- My name is Prez, and I work at Thrillist.
Around these parts, I'm known as the 5-Dollar Lunch Guy.
Every episode, I'm gonna put you guys onto
the very finest New York grub for $5 or less.
(bass heavy pop music)
But you make turkey every year, that's the problem.
You can make turducken or whatever.
Yeah, uh huh...
Diners.
No, no, no, not you.
Let me call you back.
All right, love you.
(smooching)
Guys, I don't know if you know,
but diners are a huge in deal in New York.
They're quick, they're fast, everybody has one.
You can find anything on the menu.
But which one is the best, and more importantly,
which one can I afford?
Let's ask Khushbu.
Hey Khushbu, what's up?
- [Khushbu] Hey, what's up?
Make it fast, I gotta go to a meeting soon.
- OK, so I got a new mission and today, it's diners.
Of course I only got five bucks.
Where should I go?
- [Khushbu] Well, there are diners basically everywhere
in the city, but if I had $5, I would head to B & H.
It's this excellent lunch counter in the East Village.
- Oh, sick.
All right, all right, all right, peace, peace.
So these are the rules of "Operation 5 Buck Lunch."
It's gotta be good, 'cause nobody wants bad food for lunch.
No big chains, 'cause that's just too easy.
It's gotta be $5 or less.
And whatever I don't use today
rolls over into the next episode.
We're on 28th Street, which is the Flower District.
Look at that.
It's nice, man.
It's fall time in New York.
It's like the best time to be here.
Everybody's kinda hyped for Christmas and Thanksgiving.
Enjoy yourself.
Enjoy my beautiful city in its prime.
(bass heavy pop music)
OK, what was your favorite thing to get from a diner?
What was your go-to?
- Eggs Benedict.
- What?
- Where are these diners where people are making
eggs Benedict because I've never seen that in my life.
- (laughing) Upper East Side, I don't know.
- Wow?
What do you know about food in New York, generally?
- That you could basically get breakfast, lunch,
and dinner and not double a restaurant
for three or something years, something like that.
- OK, so what do you know about cheap food in New York?
- My favorite spot is Cheeky's Sandwiches.
- Oh!
- It's on the Lower East Side, it's near Chinatown.
It's $5 for a New Orleans-style
chicken sandwich with gravy on top.
I went there with my friend one time,
and they found out this person
worked at Buzzfeed, and they kicked them out.
- [Perez] Ahh, yeah, they were like nah, get out.
- They were like we don't want you writing about us.
Thrillist is different though.
You guys are (clicks) higher quality.
- Yo, we're (clicks).
Made it, Eighth Street, Lower East Side.
I'm starvin'.
Food's there?
Let's go.
Now I haven't been on St. Marks in about a year,
but a year on this block is like forever
because nothing really stays the same.
A pizza store turns into a smoke shop
turns into a bar in six months.
But then, a few things don't really change.
The crosspunks, they'll always be here.
And according to Khushbu, B & H Deli,
which has been here for, what, 70 years?
Let's just get in it, guys.
But first, gotta hit this pose, baby.
Get in.
Also, over my shoulder, there's a sign
that says, "No phones, no guns."
(camera shutter releasing)
- This is my first time here,
and I've heard a lot about the matzo ball soup.
- Welcome B & H.
- (laughing) Thank you.
Would you say it's the most popular thing on the menu?
- Matzo ball is the most popular from 1938.
- From 1938?
- Yeah.
- Can I get that?
- (laughing) Yeah, I hope.
Matzo ball soup, Mikey please.
- Thank you.
- And challah bread?
- Challah bread, challah-- - With butter.
- [Prez] Yeah, with butter.
- See?
- All right, thank you so much. - Take a seat, huh?
- [Prez] Excuse me.
(customers speaking faintly) (dishes clattering)
- Ahhh, yes.
And it begins.
(musical bell ringing)
Hey, Mike, what is this?
What's going on here?
- [Mike] It's Matzo ball soup.
Special for you.
- [Prez] Wow.
What is a matzo ball?
What is it made out of?
- [Mike] Matzo made out of matzo plus crackers, eggs,
some flour and mixed with vegetable soup.
All the broth is vegetable.
- So it's 100% vegetarian?
- Kind of like chicken without chicken.
- I'm trying it, tryin' it.
I've heard that this place has been here for, like, ever.
So, how's that possible?
- This is one of the oldest places in the area right now.
This place stationed in 1938.
Changed the owners a couple times,
but still the same menu, same food.
And same customers.
- [Prez] How long have you been coming here?
- For about seven years, now Mike? - Ready?
- Coming here seven years and nothing has changed, at all.
- Nope, not much, but Mike is like a database.
The first time I came here,
I had the French toast and it was amazing.
I wasn't living in New York yet.
I came back the second time, like 11 months later,
and Mike's like, "My brother!
Where've you been?
It's been like 11 months!
Want the French toast again?"
(Prez laughs)
This was the second trip!
- Yeah, and these guys see hundreds of faces a day
and they seem to know every single person.
- Yeah.
- That's amazing.
- How long it's been since your last visit
and what you have.
This is what binds me to New York
and what keeps me coming back to New York
is the fact that I can come in here,
they know who I am, and it feels like home.
- I've been waiting for this all damn day.
(upbeat pop music)
Ahh, yeah, see this?
This is amazing.
Get in there.
Get straight in, guys.
Look at this.
(camera shutter releasing)
Look at these carrots, full, thick slices.
Chicken, but not really, soup.
It's hot, it's fresh.
Now, when you pair it with this matzo ball,
that holds every single drop, it's like heaven.
It's like every time, every time, every time.
There's no bad part of this soup.
Give me a second while I cool this, won't ya?
I will say the best way to eat a soup that's too hot...
Bread, and that's exactly what they give you, dude.
It's sweet and when you dip it in the broth,
picks up every note of the savoriness and with the butter.
No complaints...
- [Mike] How's your soup?
- It's amazing, dude, amazing.
- Like it?
How's the challah?
- Challah, challah, yo, what's different about challah, man?
Like, it's sweet.
- Challah kind of like cake-- - Yeah, it's more cakey, it's-
- It's a cakey bread. - Yeah.
- Kind of like Jewish egg bread.
- I've never had it before, it's amazing.
- It's homemade too.
We make it here, we bake it in the back.
In the little kitchen in the back.
- Ohhh, yeah!
Today's been an absolute success.
We met every single one of our points.
It's in our budget, it's not a big chain, clearly,
and most importantly, it's (swiping) good.
- What'd you get?
- I got the matzo ball soup.
- How much you got?
- How much I got?
I only got five bucks!
- Five bucks.
- Thank you so much.
- You got it, five bucks, that's for you.
(Ola laughs)
- Amazing, thank you so much.
This place is lit.
These people are amazing, and the food is fantastic.
If Thrillist are going to send me to places like this
every single day, sign me up for the next 10 years.
I'm out.
(bass heavy pop music)
(Mariachi music)
What's going on, guys?
It's your boy, Prez, the 5-Dollar Lunch Guy.
If you believe that the Knicks
are gonna win it all this year,
or if you have a suggestion of where I should go next,
let us know in the comments below.
Other than that, follow, like, share, subscribe.
Peace.