The Original Soupman

3.5 stars
Seinfeld lovers rejoice! The business that inspired the Soup Nazi episode in the 6^th season (now a chain called The Original Soup Man) and the business that inspired the Non-​Fat yogurt episode in the 5^th season (Tasti D-​Lite) have combined in a marriage that would have made for quite a funny episode back in the day. This hole in the wall spot on Bleeker street in Greenwich Village doesn’t have a single seat, isn’t the cleanest, and is usually run by an middle eastern guy but still it’s pretty ingenious to have a soup shop match up with a dessert shop (it’s just too bad you’ve got to take both to go and your ice cream will most likely melt while you eat your soup). In terms of taste the soup I’ve tried here has always been pretty good and though I prefer the taste and portions more with The Lite Choice, Tasti is still a good low calorie option.

Would you like a soup with a side of ice cream? Well that’s what you can get at this location of The Original Soup Man. It shares the store with a tasti D-​lite so you never have to choose between soup or ice cream again!
I came in here looking to pick up some soup for the office a week ago. I was originally stopped in the street when I saw the logo for the Original Soup Man and Mr. Al Yeganeh’s mean mug staring at me. Come on, who hasn’t seen the Soup Nazi episode of Seinfeld? It’s a classic! «No soup for you!»
Keep in mind that the Soup Nazi doesn’t really work here (the real one and the actor portraying him). He’s just jumped on the bandwagon and franchised his name and his soups.
So anyway I walked in after reading the soups of the day and proceeded to order a Lobster Bisque, a Tomato Basil and a Sausage Gumbo. The minute I told the man my order of Lobster Bisque, he exclaimed that there was no more. My heart sank, but for some strange reason I couldn’t help but recite the famous line and chuckle a bit. «No soup for you!» Hahahaha. Anyway, he informed me that here was some seafood bisque which was basically the same with the addition of some other ingredients. The sausage gumbo was really chunky and just filled with big pieces of chopped sausages. The tomato basil was well, it is what it is. Not much you can do to make a tomato soup any better visually. It may have had basil in it but it still tasted like Campbell’s to me.
Be aware, these soups don’t come cheap. A small cup of soup comes out to $ 4.49 each. To be honest I don’t think I would be full off of just one of these. Don’t quote me on that though because I did end up getting Kati Rolls from down the street for lunch too. All in all, the soups were good. I think I’d prefer soup from any Au Bön Pain over theirs any day though. It’s been a while since I’ve visited one but I believe the prices are about the same.

Entering this «new business» into Unilocal.I was asked to categorize the business… FOOD was the most fitting, but that’s questionable.
I know there is like a gazillion of these in NYC… but WHY?
Out of last minute hunger desperation, I came in to this location, which also shares the space with a tasti d lite.
Searching for a semi-​healthy option, I ordered the vegetable soup. Other options being Broccoli cheese and shrimp bisque… aka heart attack in a bowl. Apparently the soup I ordered was nearly empty. The man behind the counter proceeded to scoop — with a TINY plastic spoon — the last remaining drips of sludge at the bottom of the metal container in order to fill the «cup» size I ordered. I waited there and watched as dip after dip he collected every last bit into my would be container.
«I’m sorry, we’re out of vegetable soup» would have been the more appropriate response to my order.
Being the passive aggressive pansy that I am, I sourly paid the $ 6 for my overcooked slop and tossed it in the nearest trash bin.