From the photo-mural wallpaper and wood paneling to the buffet-style food stations (this was clearly formerly a diner), from its location in the basement of a Financial District office building to its vegan offerings, this place is a true pardox. And it's fabulous. For $3.99, you get to fill up a plate and a bowl with an ever-changing menu from a hot food station (six items daily), a salad bar, a fruit-granola-dessert topping station, and a soup station (two a day). You can also, for another price, take out food or order food from the grill. My favorite offerings include the mac and ""cheese,"" their cashew gravy, their stroganoff., and the seasoned tofu in their salad bar. The dessert toppings, especially the soy whip, are clearly a favorite, judging from how quickly it disappears. Where else can you pile stewed kale onto your plate or discover that lima bean soup could be uncommonly delicious? You can purchase snack items, including their various seasoned popcorns (look for their herbal corn at stores around New York), fantastic granolas (I eat it every morning now), and pies, cookies, their own almond butter, fruit, breads, and so on. In a neighborhood with dismal (chain) food options, this place is a saving grace for those who don't wish to eat prepackaged, unhealthy food--or to pay half their salary for said food. Little Lad's should be, as well, a destination spot if you're vegan or if you're simply curious about experiencing the oddest and most un-New York (and thus, in a way, very New York) eatery. It took me a while to learn ""how"" to eat there: i.e., to be selective in what I paired, and some days have more exciting offerings than others. Its subterranean, unadvertised location adds to its charm. My coworkers and I are obsessed with this place. It's weird, great, and totally friendly.
Pros: price, food, friendliness, quirky digs
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