Omar Mediterranean Cuisine

"If the desk you happen to sit at is a little closer to Central Park than Bryant Park, then the Omar’s on 55th Street should be your Omar’s. It’s nearly identical to the one on 39th Street, but with a little more full-service seating." - hannah albertine, bryan kim, matt tervooren

"After lunch I head out for my jab and walk ten blocks north to a CVS on Third Avenue. I’m depressed to see the number of food establishments that have gone out of business in the past year, but the two I care about most are still going: Omar’s on East 55th Street..."

"Ask anyone who works in the East 50′s how often they go to Omar’s, and they’ll probably get embarrassed about their answer. This is a very dependable Lebanese lunch option in the area, and it’s the kind of thing that will help you get through an otherwise sh*tty week. There’s a sit-down area if you have a full lunch hour to spare, and a take-out line that usually snakes out of the restaurant and on to 55th Street (and moves extremely quickly). The chicken shawarma pita is the first thing you should try here, but they also have platters with lamb, beef, and chicken that come with salad and two sides of things like tabbouleh, hummus, and eggplant salad. Plus, you get a tiny piece of baklava with every order. There’s also a location on 39th Street, if that’s more convenient to your Midtown lifestyle. photo credit: Alex Staniloff" - Hannah Albertine