Manhattan Chili

New York, United States

3.7

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 212-682-6644
Website:
www.manhattanchili.com
Address:
Grand Central Terminal Lower Level Dining Concourse 109 E 42nd St, New York, NY, 10017
Midtown East, Murray Hill
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
40 ft42nd Street-Grand Central (S,4,5,6,7)
60 ftE 24 St / Park Av
350 ftE 42 St / Lexington Av
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
No
Delivery
Yes
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Good For
Lunch
Parking
Garage
Bike Parking
No
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Very Loud
Alcohol
Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating
No
Wi-Fi
Free
Has TV
No
Dogs Allowed
No
Waiter Service
No
Caters
Yes

Today

Today –
Local time (New York) 02:52 Tuesday, 15 July 2025

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday –
Wednesday –
Thursday –
Friday –
Saturday –
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

Chili lovers unite under the famous Manhattan Chili Co. since 1984. With 11 varieties of all-​natural, premium chili, you’ll never walk away unsatisfied.

Our outstanding culinary staff offers a flexitarian menu with our most famous options including 4 beef, 2 poultry, a lamb chili, and 4 vegan chilis that are a must-​try! 3 are mild, 6 medium, and 2 are hot. The beef used is Niman Ranch (all– natural, antibiotic free, hormone free, and sustainably raised) while the chicken is FreeBird (ABF, sustainably raised) and turkey is Plainville Farms (ABF, sustainably raised). We are rooted in the belief that it’s all about using great ingredients. So we’ll stay committed to using all natural meats and poultry, sourcing the best array of chile powders from New Mexico and buying locally whenever possible. As we like to say, life is just a bowl of Chili!

Locals and tourists alike have found the Texas Chain Gang, High Plains Turkey, and Totally Vegetable menu items near impossible to resist. Upgrade your food indulgence with fresh Guacamole & Chips and a tall glass of Sangria. We also provide beer and wine. Manhattan Chili Co. is eager for your approval so grab a friend and drop by our chili haven where we’ve continually served the best chili in this –or any other– universe for over 30 years!

History

Established in 1984.

(1984 — 1994) Bleecker and 7th Avenue (Greenwich Village). A full service restaurant.

(1994 — 2005) Broadway & 43rd Street (Times Square) A full service restaurant.

(2006 — present) Grand Central Terminal @ Lower Level Dining Concourse. A quick service counter (you can sample before you purchase!) with delivery to midtown offices and residences.

Meet the Business Owner

Bruce S.

Business Owner

co-​founder, co-​owner/​operator since 1984.

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20 reviews of Manhattan Chili

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Manhattan, NY
Had a CRAVE and just found out this place closed on 12÷31÷15 that was located in Grand Central Station for 9 years. I need my Texas Chain Gang!!! Support the owner and help get this chili back in NYC!!!
Place rating: 3
Brooklyn, NY
I grabbed a quick lunch here when eating with a friend who was departing from Grand Central on Metro North. They have a TON of different flavors of chili – vegetarian, turkey, beef, and they’ll let you sample ones that look good to you! The woman recommended the turkey chili and I went with a sample of that and it was tasty enough to order! Big chunks of ground turkey, lots of veggies, and a nice flavor! Definitely a filling lunch.
They have a couple different sizes – I went with the smallest size cup, which comes with your choice of one topping (I opted for cheese) and a cornbread muffin. It’s a little (ok, a lot!) overpriced, but you’re in Grand Central, so that’s not a surprise. They have some alcoholic drink options (beers and sangria and more) which is a nice perk.
Place rating: 3
New York, NY
Good chili. Great cornbread and tortilla chips.
Chili-​Although slightly pricey for just a cup of chili, I will say their chili is well-​flavored. I’ve had the turkey chili and the Abilene, both would satisfy a chili craving on a cold fall day.
The stars though are the cornbread and tortilla chips. A cup of Chili comes with cornbread and I have automatic respect for cornbread that actually has pieces of corn in it. As for the chips, what could make chips so special? They are fried in house chips for sure because you can still see the oil as if it was fried that morning. Nice and crispy with the right amount of salt. The chips are inexpensive and well portioned to get as a complement to the chili. I go back just for the chips and cornbread.
Place rating: 3
New York, NY
Pretty weak sample at Taste of the Terminal, but got suckered into using the coupon anyway when desperate one day. Chili soup was eh.
Place rating: 4
White Plains, NY
Plenty of options for vegetarians. Chilli soup was awesome. I opted for mild chili. It was filled with beans chick peas. Very delicious
Place rating: 5
Rosedale, Austin, TX
I LOVE this place. Come here every time I’m in NYC for work. Great option for vegetarians!
Place rating: 1
New York, NY
Just got lunch from there. I am now sitting at my desk with my head in my hands trying not to throw up. Hopefully the chili I had was just a bad batch and it didn’t poison the hundreds of people who go there for lunch. I had the 4 bean chili with cheese & sour cream. It tasted great, but not worth the consequences.
Place rating: 4
New York, NY
I don’t usually do GC food but I was cold and needed something to hold me over — I tried the Turkey and Bean chili. It was very good and you get to choose a topping which I chose the tortilla crisp– very good combo.
I was mostly tempted to leave a review because the staff here were very personable. I left thinking «wow they were really nice»…not something you easily find at the GC food stands. They also offered samples of the chili.
Place rating: 3
Brooklyn, NY
Manhattan Chili Co has solid chili, which I love over pasta, and plenty of options to make a complete meal. Servings are large here, so may be worth sharing or splitting into lunch and dinner. Every day I think they offer close to 10 types of chili to fit your mood, spice level, vegetable fix, and type of protein. They also offer lots of toppings, which are fun. The food is solid and comforting, but doesn’t wow me with intense flavors. Meat to bean and veggie ratio is good, although I always wish for more veggies as a personal preference. Solid, but not exemplary food. If you love chili, its a must go. Its a staple for my winter lunches.
Prices are standard for GCT and NYC — expect to drop at least $ 10. Service is fast and the staff are nice, if brief.
I wish they had better vegetable sides. I had a kale once that was so over cooked it needed to be put out of its misery and not into my tummy.
Grab a seat in GCT food court — no seating just for them.
Place rating: 4
Jersey City, NJ
What better way to warm up on a cold rainy day in NYC than to have Chili! The weather prompted my lunch time search for great chili and not just some run of the mill slop mislabeled as chili. My search lead me just a few blocks away from my office to Manhattan Chili Co, in Grand Central Station. I must admit it was well worth the stroll in the rain!!!
There were plenty of options for the novice, the experienced and/​or the most daring chili eaters around. I went with the Texas Chain Gang Chili, the platter size which is served with Rice, 2 cornbread muffins and 2 toppings (I went with cheese and crushed tortilla chips). I am extremely pleased with my selection, even though I would probably skip the tortilla chips the next go round. This is one of the few times where something is labeled hot (spicy) and it lives up to that title! Service was quick (it’s located in a food court), appropriately priced ($ 10 for the platter) and most importantly the food was good and filling! This might be my new lunch time hangout as the winter approaches and I plan on introducing my coworkers to this spot.
Place rating: 5
Sleepy Hollow, NY
Never a line, the food is always excellent. I highly recommend the Hot Chicken Bites.
Place rating: 2
Huntington Station, NY
Got a Texas Chain Gang chili and Moroccan chicken bites$ 12 plus. Very blah. The chili was spicy but no other flavor to speak of. The beans were under done, you know, kind of al dente. The chicken bites didn’t seem all that fresh and the coating was soggy. Not very appealing. I was only offered one topping for the chili. I prefer several.
Corn bread was great!
So it’s expensive, not that good and it’s in a food court so better choices abound.
Place rating: 4
New York, NY
They’ve got every type of chili you can imagine here and each is just as delicious as the other. Very friendly staff too!
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
Came here with the gf and we each got a platter of chili, for 10 bucks each they give you a decent amount of good in grand central. I got the ginger chicken chili mixed with the spicy veggie chili and my gf got the turkey chili mixed with the totally veggie chili and we both got ours over brown rice. The chilis themselves have a very nice complex flavor and they’re spicy without being spicy for the sake of being spicy. Overall I was very happy with the food and I would come back here on a cold day to warm my insides up again
Place rating: 2
Yonkers, NY
Wasn’t a fan. Food wasn’t bad necessarily but after I paid, got my food, sat down and opened the bag up I realized I had paid 8 bucks for a cup of chili… one that wasn’t very impressive either, and was luke warm. Also got a small order of their chicken bites. Again, luke warm. I doubt I try the food again considering there is a great tri-​top spot next door, also too expensive, and a Shake Shack.
Place rating: 5
Bronx, NY
I am an amateur chili eater (shame, I know) so I haven’t tried very many chili restaurants.
I loved it here. I always order Abilene with sour cream and chips. For one, the chips will last me for a second cup of chili or can be shared with a friend. Love that.
Second, as for the chili itself… its tasty and delicious. Not hot, just a hint of pleasurable spice. I love the build up of flavors and herbs. I love the ratio of meat to beans to sauce. I always pay around $ 9 but I am never dissapointed.
Oh, and grab a mango lassi from the indian restaurant right next door to go with your chili.
Thank me later.
Place rating: 4
Brooklyn, NY
I’m not altogether sure why I woke up today thinking about hot dogs and chili, but thank god this place exists within 5 minutes of my office.
I had a turkey dog covered in some random turkey chili, with cheese and scallions… and also a giant chinese-​takeout box full of french fries.
The turkey dog itself was the only disappointment – it was lacking in any real exciting flavor (i.e., salt). I said, «C.M, you shoulda gone with beef, WHERE’S DA BEEF?!» That was dumb.
Chili itself was intense though; there was no shortage of turkey chunks and beans in there, as opposed to the other «chili» options in the GCT region. I say «chili» because it’s not really chili if you can separate it out into broth vs. solid components. Chili is a STEW not a SOUP, Hale n’ Hearty. Lock it up.
Also, the fries were delicious and perfect. I will be eating here in the future when the mood for a hot dog/​chili strikes – that is, should I ever manage to work off this meal and become hungry again.
Place rating: 3
Astoria, Queens, NY
I was a big fan of the Manhattan Chili Company restaurant in the Village on Bleecker St., which I believe was the first one. I also liked it when they opened up restaurants in the Times Square area and by the Ed Sullivan Theater. Sadly, those restaurants are gone. I would have given them 4 stars, 5 stars to the one on Bleecker St. (lots of great memories from that place!!)
Unfortunately, this one in Grand Central is a shade of the chain’s former glory – a very good sit-​down restaurant reduced to being part of a food court.
The chili is decent. I’ve always liked the Numero Uno. It’s just that the chili at this location seems more… rushed/​fast food like.
As I mentioned above, this restaurant is actually part of a food court in Grand Central’s basement. If you go there during lunch time, the scene is very hectic and finding a table may be hard (Of course, you could always take it back to your office).
So, while this place is definitely better the usual food court fare (Note: most of the places in this area are better than the usual mall food court fare. It is a very good place to stop by during lunch), I still find myself feeling a bit disappointed and nostalagic for what it was.
Place rating: 4
Alhambra, CA
Absolute comfort food is what makes Manhattan Chili Co a winner on a frigid, wet, and snowy night after trekking around town all day. I got to taste the vegetarian chili and really liked the 4 bean chili as it was full of flavor and spicy kick. But I ended up with the Cincinatti Lamb Chili. The combination of the warm spices, a hint of sweet cinnamon, and tender lamb was so good with the moist corn bread. If only they were here in LA…
Tucked amongst many other eateries in the dining hall of Grand Central, it was a great place to dry off, people watch, and soak in the enormity and beauty of the Station. All this while savoring my warm bowl of really really good chili made me love NYC even more.
Place rating: 5
Dallas, TX
«Next to dancing there is nothing that lifts the spirits and strengthens the soul more than a good bowl of chili».
Mary S.-Dallas
What is wrong with this World, A New Yorker has won my Chili palate. Republican Presidential Candidate Highlight-​Rick Perry Butt Of Jokes, and now so is our Texas Chili Status.
Come on! Really! Chili was invented in Texas! The first World’s Chili Championship was held in Terlingua, Texas.
Somebody pinch me quick, really I must be dreaming. I visit NYC and luxuriate in consuming some Texas Chain Gang Chili «This is no mere chili– This is God speaking to us in a chili bowl» Oh and the «Lamb Chili» jaw-​dropping after the first bite. My quest to finding the Worlds best bowl of chili has come to an end!
Highlight– I can take joy in having this chili at home, Central Market in Dallas carries it in the frozen case! Yes I will dance my way down the grocery store aisle!