NYC: Construction Site Lunch Vendors – The best street lunch you’ve never heard of

Have you noticed the ladies with coolers appearing nearby the city’s construction sites around lunch time? Steve had, and he was curious about what was in the coolers. Now I was curious too, so the other day, we walked up to one of them and asked. Turned out that the coolers were filled with food packed in aluminium boxes and sold for $10. Deal! We could choose among chicken, beef or pork, and we went for the one with roasted pork, which came with a soup on the side and a big cup of very orange orange juice. Did we want a green pepper? Yes please! And salsa? Yes, thank you.

The food was delicious and the portion was huge, providing the energy needed for hard physical labor for the construction workers that seem to be the target customers. The pork was served with corn (Ecuadorian mote?), potatoes, tomatoes and a red onion. It wasn’t spicy, and had that genuine, home cooked feel that makes it something you’d want to try, not just because it’s cheap.

Where to find the ladies selling lunch?

The ladies set up shop on the street right next to a construction site, and they’ll only be there for a short while around lunchtime. You probably won’t notice them if you aren’t looking, as there are no signs and they don’t call attention to their business

The food sells out quickly, and when we arrived, there were only a few trays left in what we assumed must initially have been a fully packed cooler. We went for a short walk and sat down and enjoyed the food outside one of the big corporate buildings on Park Avenue, and when we walked back 20 minutes later, the lady was gone.

Since food vending without a license is illegal, and since it’s questionable whether such licenses are in place, I won’t provide you with any exact information about where to find the ladies with the coolers, but around lunchtime, you’ll be able to find them nearby most larger construction sites in the city. It’s cash only.