The best bar food and snacks in NYC

Regulars of the Modern will recognize the ribbons of smoke that entangle Kreuther’s famed tarteflambée ($12) and his sturgeon-sauerkraut tart ($29) in the copper-trimmed front lounge. There, diners can also tuck into Alsatian plates like flounder tartare with ramps ($20), a foie-gras terrine with black-truffle praline ($38) and country sausage with house-made sauerkraut and violet mustard ($24). 

Here, as at the Spotted Pig, the burger is the most frugal main course—which only partly explains its popularity. A puck of lamb, gorgeously charred and deftly spiced, is a delectable handful, layered with feta and red onions inside a pliant sourdough bun. The thick golden “chips” served with it are fried three times, until they’re crunchy on the outside and like mashed potatoes within.

At this West Village gastropub, chef de cuisine Jin Kang tweaks classic pub grub, serving options like deviled eggs hit with soy and black garlic ($5), a burger topped with smoked cheddar, cucumbers and BBQ mayo ($15), and herbed French fries with maple-mustard aioli ($9). 

Al Pastor’s tacos are unfussy, served on paper plates with sides that come in takeout containers (like a great $5 burnt-end-beans riff fortified with hunks of al pastor pork). The menu tips in favor of drinks, which, combined with the rapid-fire turnaround, makes the place feel less like a restaurant and more like a dive bar rigged with a tortilleria.