Dig Inn

One of my favorite places for lunch. Super cheap and they give you a ton of hearty food. There are so many different options that I could come here everyday and get a different meal. That’s what I love about Dig Inn — mix and match for whatever you are in the mood for. (Though I tend to always get a veggie plate — $ 6 for a small. You get three sides and they give you a lot)
There is always a line during the workweek but it moves quickly, the servers are quick and efficient and the cashier team is especially sharp to keep everyone moving along. I’ve never had a hard time getting a seat since everyone is in and out but I wish the space was bigger so we are not all on top of one another.
Great flavor, quick and cheap makes for a frequent work lunch option.

I order in from here several times a month. Same thing every time. Chicken with spinach, roasted sweet potatoes, tofu salad x 2 with hot sauce on the side. Best word to describe this place is reliable

After literally spending my entire lunch in line at Whole Foods one too many times (we’re talking 20 minute waits — no joke) I decided to look elsewhere in Union Square for my brown rice fix. A colleague recommended Dig Inn and so off I went.
Ambiance: Clean and open. Well-​designed to accommodate the line, which is quite long, but which moves FAR faster than Whole Foods.
Service: Could definitely be friendlier. The first time I visited Dig Inn I was a bit confused by what was included in my small plate and since the servers behind the counter scared me with their impatience, I sort of settled for whatever I could get. Luckily I’ve gotten used to the Dig Inn pace and the options are clearer now, so my interactions with the still unfriendly servers are minimal.
Food: I usually get the small veggie plate with rice and veggie sides. The collard greens are fabulous, the rice is perfectly cooked, the half avocado option is a nice touch, and I love the seasonal squash. I don’t recommend the charred broccoli though, which is overcooked. My only suggestion is to have a non-​tofu vegetarian option. Why not add black beans to one of the veggies for an additional protein option? Or even better would be to have the salmon come in a non-​soy version. (I don’t eat chicken /​meat /​soy — sorry I’m high maintenance).
Overall: The veggie plate is a great bargain and the fact that I don’t have to wait in line for half my day ensures that I’ll be back to Dig Inn.

I usually buy my lunch from the location at 23 rd Street. Since they do not deliver and I couldn’t leave the office, I opted for the 17^th street location.
Let me start by saying that there is no comparison between one store and the other when it comes to food quality. I received my delivery with missing items (rice) and on top of this the food was cold. To make matters worst, I looked in the bag for utensils and none were sent.
This was a very poor experience and I hope that whoever is overseeing this store places a close eye to the deflating business.

5 star potential.
Recently grabbed lunch with a friend and I still don’t understand why the ordering process was so difficult.
There was not much of a line when we arrived (close to 1:00PM on a Thursday). There are over a dozen people working behind the counter, manning a conveyor line style buffet. They have faro, salmon (cold), chicken (cold) and a variety of veggies to choose from. You start out with either a small (good size) or a large (significantly larger than the small)
Here’s where it got sticky. Once the first young lady asked the sizes we preferred, the next three employees did not speak English. So frustrating. We just pointed, got whatever and proceeded to the register. I got salmon, brussel sprouts and some kale/​chickpea concoction. My friend got the large size with faro, mac & cheese ($ 1.00 extra but TOTALLY worth it) the kale/​chickpea concoction and proceeded to order the salmon as his protein. The woman tells him no, when he inquires why she’s unable to explain to him because she doesn’t speak English. Her colleagues try to help out and they too do not speak English.
Beyond annoying. The cashier was kind and gave my friend a serving of salmon on the house but the whole incident left a bad taste in our minds.
Portion size is pretty good and prices are reasonable. Atmosphere was chill and the store was very clean.
I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. I sampled my friend’s mac & cheese and could not believe how good it was. Like super good.
The food here is healthy and phenomenal. The customer service while not rude is definitely lacking.
If you’re hungry and in a rush, bypass Dig Inn because you will spend a good amount of time playing the point and nod game.

For all the sports fans out there, my basketball coach always used to say that a play is only as good as its execution. This was Pat Riley’s philosophy too. He wouldn’t care if the opponents knew what offense the Knicks were running because his teams would just flat out execute.
Why all this sports talk? Because unfortunately, while the concept of fresh seasonal foods at a very reasonable price is an amazing concept, the execution was left something to be desired.
I ordered the farro with meatballs, spinach, and brussel sprouts. The brussel sprouts were just way too mushy and texture was sorely lacking. The spinach salad with pear and granola was a clever idea but it was over dressed. The farro and meatballs might have been the one saving grace, but unfortunately it was cold. I’m hoping that it was just an off day because I’d would really really like to like this place.
Maybe they could hire Pat Riley to turn things around.

Dig Inn has the makings of a good meal. Unfinished, reclaimed wood planks line the walls, creating a rustic, casual dining atmosphere. The ‘seasonal market’ in their name is a nod to their farm-​to-​table mission, for a reasonable price at that. As a matter of fact, my «small» vegetarian meal of four sides (served on — no surprise — environmentally friendly recycled containers) cost $ 6 and change before tax. In a city that normalizes bloated prices, this was already a surprise and a steal.
Butternut squash farro was well prepared and more savory than sweet. I chose to top it with their chopped brussels sprouts, which were tasty but rendered to a hopelessly mush with inexplicably bitter bites here and there that tasted like the pith beneath an orange rind (perhaps a misguided attempt to add some orange zest). Spinach salad, with slices of pear, chopped figs and granola, fell victim to the plight of most predressed salads, namely limp and wilted greens. It was also slightly over-​dressed, engulfing my mouth with the tangy dressing with each bite. Still, I could appreciate the flavor combinations they were attempting here. My final side, the broccoli with almonds, was altogether lackluster. Cold chopped pieces of broccoli were tossed with almonds and a light and forgettable dressing. There were no distinctive flavors and, salads notwithstanding, I’ve never particularly been a fan of cold vegetables.
Unfortunately, I found most of my food to range from mediocre to full on flat. Whether this was a function of uninspired food preparation or the season’s harvest (winter, after all, is the season for a lot of brown root veggies and a restaurant that depends on the season can only display what’s available), there wasn’t a wide enough array of options and what was there wasn’t great. To be clear, this is only a review for this location. I’ve been to other Dig Inn restaurants that had the same few sides and entrees but served up extremely flavorful food. Service was inconsistent. My first server was patient and thoroughly explained the ordering process and available choices, while the second server-​cum-​cashier was snippy and seemed annoyed with my questions.
While I respect Dig Inn’s goal for locally sourced ingredients and appreciate their relatively low prices, I don’t see myself returning here for another meal.

Go treasure hunting in their secret basement! The setting is just so adorable.
But as a lean consultant, I have to say, you need better visual management — sign up in and out on the doors, labeling your trash bins — they are confusing sometimes. Better to set up a place downstairs so that customers can dispose the water (maybe separate the sink from the restroom, in which way customers can wash their hands before eating as well)

Incompetent delivery service — avoid unless you want to wait a few hours for pre-​made food. Delivery guys never call or show up, and the folks at the shop either don’t pick up the phone or claim not to know what’s going on. Trust me, it would be a huge mistake to order from here given the plethora of options nearby (including another Dig Inn!)

The food here is awesome and as a vegan there’s no shortage of options. I’ve come here for lunch (expect a long line) and have ordered delivery (60min+) and quality is consistent. Food is really flavorful and it’s great when you eat clean and healthy.
The only thing I take the opportunity to do is look online at the salt content. It wouldn’t cross your mind to think there’s over 670mg of sodium in a serving of the Roasted carrot with kale-​pumpkin seed pesto option but there is! If this was on their menu it’d be much easier to remember but I have to go online and check before heading over. If you’re on a strict diet or watching your intake, their site is really helpful!
I’ll be back many more times to come!

I am a huge dig inn fan. And I have dined in at least 3 of their stores. This one is one of my favorites. It is important to note that they all offer slightly different menus, but what I really like about this one is that the food is always well prepared, and though it is a little cramped, it feels cozy and less corporate than some of their other locations. Portion sizes are usually pretty good at this one too.
I have had some service issues here though. The people are kind of knuckleheads sometimes, e.g., when I was last in, and asked what kind of seasoning a dish had, he told me it didn’t really have anything, and then I leaned over the counter to look at the back of the card and discover that dish had chilis and something else I can’t remember. But frankly, service isn’t the best at any of the dig inns.

Looking for a quick bite served in environmentally friendly packaging? Come to Dig Inn
$ 6 for a quick veggie plate on the go! You get to choose a grain base, one hot veggie, and 2 cold veggies! Definitely worth the deal
—mixed grains with hot cauliflower & chickpeas plus the kale&rhubarb salad and the broccoli salad: yum! Great flavors in a these little side dishes
I don’t remember how the meat plates were priced but yes this isn’t just a place for vegetarians!

Ordered through Seamless at work. My other colleague at work had exactly the same experience — we were both very surprised with the food we got. We are both investment bankers and we both order dinner every night on seamless — so far my worst meal.
I ordered the salmon market plate and chicken market plate. Total $ 25. Salmon came shredded –unlike other DIg Inns where they give you the filet. It was pretty bad, seemed like scraps of food, Fish tasted stale, Brussel sprouts were really bad too. Chicken was very average too. Waste of money.
This location is just an embarrassment and brings down the Dig Inn brand — the other 2 locations are just amazing which made me order from here. But never again. Maybe it was a bad day, but I will never know.

Love the concept of this place — fresh, seasonal, and real ingredients. They have creative and delish sides. Considering adding this into my regular lunch rotation (along with Whole Foods salad bar & Pret a Manger).
My one complaint is that they don’t list all of the ingredients and as a newbie you don’t know all of the options — like that you can do a spinach bed instead of a grain. I had the cold wild salmon salad and I still don’t know what was in it besides salmon and cucumbers.
Broccoli and carrot sides were standouts.

Constantly really great food at a really great price. Dishes are seasonal, so I’ve been coming here almost 2 years now and am never sick of anything they make.
You can get a veggie bowl for like $ 5. Not kidding, and it includes a base (grains, salad) and 3 sides. Compare that to anywhere else and you will spend over $ 20 easily.
I don’t eat meat but apparently their non-​veg dishes are good as well and farm to table.
You can’t really go wrong with any of the choices here and I’ve never had a bad meal. Really filling, too!

The perfect lunch spot for yours truly! Digg Inn’s menu is fairly simple and they incorporate the ‘Chipotle’ style of ordering. There are a few salads, but for the most part you’re picking a protein (vegetarian options available), a bed to lay it on (bulgur, lettuce, rice) and then 2 sides. The tofu and steak are my faves of the protein and the side of sprouts are on point. Don’t forget to grab a kombucha on tap or one of their varieties of iced tea! The lunch rush line is long, but it moves relatively fast. For me, it’s a more fun option for a healthy style lunch than eating greens at chop’t next door.

No idea why this place doesn’t have a 5 star rating.
Having moved to SF, I recently had a conversation with a friend about Dig Inn and remembered just how much I miss this place, this location in particular.
If you care about flavor and nutritional value, the food here is hands down the best deal you can get in the city: for $ 9 – 11, you get two delicious veggie entrees (in side portions), a super yummy protein (mom’s braised beef is my fave) and a starch side (brown rice, herbed specialty grain). The portions are appropriately sized and the cooking is perfectly optimized for flavor, nutritional value, and price.
Besides the food, I’ve been to a few Dig Inns staffed with snarky waiters, but the service here is good. Ambiance is decent — it’s colder in here than the stores nearby and the tables are spaced closer together — almost like you’re in Soho — but it doesn’t factor into my appraisal that much.
The only annoying/​potentially misleading item is that this place is not open at 8am (more like 10am I think).

I have ordered from Dig Inn previously and had no issues. Yesterday I had a delivery for a small plate of salmon, grains, sweet potatoes, and spinach with mangos. I took a bite into my salmon perfectly fine. Then i took a bite into my spinach and i began to chew on something tough. Come to find out it was a staples. I was in complete shock because I never experienced anything like this, I kinda didn’t know what to do. I called the store back and told them of what happen and Starlin was extremely kind and refunded me back the money and granted me a free meal.
After I was kind of weirded out so I didn’t eat my food for like another 10 minutes. Even though that incident happened, I still enjoy my food, but was slightly uneasy because I had to check with each bite if something sharp was going to pop up.

*3.5** rounded up…
Since Dig Inn promises sustainable and local ingredients in its food, of course I had to visit it. The prices with the dishes offered are great for a healthy meal in this area which can sometimes be hard to find. The place itself reminded me of a fancy rustic cafeteria with reclaimed wood benches. The large & small portion sizes come in the same box it just matters how much the server will give you based on their definition of large or small. The small was more than enough for me.
I ordered the lemon chicken with kale salad with grape & feta and sriracha string beans on a bed of bulgur wheat. The sides were absolutely amazing. The dressing for the kale was out of this world mixed perfectly with grape and feta. The sriracha string beans was prob my fav in this delicious meal, I will now get cravings for it. The seasoning for the chicken was very nice although the center of the chicken piece lacked a bit in flavor.
The employee who «served» us was overbearing and rude. She was so annoyed and impatient when answering our questions about what was in each side. Also did not speak English. Luckily, the cashier was friendly. In addition, my friend’s to-​go bag started leaking as well.

Dig In
NY Manhattan Union Square
8pm Friday 6^th March 2015
Four Stars
I had no idea this place existed. I had two plates: 1. Meatballs, Signature Grain, Sweet Potato, and beets & 2. Braised Beef, Brown rice, Cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts ($ 20). Everything was very well seasoned. The meatballs were juicy. The beef was tender but The signature grain was great. The brown rice was dry and undercooked. The sweet potatoes had a nice texture and had interesting flavor. The Brussels Sprouts, beets, and cauliflower were all tasty.