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We've read "Fast Food Nation." We've seen "Super Size Me." And, we've been queasy about fast food monoliths like McDonald's, Burger King and Taco Bell ever since. But, does fast food always have to mean bad food? (Not that Mickey D's fries aren't tasty - It's just that a large portion contains 520 calories, with 220 of those calories coming from fat.)
Well, it looks like McDonald's has found its saving (gourmet and good-for-you) grace as an minority investor in - of all things - a British import: Pret a Manger. With 10 locations throughout Manhattan, Gothamist has found refuge in its gleaming stainless steel shelves, lined with pre-packaged fare that focuses on fresh, natural food, free of additives and preservatives. We are drawn to its neat rows of sandwiches in bright white triangular boxes, plastic-encased salads and bottled organic fruit juices. It reminds us of an old-time Horn & Hardart automat in a bizarre way - mind you, with slightly unnerving Bollywood meets "The Sopranos" decor in the seating area.
Our favorite foodstuffs at this super-fast, super-fresh, organic-leaning chain? We're fond of the Coronation Chicken Salad Sandwich spiked with sweet mango chutney, as well as the Tuna Salad on crispy baguette with the added crunch of cucumber slices. The spicy Turkey Chili and hearty Lentil Soup are also fave picks when the weather is cold. And, who can argue with fair trade, organic Sumatran Dark Roast Coffee at prices that beat the Starbucks down the block?
On top of it, if Pret's marketing materials are to be believed, we don't need to feel the least bit guilty about indulging in their wares. The chain's apple juices hail from the Hudson Valley. Their yogurt comes from the happy, healthy cows of Ronnybrook Farm in Dutchess County, New York. And, their chicken comes from Bell & Evans Farms in Pennsylvania Dutch country.
Still not convinced? Try this on for super size: At the end of every day, Pret a Manger donates the food they didn't sell to City Harvest. Fast food you can feel good about. Pip pip and cheerio!
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Is this an advertisment??
The drawback to Pret a Manger is that they put mayonaise on EVERYTHING.
Better late than never...you could have written this item two years ago. Not exactly a news flash at this point.
I gather you're not a huge fan of Starbucks, whether for being a corporation or over-roasted coffee.
Anyway, Starbucks also donates leftover pastries, sandwiches and salads every night. Usually pastries are donated to shelters or other organizations, while the baristas take leftover salads and sandwiches with them to pass out to the homeless on their way home from work.
I've never understood the appeal of Pret. Their tiny sandwiches sit in the refrigerator all morning so that the bread can get cold and damp just in time for lunch. Not that the bread was all that great in the first place, they use something about one grade higher than Wonderbread.
And Erin's right -- so much mayo.
Seriously, I'd rather go to Subway than Pret. And I'm not a big Subway fan.
I lunched at one of their stores for a week during a mini course in midtown last summer. The sandwiches were fine, the prices reasonable, the environment immaculate, the service staff were always polite and friendly. Great grab and go or grab and stay lunch place.
Starbucks stopped donating their pastries after some homeless guy sued them for getting sick
one of the qualifications for being fast food is that it has to be cheap too, those places mentioned aren't exactly cheap (relative to your typical joints)
Fast. . . Healthy. . . Low-cost
Pick only two.
What's the point of this post? It's a total advertisement..
Plus..it's quite pricy. If you want healthy [or should I say, healthier than McD's], I'd go Subway. The one in the concourse under Rockefeller is awe inspiring. An assembly line of 6-8 employees slapping on whatever ingredient you want and passing it onto the next. You're in and out before you even realize it.
hhmmm, this seems like a gratuitous post. i don't go to either pret a manger or chipolte mexican restaurants because they are both owned partly by mcdonalds. mcdonalds is evil. they don't need anymore of my money. if you want fresh and fast, buy healthy food items from someplace like whole foods and whip them up in the morning while you're having your coffee at home. cost-effective and fast. whatever happened to brown-bagging it?
What the heck is a barista?
what prompted this post...not timely. also, the sandwiches ARE puny but cost the same as any other "gourmet" sandwich.
I fell inlove with Pret on a visit to London some years ago. I'm glad they're in the city, but they need more locations, I don't get to wall street or midtown often. Plus, its a shame they carried over the closed on weekends deal, but I can understand it not being cost effective.
The Coronation Chicken Salad Sandwich is my fav as well, with some apple cider and a bag of chips, I'm set.
MT:
A barista is someone trained in making espresso coffee drinks. Like how a bartender is someone trained in making mixed alcoholic drinks (or usually is trained, anyway)
Some people have the impression that barista is a term invented by Starbucks, but they merely popularized it in English. It's from the Italian, meaning bar person. Yeah, so it's a little pretentious, but the English language is famous for borrowing words from other languages and making them its own.
And there's nothing heck about the job at all.
Pret a Manger could be forgiven for the price and the medium-quality food, but what ultimately strikes out is the serving sizes. Their sandwiches are puny! For $6-$7 I can get a gigantic sandwich elsewhere, whether it be a Subway, Quiznos, or local deli. It's a terrible food value overall.
Even if you like small food, their stuff isn't filling - a soup from Pax, Europa, or Hale N Hearty will go a much longer way in keeping your appetite in check than one of Pret a Manger's sandwiches. (Oh, and those soups are cheaper - or can be combined with a half sandwich for similar cost)
I love their turkey/cranberry sandwich, though. It's got bacon in it. That's all you need to know.
(someone in NY MUST learn how to make a turkey/cranberry/stuffing hero. You could make a killing off of it.)
I get lunch at Pret every weekday, usually a salad and yogurt pot. I'm no fan of mayo either, but I don't think it's excessive. (The New Yorker reported Pret uses less of it here than in the UK.) Many days I grab a muffin in the morning and a coffee in the afternoon, which is not just cheaper than Starbucks but tastier too. $10 to $15 a day isn't cheap, but I'm hooked.
how about Mangia? there's one in wall street and a new one on 23rd street, just east of home depot. now, their sandwiches are goooood.
why are all your food posts relics from two years ago? and why does this sound like press kit copy? I hope they're paying you a lot of money for this, because their food is marginal - especially in NYC, where fast cheap options about - and many of them aren't owned by evil megacorporations. I'm sorry, but this post got me one step closer to taking Gothamist off my bookmarks page.
Since we're on the topic of overpriced sandwich places, what do people think of Cosi? I am a huge fan of their TBM sandwiches and eat two almost every week.
First of all, lighten up folks. Gothamist Food writes about things we experience in our day-to-day lives as New Yorkers: old, new, high-end, low-end, corporate, indie, you name it. And nobody pays us anything for any of our posts, per our content policy, which you are welcome to read.
Second of all, we're always open to your suggestions for what you'd like to see -- send us an email at food(at)gothamist.com!
I go to Pret mainly because their staff is so damn friendly and in the morning the last thing i want is mean people to start my day off - not to mention their almonds croissants are yummy and delicious!
And people, i agree with Lauren, lighten up a bit - it's as if you are made to read the post against your will...and it's just a post. Sheesh.
Pret's yummy.
i too loved Pret when i was in London. they're everywhere. what i found funny was all their sandwiches (over there) were some variation on the same three or four ingredients:
bacon and prawn
bacon and egg (my fave)
egg and mayo
etc...
Now i wish some entrepreneur would bring british sodas and snack crisps here too. instead of lemon-lime or lemon cola they have just plan lemon soda. what a novelty! why is this so hard to do in the states? or the super-delicious LILT with its orange and pineapple flavor. for some stupid reason u.s. soda companies seem afraid to stray from adding yet more things into a standard cola.
and in the UK, potato chip (crisp) flavors include prawn cocktail, chicken dinner, roast beef and horseradish, cheese and onion... all good and a nice break from the very tired BBQ, sour cream & onion and nacho cheese.
sorry, i've gone way off topic. and i'm hungry.
BrianVan, Cosi does such a sandwich during the winter holidays, and Chat 'n Chew near Union Square has a sandwich called "Thanksgiving on a roll."
The portion sizes are perfect, in my eyes. Americans have forgotten what "normal" sized sandwiches are - we've gotten so used to beheamoth 12 inch deli creations. I like the freshness of Pret food and that they don't offer the same things other places do. Very pleasant staff as well. Wish there were more of them downtown. Slim pickings in my neighborhood. I stopped going to the local mega deli/salad bar on Broadway & Spring when a roach scurried past on the sneeze guard. The cashier I told looked completely unfazed. Pret may be a chain but I appreciated how spotless it was, in addition to the good quick lunch choices.
BURRITOVILLE!
Best fast food in the city. Not the cheapest, mind you, but fresh, and a nice variety of vegan and vegetarian options!