A recent NYC food thread asked diners to name restaurants that still exceeded their expectations even after researching and arriving excited. The question produced 161 responses. Here’s every restaurant that cleared five upvotes, plus one that didn’t but earned its spot anyway.

Upvote counts reflect engagement in the original thread. They’re a signal of how many people vouched, not an objective ranking.

Upvotes	Restaurant	Dish
223	Banh Mi Saigon	Banh mi sandwich
77	Defonte’s	Roast pork special
68	Supermoon	Passionfruit curd donut
68	Mary O’s	Scones
68	Vato	Burnt ends burrito
30	Bordertown	Breakfast burrito, pastries
23	Edith’s	Bulgogi cheesesteak collab, tahini oat coffee slushie
21	Little Kirin	Pho sandwich with broth
20	Katz’s	Pastrami sandwich
19	Agi’s Counter	Crepes, monte cristo
17	Szechuan Mountain House	Various Sichuan dishes
16	Chez Ma Tante	Pancakes, gigante beans
12	Double Chicken Please	Fried chicken sandwich, chicken liver mousse, popcorn chicken
10	Joe’s on Carmine St.	Pizza slices
9	Oriana	BBQ duck (Peking duck-style)
9	Trudie’s Tavern	Full menu
9	La Cantine	Lavender panna cotta
9	L’Industrie	Pizza
7	Red Hook Tavern	Burger
7	Bridges Chinatown	(dish not specified)
6	El Tenampa Deli & Grocery	Tacos
4	Danny & Coop’s	Cheesesteak with peppers

Danny & Coop’s made the cut at 4 upvotes because the commenter promoted it unusually strongly, calling it more than just a cheesesteak and saying the peppers were essential.

Agi’s Counter was called out as closing due to ongoing building problems. The owner is reportedly looking for a new space.

The thread was also prompted by Russ & Daughters’ seasonal Nieuw Holland Herring sandwich ($13), available only in June. Several replies confirmed it’s not comparable to the packaged herring you’ll find at Tashkent or similar spots.