9:30pm; Fri, Sat noon–10:30pm; Sun noon–9:30pm |
| Transport: | Subway: L to First Ave, 6 to Astor Pl |
| Price: | Average main course: $6. Cash only |
| Do you own this business? |
Average User Rating
3.8 / 5
Rating Breakdown
- 5 star:1
- 4 star:3
- 3 star:2
- 2 star:0
- 1 star:0
This place is cheap, fast and delicious, perfect for a work lunch. It plenty of fresh, chewy noodles and chili oil galore.
Honestly, I don't think Xi'an lives up to the hype. The concept of Xi'an street food is great, and I definitely think they helped revolutionize the "street food" fad across NYC. However, their food just doesn't appeal all that much to me.
First, their set up is terrible. Since their cashier is up front by the entrance, a long line almost certainly means you'll have to wait outside. Good luck during wintertime.
Second, their noodles and meat sauces are way too greasy. Everything feels extremely heavy (because it is), and you just don't feel healthy afterwards. I will, however, give a shout out to their liang pi cold skin rice noodles and their usage of hand-pulled noodles, which tends to be firmer and wider than normal.
Overall, it's a quick (depending on the line), cheap, no frills spot that's just a bit too heavy for my tastes.
I had the best and cheapest lunch of all the places here. The lamb with the hand cut noodles was so very good! I also love spicy food so the fact that you could add layers and layers of spiciness was amazing and I truly loved ever bite. I will definitely be back on my next visit to the city.
This place often pops up on 'Best of' lists for New York, and for good reason. Although it looks like nothing, the food is insanely delicious, and insanely cheap. It's satisfying for lunch, dinner, hungover, drunk or sober (ESPECIALLY good hungover). I always get the Lamb noodles and never leave anything behind. Go now!
This place is a bustling machine during lunch hour (and probably any other hour too). The line moves quickly, so don't be discouraged as these noodles are worth the wait. There is the option of takeaway and eat in, however the eat in space is very small and sometimes your food is ready before a table is. The cumin lamb noodles are a customer favourite, and while I thought they were very delicous, the flavor is strong and the amount of oil makes them quite heavy on the stomach. The stewed pork noodles in soup are equally tasty, but remember to let them know if you can't handle the heat as they have quite the kick!
I've been the East Village and Midtown branches of this no-frills Chinese restaurant and the food is simply excellent. It's unusual too in focusing heavily on lamb. The lamb chilli noodles are great but the whole menu is very enticing.
Once a modest eatery in Queens, Xi'an Famous Foods has become a local food empire in NYC since its discovery by Anthony Bourdain. It serves up inexpensive and authentic cuisine from the little-known Xi'an region of China. Come and order the hand pulled or hand ripped noodles. I also am obsessed with the cucumbers and veggie dumplings. People also go crazy for the spicy cumin lamb burgers.
