The Pennsy

This is a pretty good option for lunch in the area. They have vegetarian/​vegan options as well as plenty of meat options. They also have a bar area.
The entire space is huge is plenty of natural light due to the large windows.
The décor makes for a pretty classy place to have lunch cafetaria style and there are plenty of staff walking around and cleaning up immediately after you get up.

Its a great 5 stall food court that offers diverse options and even a bar. The layout is very open with a variety of seating options including comfortable sofas in a lounge setting. There’s also a nice wooden seating area outside that will be nice once the weather gets warmer. Didn’t eat here but decided to check it out on my way home. It was about 2:30pm so after the lunch rush and before the rush hour madness. It was pretty empty. Restaurants here include: The Cinnamon Snail; The Little Beet; Lobster Press; Mario by Mary and Pat La Frieda. Straight to the back is a nice-​sized bar that also serves La Colombe coffee (the bartender was friendly and made quite the delicious latte).
Warning to the ladies: you will leave here smelling like food. Think they need a better way to ventilate the air in here.

I can’t believe I took the train all the way out here to eat a steak sandwich and a lobster bisque. Damn you Business Insider. Damn you.
Steak sandwich had a generous amount of meat. But was it anything special? No.
Lobster bisque was nothing special. He chopped up lobster on a grill and dumped it in the stock later. So it wasn’t really marinating in there. It did burn the roof of my mouth. And yes. I ate the skin. Like you don’t? Please.
Very disappointed that there were only 5 restaurants that represented such a big place. Even City Kitchen has more shops and its ¹⁄₈ the size.
Probably should have tried the Muff. But didn’t.
Whack.

I had to go into the city alone for work for the day. I wanted to find somewhere to take out food for lunch. Pennsy is located a few minutes from my office so it was perfect. This was my first time here but I checked out the dining selections online prior to my visit. After reading Unilocal reviews, I chose Mario by Mary and had a delicious muffulatta! No complaints here. Then I moved over to the Cinnamon Snail. Once again with the help of Unilocal,I knew I had to get donuts! I ordered two, one Thai basil coconut and one strawberry glaze. I ate these as soon as I got in my car! Both were amazing! I want more! I didn’t even wait to take a picture! I figured why not pick up dinner while I’m here so I ordered the special lentil burger. It was a lentil «burger» topped with artichokes, sundried tomatoes, and I forget the sauce, all on a delicious and soft pretzel bun. It was very good!
The lines were kinda long but everything went fast and everyone was friendly. I can’t wait to go back!

Finally, the Pennsy!
I used to commute at Penn Station however back then there was no decent food court in the neighborhood. Apparently Pennsy came too late… checked it out on my way back home today and found out so many to-​try inside!
Cinnamon snail — bought a spinach snail here however was craving for their sweet snails. Little beet — had one close to my company and it was both heathy and tasty! Lobster press — next time, I’m eager to know whether it can beat Luke’s lobster. There was also a bar to the very end of hallway, serving cocktails and beers.
Pretty spacious.

It almost feels like our prayers have been answered! As someone who works in the area, you’re typically hard pressed to find decent lunch options, much less GOOD lunch options. In comes Pennsy! Our whole office was oozing joy the day the doors finally opened.
Look — you’re in Manhattan, of course it’s going to be pricey! I expected the higher price tag, especially with such a highly visible location and it seems that business is booming thus far — they know the audience they’re catering to. Expect to pay around $ 13 bucks for lunch!
Price points aside — 5 great stands: Pat LaFrieda (for the carnivores), The Little Beet (love their Banh Mi ‘burrito’), Mario by Mary (OMG, did you say truffle honey grilled cheese?!), Cinnamon Snail (Have yet to try!), and Lobster Press (Good, but not Great) + La Colombe Coffee (finally — REAL coffee) and a full bar (now open!). I’m a regular at Mario by Mary for that cheesy heaven full of truffle honey AND for my café fix at La Colombe. REALLY wish the La Colombe section was open for the early morning rush so I can grab a coffee before heading to work — but until then, that recurring 11am appointment on my calendar? Oh yeah.
Really spacious layout with various seating options — bistro tables with stools, communal tables, cushy tufted leather couches, and loungey couches with bright pillows by the front entrance. The 2 entrances are great — main one facing 7^th Avenue (you can’t miss the bright kaleidoscope of ribbons waving you in) and one near the entrance of Madison Square Garden. Super friendly greeters as you come in and upon exit. I’ve heard the space on the 2^nd floor will be used down the line for events, should you be inclined to rent for your next function. Restrooms are also upstairs on the 2^nd level via escalator.
Thumbs up all around — they have yet to disappoint. Let’s hope they keep it up! Welcome to the neighborhood, Pennsy =)

Although the options at The Pennsy are relatively few (5 stalls), the quality of vendors is top-​notch and the layout is clean, spacious, and organized. I visited at around 3pm on a Friday afternoon, and the food court wasn’t crowded, but I can imagine it must get packed at lunch time.
On this trip, I had one goal: trying a doughtnut from the illustrious Cinnamon Snail! The staff was friendly, and they had a wide range of savory vegan dishes in addition to the variety of desserts displayed in front. Although there were so many options to choose from, I ultimately went with the Thai Basil with Coconut doughtnut ($ 2). It was really good: the basil and coconut complimented each other nicely, and the doughnut was deliciously subtle without being too sweet. And I would never have guess that it was vegan! A tasty experience, but pretty novel; with the relatively-​higher prices of The Pennsy food hall, I’m unsure if I will visit again, but it was an overall positive first experience.

It annoys me that it took literally decades for someone to bring some descent food to the desert that is Penn Station and environs. But I was thrilled to try the Cinnamon Snail for the first time (the lines at their truck are legendary). I will come back again and again to try everything!!!

Smaller food court compared to the other high-​end food courts that have popped up these past couple of years. I thought it would be empty around dinner time, but at around 6pm on a Friday night it was pretty packed and hard to find tables. I guess this makes sense considering it’s right next to Penn Station. You might have to hover a bit around people who look almost finished, but by around 7pm, it cleared up.
By 6pm, Cinnamon Snail was pretty much out of desserts with only a 2 or 3 left. Those were snapped up pretty quickly. I only like their desserts, so pretty sad there was nothing left. It was funny to see my friends get tricked by their Beast Mode Burger and sandwiches not knowing it was vegan. It seems like none of my friends really enjoyed the burgers. I tried a little bit of it and the korean barbecue seiten. I thought they were pretty nasty. I love their desserts so much, but I really hate their sandwiches.
The Black Angust Steak Sandwich from Pat LaFrieda was amazing. It was so juicy and satisfying with the cheese and the steak was tender. It came out piping hot and fresh.
We originally came to The Pennsy as a convenient place to surprise our friend with cake for his birthday. The staff at The Pennsy were so accommodating! They helped us put two tables together, wipte down the tables and seats, and even brought silverware for us to use for the cake.

When I heard that Cinnamon Snail was going to be opening a brick and mortar shop in NYC, I jumped in the elevator at my office building and went to the top and screamed «YAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSS» from the rooftop.
No, I didn’t do that but I did high five my computer screen.
I’ve been to The Pennsy twice. Both times after 7pm. The first time the snail was pretty crowded and the line moved really slow. The 2^nd I was the only one there and was in and out with my Korean BBQ’s and donuts in 5 minutes.
I could do without the random people in black shirts standing around welcoming me every 10 feet. But hey, if you can get paid for that, more power to you.
There’s a good variety of options inside but I doubt i’ll ever give any of the others a shot because why wouldn’t I eat at the snail?
There is also a full service bar there if that’s what you’re into. There’s two big screens that they were showing the Rangers game on last week. I don’t drink but if I wanted a fairly quiet place to go with great food to watch the game as close to the real action as possible, it would definitely be here.
You can guarantee that every time theres major train delays on the NJ transit, I’ll be at the pennsy stuffing my face with vegan donuts.

Quantity does not equal quality. Such has been life in the Penn Station area prior to the great unveiling of the Pennsy.
While this area has no shortage of «dining» options, there are few that will get you genuinely excited about eating — unless Hale and Hearty, Europa Café, Fresh & Co and Pret A Manger are your idea of a superb lunch. If that is the case, ignore everything else I’m going to say. I won’t be offended. For all of you who are still with me, the point is this: I’ve been working in this area for a little over a year now, and have long envied my Unilocal friends who check in at Urbanspace Vanderbilt or Brookfield Place everyday. Now, finally, we Midtown West folks have a place of our own. It’s not perfect (hence the four stars), but considering what we were working with before, this is a serious upgrade.
First the facts, then the food.
The Pennsy, first off, is a beautiful space. It’s clean and has the industrial chic vibe going on. The other two food courts I’ve been to in the city are Gotham West Market and Ganesvoort Market, and I’d say the Pennsy has the nicest layout of the three. You’ve got the food stands on one side, seating on the other, and a beautiful bar setup in back, complete with massive flat screens. So it’s perfect for a pregame, well, pregame.
Credit also must be given to the folks who run the daily operations at the Pennsy — every time I’ve come here so far, I’ve been warmly welcomed by someone. What a treat! It always catches me off guard. It’s hard to find great customer service in this area, so I’m giving the Pennsy lots of credit here. Maybe it’s simply because this is still the honeymoon phase (I hope not!), but everyone seems genuinely happy to be working here. They certainly know how to make a good impression.
Now that you’ve sufficiently heard about aesthetics and all of my emotions about everything, here’s what you’ve got to work with in terms of food:
–The Cinnamon Snail
–The Little Beet
–Lobster Press
–Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors
–Mario by Mary
I’m a health nut, so I’m pretty spoiled having both the Cinnamon Snail AND the Little Beet at my disposal. So it’s no coincidence that these are the only two eateries I can speak to, as of now. At the Cinnamon Snail, I have ordered the Maple Mustard Tempeh Sandwich (comes w/​roasted garlic aioli, marinated kale, tomato, and onion), served over greens and quinoa pilaf instead of on bread. At the Little Beet, I tried the Little Beet Bowl (beets, quinoa, arugula, goat cheese, & chicken with sherry shallot dressing). My experiences at both stands were quite similar: great customer service, reasonably quick turnaround, fresh/​healthy food… that left more to be desired. Why? I was disappointed at what I received for the price (both were $ 13). The food was good — not great, in the case of the Little Beet — and you don’t get very much of it. As I said in my separate review of The Cinnamon Snail, this might be because I’m American and so am conditioned to expect supersized portions, but I’ve felt slightly short-​changed with my meals here. That said, please try the maple mustard tempeh and subsequently forget that you’re eating fake meat.
…so to bring it full circle, while quality trumps quantity, I kinda sorta do care about quantity too. $ 13 is a lot of money for not a lot of food (*meanwhile pretends that she did not order shared plates last night, each of which was at least $ 15*). All things considered, the Pennsy is doing far more right than it is wrong. Options for everyone, high-​end food, beautiful interior, and serious, serious convenience.

A little food hall in comparison to others but packs a punch. You have to want a sandwich or have a craving for the cinnamon snail. Yay for having a snail fix.
My friend wasn’t impressed with the options which really are a bunch of different types of sandwiches from Mario Batali inspired options at Mario by Mary (he was promoting his truffled grilled cheese on the Tonight show) to Pat la Frieda options to lobstery and vegan.
I went with my gut which was reminded of the cinnamon snail and how they do fake meat so well. I usually go for the kimchi’d open faced sandwich but I tried the lemongrass 5 spice option. The seitan was delicious. Also, donuts! I forgot how strange it is to like a vegan donut. Really it’s just covered in sugar but I’m not complaining about that!
The space itself is a nice lounge and dining area for the pen station crowd. A little off the beaten path but worth the trip.

Stopped by to see what this food court had to offer and tried the cinnamon snail and pat la frieda. The seating was plenty and it was all taken but by the time I got my lunch there were some open seats at the community table. I love the design and furniture used. Very sleek and modern. What I didn’t like was the ventilation system. The smoke was coming from pat la frieda and it was very potent and strong. I had to hurry and finish my food to leave. I went back to work smelling so bad of food and oil.
I might stop by again for another lunch break but it was pretty expensive.

We really enjoyed our meal here!
The place is kept very tidy and clean, with chairs pushed in. I loved the décor and modern furnishings. It was quite difficult to find this place for the first time, but it is right by the stairs of Madison Square Garden.
I absolutely loved Mario by Mary’s Italian Muffaletta. I would order it again, especially since it came with a great accompaniment of pickled vegetables. Another stand also had a sushi burrito, which is similar to Hai Street Kitchen in Philadelphia and Pokeworks by Midtown West.
There are plenty of seating available, from large steel tables, to the bar, and lounge areas by the back entrance. The large, windows appear as if they will be opened once the weather gets warmer (large glass tilted outwards).

The Pennsy is a delightful new edition to the mediocrity that is Midtown. Food choices around this area leaves one to be lack lustered, yes there are enough food chains or carts around the area, those who need not be named TGIF I’m looking at you. The layout of this upscale food court is easily navigable, after all if your on a lunch break you’d want to be in and out as fast as possible #whatshesaid. The space is brightly lit, with modern décor of cafeteria style dining. Thus this is easily a great location to bring a group of friends and sample different foods from each vendor. By sample, I mean eat till your stomach’s content. They have numerous restaurants, including coffee/​bar in the back, the most notable being the Cinnamon Snail. Frankly it’s what brought me to the Pennsy in the first place. The staff could not be any better, from the greeters who actually seem to care, to the bussers who are consistently on the job keeping the space tidy.
PS The Cinnamon Snail is a beast on it’s own, although their menu has seen a downgrade, it stills hold a prominent place in my vegan heart. After all the food here is nothing short of exceptional. The beast mode burger made it to the new menu and is still one of my favorites (mac & cheese, coconut bacon, and seitan patty on a pretzel bun who could ask for more).
PSS I think my boo might kill me when he finds out I got the beast mode burger without him hahah I’m sure the maple bacon donut will make up for it, yep lol

The NYC food gods have blessed the Penn Station area (aka my office ‘hood, aka an area with mostly mediocre lunch options) with a new food hall. Since its opening just last week, I’ve already stopped by four times… by the end of this month I’ll have probably tried all the shops there.
So far I’ve had:
— The Cinnamon Snail: The reason why I first decided to check out the Pennsy. I’ve been an avid fan of the Cinnamon Snail from its days as a truck, and I am SO happy they now have a permanent location that doesn’t have hour long lines! The pastries are always on point; I recommend the s’mores donut and the cinnamon snail. The only thing I don’t like about their new shop is that the menu isn’t as long as it used to be. And also, the lem

Location can be everything and the Pennsy already comes out ahead in this area. A higher end food hall for those who don’t want to patronize the fast food establishments proliferating around Penn Station, the Pennsy is a welcome newcomer. It has a masculine feel, with a mish mash of wooden furniture in different shapes that actually detract from the harmonious ambience that wood usually provides. One end had wooden benches, the end opening up to 7^th Avenue had high back slatted wood chairs. In between were small wooden tables and mixed metal, wood furniture. The lighting was dimmer than I thought, which I guess gives it a more upscale feel. Several workers wearing the black T with the P on it were merely hovering around, staring into space. One looked like she was guarding the entrance but perhaps she was there to clean tables and there was a security guard roaming. I guess they wanted to discourage any riffraff from scaring patrons.
Food options are mostly in the $ 9-​$ 10 and higher range, a pricier lunch for the area but a more gourmet and delicious option for those hopping on to Amtrak or NJ Transit downstairs. It is also a good alternative for those coming out or going to a show or game at MSG. There was The Lobster Press, the Pennsy bar, Cinnamon Snail, Pat LaFrieda meat, Little Beet. .celebrity chef fare mainly. I was disappointed the place wasn’t bigger but I thought the mix was good, except I thought it lacked a true seafood place for anyone who didn’t want lobster. At least they made a concession to vegetarians and vegans.

New food hall in much needed area! I love the interior design; the industrial look, wall of windows and each restaurants signature logo. Love the beet outside little beet table, the colander light fixtures at Marios, and happy to see cinnamon snail have a permanent location.
However when I walked in tonight it smelt as food burning and it was foggy as if it had been smokey. Had I not known about all the good food I was about to consume I would have walked back out.
Mario by Mary:
Italian wedding soup panini was really good and the perfect size. It also comes with a (very small) side of pickled vegetables.
The eggplant panini was also good it was like eggplant Parm but made with whipped ricotta which really set it apart, in a good way.
The service was very friendly.
They were out of the mulfetta though :(
Pat LaFrieda
Had the polenta fries from here served with a Parmesan dip that was very good. Upset though that they were out of the turkey sandwich.
There are bussers around the hall clearing up the tables after you, they were super friendly– almost too anxious and friendly. But it was a nice surprise to have someone come take my garbage from me.
I did think, however, prices were a bit high across the board. $ 13 seemed to be the average price for a sandwich that doesn’t come with anything with it.

The Penn Station area really needed something like this! A huge welcome addition to the area! It seems like there will be a lot of press coming out from this soon to be hot-​spot!
I work in the area and the lunch options are just really slacking: there’s only so much Pret, Hale & Hearty and local bodega delis one can stand! It’s set up like a big cafeteria: you go wait on line at your vendor of choice, and once you have your food, you pick your seat. A lot of shared communal seating which allows for more seats, but there are a good number of 4 seat tables too.
Finally, the Pennsy, a complete outlier, with a really unique concept. The space is large and open, but even still it wasn’t easy to find a seat during the lunch 12 – 2 rush! The lines are also intimidating, but they move. I can’t wait to come back and try the Pat LaFrieda stop! Today, I went for Mario by Mary because the Italian Muffuletta was calling to me. It was a pretty, pretty sandwich, not overwhelming large or overflowing with meat, but had a lot of good flavor and the olive spread was yum!
The sandwich came with a side (very small side) of pickled cauliflower, red pepper, onion which was also good.
The bar here isn’t open yet, but can’t wait to come back and try it out for happy hour, or before an event at The Garden. I can’t speak for beer prices, but the food prices aren’t so cheap. My sandwich was $ 12, which wasn’t too steep, but the lobster place was pricey, as was Pat LaFrieda’s meats. However, you know what you’re getting into, since these places aren’t your average lunch spot.
I think this place is going to kill it, and it looks like they’re going to open the glass garage doors when the weather is warm which will be really neat. Definitely will be returning. I just hope the lines don’t get out of control!

Another amazing food hall, this time in the area most desperately in need of it, right outside of Penn Station.
Probably the easiest to navigate and best laid out of the new wave of upscale food courts, the five dining options are all lined up on one side, with plenty of seating along the floor to ceiling windows behind the area where the huge lunchtime crowd lines will form.
There are fewer options than most of these food courts, but the quality is here, as they are all very good. I’ve previously tried Little Beet and Pat LaFrieda, and this time opted for sandwiches from Mario By Mary and Cinnamon Snail (the fifth option, The Lobster Press, is one I will sadly not experience due to my shellfish allergy).
At Mario By Mary, you can got hot and cold sandwiches, as well as soups (optionally as a combo). I went with the very Instagrammable (i.e. cheesy) When Mario Met Mary ($ 9), which is an incredible grilled cheese with fontina, gruyère and black truffle honey. Coincidentally, I also did see Mario [Batali] meeting with Mary [Giuliani] overseeing things on this opening day of their food hall (Marc Forgione was also there at his Lobster Press).
Most importantly, Cinnamon Snail is back. Everyone was devastated when they closed down their food truck operation last year, so this is a huge win to have them back cooking their vegan food and pastries. I always think I don’t care that much about vegan food, and was just interested in the amazing doughnuts here, but after the great stuff at By Chloe and now trying the shockingly good Beastmode Burger Deluxe ($ 11), it’s time to start rethinking that stance. The «burger» is made with an Ancho Chili Seitan Patty grilled in maple bourbon BBQ sauce and topped with jalapeño Mac & Cheese (!), arugula, smoked chili coconut bacon and chipotle mayo and served on a pretzel bun. It is incredible and will immediately make you not care that you aren’t eating meat. Of course, a half a dozen or so of their incredible doughnuts are a must as well.
To the far right area is a bar with a few TVs, and I believe where they also sell La Colombe coffee, which is another great feature. This is a savior to not only everybody that works here and anybody catching a train at Penn Station, but is also a destination worth traveling to specifically to try the great food.