What's this line for? · United States
The 11 food lines you'll walk past in New York City, and what the people in them are waiting for. For each: what to get when you reach the front, how long it usually takes, whether it's worth it, and how to beat it.
West Village
The line is forThe burrata slice, a plain cheese slice to compare
The slice shop that took over every food feed: thin, crisp, burrata added after the oven.
Worth the waitExpect: Usually 30 to 60 min, longer on weekend nights
Beat it: Go mid-afternoon on a weekday
Carroll Gardens
The line is forA plain pie with basil and the calzone. Bring your own wine
Candlelit Brooklyn pizza that celebrities and Instagram made impossible to get into.
Worth the waitThe Infatuation's line guide says worth it, of course: put your name in at 5, then wait over a drink nearby.
Expect: People line up before the 5pm opening to put their names down, then wait hours for a table
Beat it: Be in line by 4pm, give your name and phone, and get a drink nearby
Lower East Side
The line is forPastrami on rye, hand-cut. Tip the cutter and he hands you a taste
A century-old deli that's on every first-timer's list, and still worth it for the pastrami.
Worth the waitExpect: 15 to 45 min at weekend lunch
Beat it: Go before 11am or after 9pm on a weekday
Nolita
The line is forFrozen yogurt with a light hand on the toppings
The froyo line that took over Instagram and doesn't seem to shrink.
Worth the waitExpect: Up to an hour in the evening, rain or shine
Beat it: Go in the early afternoon on a weekday
West Village
The line is forThe wagyu burger, served at the bar
A cocktail bar whose burger went viral, so now there's a line before the doors open.
Worth the waitExpect: Get there about 30 min before the bar opens if you want the burger
Beat it: Queue before opening. The burger goes fast
West Village
The line is forThe Chicken Tikka Naanini
A West Village deli whose naan panini became a social-media staple.
Worth the waitExpect: Lines at lunch and on weekends
Beat it: Go before noon on a weekday
East Village
The line is forAn everything bagel with scallion cream cheese, or one hot and plain
Sourdough-style bagels that turned into a TikTok pilgrimage.
Worth the waitExpect: 30 to 60 min on weekend mornings
Beat it: Go on a weekday before 9am
Lower East Side
The line is forThe Classic: Gaspé Nova lox, cream cheese, tomato and onion on a bagel
A smoked-fish shop run by the same family since 1914.
Worth the waitExpect: Take a number, 20 to 45 min on weekends
Beat it: Go on a weekday morning, or eat in at the Orchard St cafe with a reservation
Nolita
The line is forThai disco fries, the khao soi and the Thai tea babka
Uncle Boons' owners doing a Thai-American diner, the babka alone draws a crowd.
Worth the waitExpect: Up to an hour for dinner without a booking
Beat it: Book on Resy, or go for a weekday breakfast
East Village
The line is forNiku udon, and the cold udon in summer
Hand-cut udon in a tiny room the whole city wants a seat in.
Worth the waitExpect: 30 to 60 min most nights
Beat it: Go right at opening
Greenwich Village
The line is forA plain cheese slice, folded
The classic New York slice since 1975.
Worth the waitExpect: A short, fast-moving line at night
Beat it: It moves quickly, just wait
Waits are what people usually see, not live times, and lines move and vanish: check hours before you go. Picked from Chef Amazing's Long lines lists (checked open Oct 23 2026) and checked against the press on 2026-11-12: theinfatuation.com · wnycstudios.org · nycornowhere.substack.com.