Here’s the tourist mistake, committed nightly in Times Square: you’ve got an 8 o’clock curtain, you panic at 6:45, and you sit down at the first place with a glowing menu in the window. Forty minutes and forty dollars later you’re eating mediocre pasta under a TV. A local would never. The trick to eating well before a Broadway show isn’t a secret reservation — it’s knowing which direction to walk and when to sit down. Here’s how I do it.
Rule one: walk west
The single best move in the Theater District is to leave the Theater District. Every avenue you walk west of Broadway, the prices drop and the quality climbs. Eighth Avenue is a wash. Ninth Avenue — the spine of Hell’s Kitchen — is where the people who work these shows actually eat. It’s a four-minute walk from most theaters and a different planet from the Bubba Gump zone around 42nd and Broadway.
The Ninth Avenue lineup
If you do one thing, point yourself at Ninth Avenue between roughly 42nd and 50th and take your pick:
- Empanada Mama (765 9th Ave) — open absurdly late, a couple bucks an empanada, and you can grab three different ones and call it dinner for under fifteen dollars. The corn-dough ones are the move.
- Pure Thai Cookhouse (766 9th Ave) — hand-made noodles, tiny room, fast turnaround, a real dinner for around twenty. Get there by 5:30 or expect a wait.
- Sergimmo Salumeria — an Italian sandwich counter where a hero plus a coffee runs you a fraction of a sit-down meal and travels well if you’re cutting it close.
None of these will make you late, all of them beat the chain near your theater, and your wallet will notice.
The matinee move: Margon
For a weekend matinee or an early curtain, the single best cheap meal in Midtown is Margon at 136 W 46th — a Cuban luncheonette that’s been doing one thing perfectly since 1970. The Cuban sandwich is the stuff of legend; the roast pork with rice and beans is a full meal for around twelve bucks. One catch the tourists never learn: Margon closes at 5 p.m. So it’s a matinee or early-dinner play, not a pre-8-o’clock one. Plan around it and you’ll eat like a local who’s in on the joke.
Slices and tacos for when you’ve got twenty minutes
Sometimes you don’t want a meal, you want fuel and a curtain. For that:
- Joe’s Pizza (1435 Broadway at 40th) — a proper New York slice, foldable, three dollars and change, eaten standing up like God intended.
- Los Tacos No. 1 (inside the building at 229 W 43rd) — the best quick tacos in the neighborhood, adobada off the trompo, cash-cheap and counter-fast.
- The Halal Guys (53rd and 6th, a few blocks north) — the chicken-and-rice platter that built an empire, still a heap of food for under ten.
Timing: the part nobody tells you
The food matters less than the clock. Three things keep you in your seat by overture:
- Eat early. For an 8 p.m. curtain, sit down by 5:45 or 6. The neighborhood empties its kitchens onto theatergoers between 6 and 7, and that’s exactly when service slows to a crawl.
- Say the magic words. “I’ve got an 8 o’clock curtain” is a phrase every Theater District server understands. They’ll fire your food first and bring the check early. Use it shamelessly.
- Go counter, not table. When you’re tight on time, counter service is your friend. A sit-down dinner with a waiter is a 75-minute commitment whether you like it or not.
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The sit-down option that won’t wreck you
Some nights you want a chair, a drink, and a waiter. You can still do it on a budget if you pick right. John’s of Times Square at 260 W 44th is a coal-oven pizzeria inside a former church — vaulted ceilings, stained glass, and a brick-oven pie that feeds two for the price of one panicked Times Square entrée. It’s a sit-down meal with actual atmosphere, three minutes from a dozen theaters. Order when you sit, mention the curtain, and you’re in your seat with time to spare. It’s the move when you want the night to feel like an occasion without the occasion-sized check.
The cheat sheet
Short on time? Here’s the whole neighborhood at a glance — what to order, what it runs, and when each spot makes sense.
| Spot | Order this | ~Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empanada Mama (765 9th) | Three empanadas, corn-dough | Under $15 | Late curtains, grab-and-go |
| Pure Thai Cookhouse (766 9th) | Hand-made noodles | ~$20 | A real dinner, get there by 5:30 |
| Sergimmo Salumeria (9th Ave) | Italian hero + coffee | ~$15 | Cutting it close, eat on the walk |
| Margon (136 W 46th) | Cuban sandwich or roast pork | ~$12 | Matinees only — closes 5 p.m. |
| Joe’s Pizza (1435 Bway) | A folded slice | ~$4 | Twenty minutes, standing up |
| Los Tacos No. 1 (229 W 43rd) | Adobada tacos | Under $15 | Fast, cash-cheap, counter |
| The Halal Guys (53rd & 6th) | Chicken & rice platter | Under $10 | Most food for the money |
| John’s of Times Sq. (260 W 44th) | Coal-oven pie for two | ~$25 for two | A sit-down night with a waiter |
| Schmackary’s (362 W 45th) | A warm cookie | ~$4 | After the show, open till 11 |
And one for after
Save room. Schmackary’s at 362 W 45th is the unofficial cookie of Broadway — sixty-odd flavors, open till 11, and packed with performers after their own curtain calls. Grab a warm one on the walk to the train and end the night right.
Now you just need the show. If you’re trying to keep the whole evening cheap, pair this with a show that’s closing soon before it’s gone, or play the odds with this summer’s rush deals. And for the cheapest seats in the house, the lottery hub is where I start every week. Want a sit-down dinner or a date-night spot instead of a fast bite? That’s a different list — see my full Theater District dining guide.
Frequently asked
Where do locals actually eat before a Broadway show?
Ninth Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen, roughly between 42nd and 50th. It’s a four-minute walk west of most theaters, and the food is better and cheaper than anything in the Times Square core.
What’s the cheapest place to eat near Broadway?
For a full meal, The Halal Guys chicken-and-rice platter (under $10) or three empanadas at Empanada Mama (under $15). For pure speed, a Joe’s Pizza slice runs about four dollars.
How early should I eat before an 8 p.m. show?
Sit down by 5:45 or 6. Theater District kitchens jam up between 6 and 7, so eating early is the single best way to make curtain without rushing.
Where can I eat near Broadway in under 20 minutes?
Go counter, not table: Joe’s Pizza, Los Tacos No. 1, or The Halal Guys. All are fast, cash-cheap, and a few minutes from the theaters.
