What's the best restaurant near TABC?

By: Eli Rotenberg

This question is highly debated, and the answer varies from student to student. As a result, I will not attempt to propose an answer to what is simply the best restaurant overall, but I will share my views on what each restaurant specializes in and what their best deals are. 

This article will not include every restaurant, only the ones highly frequented by TABC students (or the ones that aren’t but should be).

Every day, TABC students enter Schnitzel Plus, perhaps their favorite restaurant overall. Evident from its name, their main food is chicken, and it's no surprise students love going there: the food is excellent. 

However, after having a couple of discussions with fellow students, it is clear that they might have another dish that is even better than the schnitzel—their burgers, which are also available as part of the $16 student special. After having it myself, it might just be the best burger in Teaneck.

Next up on Queen Anne Road is Rock n’ Roll, a sushi and noodle bar. Their sushi is excellent, and very fairly priced—at just $6 for some of their rolls. 

In addition to their sushi, they also have a wide variety of noodles and some excellent fries. Unlike many of the other restaurants on Queen Anne, there aren’t really any other places that sell similar food, so if you want sushi, this is the place to go.

EJ’s follows, and there really isn’t much to say. They offer great pizza and unlimited refill soda for just $6.50—if you're looking for a great deal, this is where you'll find it.

The first restaurant on the right side of Queen Anne is Sammy’s, which offers the most variety out of any of the restaurants. Unlike other places where customers are limited to a single food category or just a couple of different options, Sammy’s has it all. Excellent bagels, pizza, noodles, salad - you name it. 

Out of all their options, their bagels definitely are the best. They're so big, it's like getting two for the cost of one, and their cream cheese is included, also in huge proportions.

Right next to Sammy’s is Wok 18, one of the two Chinese places in the area. The food might not be as good as Chopstix, but their deal for ten or eleven dollars—a soup, rice, and meat or noodles of your choice—might be the best value meal on Queen Anne.

Speaking of Chinese food, Choptstix, the other Chinese place on the block, also has a lunch special, but for fifteen dollars. Despite this, it might still be worth it, considering their great food.

After Wok 18, the next two restaurants on the left side are Mocha Bleu and Carvel. Even though TABC students don’t go to these places weekly, they are near by if you're really craving some quality Italian food or a good dessert.

On the right side, Lazy Bean Cafe is definitely an underrated option. It's a cozy place to eat that offers a large variety of food on its men  at pretty fair prices. Additionally, it is conveniently next to Glatt Express if you want to get some snacks or buy food for later.

After a long walk down Queen Anne (keeping an eye on the clock to get back to class), we’ve finally reached West Englewood, home to severely highly frequented places.

For the meat restaurants, there's a lineup of Chickies, Dougies, Humble Toast, and the new Mexican food place, Kosher Taco Oy. For a dairy restaurant, there's Poppy’s (it’s not called Fialkoffs). 

Chickies has incredible chicken sandwiches, including the famous Cap'n Munch. They have an incredible deal—half a sandwich (still a big size), fries, and a soda, all for just $13.50. 

Next up is Dougie's, which also has a student special: three sliders, poppers, or hot dogs, all coming with a side of fries and a drink ($13.50). While the deal is great and the food is all right, splitting a junior combo with a friend or two is probably a better option.

Humble Toast is definitely a less common place to go, and, as I haven’t been there for lunch myself, I can’t give a full review. I have heard friends say that their Queen Anne's fries are very good, and fries covered in pastrami and juicy vegetables definitely do sound tempting.

Lastly, we have the brand new kosher Mexican place, Kosher Taco Oy. I’ve only gone there one time and gotten one of their meat taco options. The meat tacos are excellent, and, after having some of the chicken tacos too, they're even better—the only issue is their steep price of fifteen to twenty dollars for their tacos, without a special to make it cheaper.

Personally, I've never thought of Poppy’s bagels or pizza to be very good, although I know many disagree, especially with the new Fialkoff’s pizza. However, their pancakes and French toast are certainly the best in Teaneck, and are definitely worth the eight or nine dollars. 

You might just have to stand by the counter and ensure they’re actually making your food, but once you get it, it's delicious.

Ultimately, TABC students are clearly lucky to have such great food options nearby to go to every day. Whether you want meat, chicken, bagels, pizza, pancakes, or anything else, it’s within a ten-minute walk (you can even go to Etc. if you want some nice steak). 

These days, we even have something that was never available before—a food place in school (the Storm Cafe). 

While not everyone will agree on what the best restaurant is, we can all agree that there are great options for everybody, any day of the week.