Hudson Coffee Bar

I was under the impression that this place was called «Lunch.» There is a big sign in their window that says this, but then I realized when I grabbed their menu, that it’s called Hudson Coffee Bar. Everyone at work still knows it as «Lunch,» so that’s what we call it.
This place is great for a quick grab and go meal. I usually go in for their salads. cheapest salads in the West Village probably! You get 5 toppings all for under $ 9! Can’t beat it! The salad and the toppings are always fresh-​never had an issue!
I recently started ordering their panini sandwiched and those have been pretty good too. Full of meat and very filling! Prices are great!

I don’t know what it is, but I don’t like this place. Their food never blows me away, whether it’s something as simple as soup or salad. I can’t put my finger on one particular thing, but the food just doesn’t taste good. Compared to some of similar establishments in the area, they are a little more expensive. They also have a credit card minimum, which is a problem if you’re looking to just grab a coffee, breakfast sandwich, yogurt, etc. and are out of cash. You can sit and eat here, but it’s better take your lunch to go — it’s dark and a bit depressing.

This place is a hit or miss. Some items are good and some items are «meh».
Their sandwiches are not even made by them as most of them are packaged from another vendor. Their pannini are average, at best.
Their soups are actually pretty good and a bit on the healthier side. If you like your soups super salty, then you may not enjoy the soups because many of them seem more natural-​based, relying on the ingredients to give off the flavor. I felt their soups weren’t doused with sodium and having the calories listed helps too. My favorite soups consist of: Maryland Crab and turkey chili; both of them are spicy but flavored well.
Their salads are good too. For 7.99, you can get a salad bowl and fill it up with 4 toppings. Standard price for a salad bowl in the area.
Some things that they sell are ridiculously overpriced! I know Chobani yogurt costs a lot (like $ 1.50) but they were charging double for them! What? No thanks! I love my yogurt but I can buy 2 yogurts elsewhere.
If you’re in a hurry and want your standard soup, sandwich, salad place, then this place is decent place. If you’re looking for gourmet, move on.

Hudson Coffee Bar can be easy to miss. Hell, for months I thought it was simply called «Lunch» seeing as that is what’s plastered above the front door in giant font. Upon further examination, I saw the correct name adjacent to one of the fake clocks adorning the front windows — clocks artificially set at, what else, lunchtime.
It would be easy to write off Hudson Coffee Bar as your run-​of-​the-​mill soup/​salad/​sandwich spot, but I refuse to devalue their consistency with such an indifferent shrug. Why? Because their soups/​salads/​sandwiches are actually all good! Too many establishments of the same genre may excel in one over the other, but the fact that I can walk into Hudson Coffee Bar and decide, with confidence, at the counter, then and there, what I want scores major points. There’s no need to remind myself before I enter that the clam chowder typically sucks or that their spinach always seems less fresh here. Because, truthfully, that’s just not the case.
We aren’t talkin’ gourmet cuisine here, but for what it is, I’ve always left satisfied. Their paninis could be bigger, sure, but at least they come with a free can of soda. The soups are always hot for at least a half-​hour, so if you feel the hunger pangs coming on, get one before you’re ready to dig in. I’m not much of a salad guy, but they’ve been a recent discovery here as of late and they are fantastic. I’ve actually craved them come lunchtime — a first for the greens with me.
Still affectionately known as «Lunch» at my office, Hudson Coffee Bar has officially made it as a staple of the weekly work rotation.