NYC $10 Eats: Pick And Eat In Wash Heights Serves Up The Taste

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — The name might be simple, but Pick and Eat in Washington Heights serves up some seriously tasty food.

Nestled on the corner of West 177th Street and Broadway, the health food restaurant with Caribbean sensibilities offers omelets, wraps, breakfast tacos and burritos, juices, pancakes, bowls, salads, pizza and more.

The eatery also offers a wide variety of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.

"The menu is a medley of inspiration where chef Alex creates a menu that showcases the ingredients he grew up eating in the countryside of the Dominican Republic," Pick and Eat writes on its website. "With that flavor and natural influence the menu is full of enjoyable wholesome meals that encourage all patrons to be picky. This allows them to make the healthiest choices possible without sacrificing flavor."

Pick and Eat also used to have a location in Inwood at Broadway and West 207th Street.

Patch visited Pick and Eat's Washington Heights location at 4179 Broadway on Wednesday as part of a new series dedicated to highlighting a New York City specialty: cheapish eats.

We'll be spending about $10 on a meal and reporting back on what found and most importantly, how it tasted.

Here's what Patch found at Pick and Eat:

Why we went: A Washington Heights resident recommended we try it. Have a recommendation? Submit it here.

What we got: The "Pick and Eat Wrap," which was recommended by staff and comes with grilled chicken, house blend, sweet plantains, tomato, lettuce, turkey bacon and chipotle sauce. You can customize the dish to come with a gluten-free wrap, and in vegetarian or vegan form.

How much it cost: $8.99. Before taxes and without modifications, the wraps cost $8.99, paninis cost $9.99, and rice bowls cost $10.99. Almost all of Pick and Eat's menu options cost between $7 and $16.

How it tasted: The question that really matters. The Pick and Eat wrap might be healthy, but it sure tasted good. The best bites were when you got the sweetness of the grilled plantains with the crunch of the salad, along with the chicken. The house blend and chipotle sauce on the side also gave it a great kick and an extra boost of flavor. The small salad was also the perfect pallet cleanser in between bites of the flaky wrap.

The atmosphere: The Washington Heights outpost was still decorated from Valentine's Day and offers a more expansive seating set up than you might guess from the outside. The inside of the space offers several small tables, with another second-level seating area, and an expansive outdoor dining setup. Staff are friendly, accomodating with questions and will bring you food. There's even a buzzer at each table that you can hit to signify you're ready to pay.

Would we go back? Absolutely!

Find out more about Pick and Eat on its website.