Though our academic periods are longer with our new schedule, our lunch periods have gained only five minutes. For upperclassmen, if you do not eat at school or go home for lunch, it can be a challenge to pick a lunch spot that is tasty, quick and close to school. We tested five of the most popular Edgemont students' lunch spots. These include Chipotle Mexican Grill, Buon Amici Delicatessen, Long Island Bagel Cafe, and Pizzarelli's.
Though we have already eaten at all of the above restaurants, we went back to each location to perform a taste-test based on the following measurements: speed (how long did the employees take to take our orders and prepare the food?); taste (was the food good, or was it just quick?); price (is it realistic to come here more than once a week?); and distance (how far is this restaurant from campus)?
Chipotle Mexican Grill
913 Central Park Ave.
Approx. 6 minutes away
Chipotle is a popular Edgemont student lunch spot. Almost too popular. We counted over fifteen Edgemont students eating or waiting to order on our visit. You can always count on running into some friends in Chipotle, making it a social spot for lunch. However, if you do not arrive at the beginning of your lunch period, it is likely that you will have to wait in line behind five to seven people.
To us, however, it’s still worth it. The burritos and bowls are filling and consistently delicious. Burritos can be around $10 and a bowl is closer to $14. Chipotle is a reliable spot for lunch. The only flaw can be the time spent waiting in line. Since the employees assemble the bowls/burritos right in front of you, there is no time wasted waiting for preparation. Chipotle is only six minutes away, giving us around 33 minutes to order and eat, which we feel is more than sufficient. We give Chipotle 5 stars for taste, 3.4 stars for speed, 5 stars for distance, and 3.5 stars for price.
Buon Amici Delicatessen
830 Scarsdale Ave.
Approx. 6 minutes away
Buon Amici Delicatessen is a solid spot for lunch. This tiny neighborhood deli is only six minutes away and is delectable. The staff are friendly and understand that we are in a rush to get back to school. Though Buon Amici is close to school and delicious, it has its downsides. Number 1 is the price. Sandwiches run $12-$14. It is not a place to eat more than once or twice a week. Number 2, there is no in-restaurant dining. The store is tiny, and no more than seven people can wait in line inside. Furthermore, there are no tables and you must wait outside as they prepare your sandwiches. However, as the employees understand we need to get back to class, they prepare the sandwiches in little to no time.
Buon Amici is a pretty popular Edgemont and Scarsdale student spot for lunch, so sometimes you can expect to wait a few minutes in line, but not nearly as long as Chipotle. Buon Amici is six minutes from school, and we would recommend alloting ten minutes for ordering and food preparation, which means you have around 20 minutes to eat your sandwiches once you arrive back at school. Sometimes this can feel pretty rushed. Though we may a little biased, If you decide to try out Buon Amici, we highly recommend "the Eve,” named after Eve Mellis. This delicious sandwich includes chicken cutlet, mozzarella, hot sauce, and pickles. "The Eve" makes it worth going to Buon Amici. 5 stars distance, 2.75 stars price, 5 stars taste, 3.75 stars speed.
Long Island Bagel Cafe
365 Central Park Ave.
Approx. 6 minutes away
Long Island Bagel Cafe, popularly referred to as “LIBC,” is a relatively easy place to grab lunch. With an extensive menu including bagels, wraps, sandwiches, and pastries, there is something for everyone. It takes around five minutes and 33 seconds for LIBC to prepare a toasted bagel with cream cheese, which gives plenty of time to either eat there or bring it back to school with time to spare. You can also dine inside. The bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches are known to be delicious, and everything tastes fresh. If you are someone who enjoys a toasted bagel, make sure to ask for it extra toasted because it otherwise lacks some crunch in comparison to bagels at other places.
There are many employees working behind the counter, so you don’t have to wait too long to order. We’re sure the employees know we are high schoolers trying to get back on time, so, even though they don’t move as fast as other places, it is still relatively quick. If you plan on going to LIBC with a group, make sure to leave school right after the last period ends. Although it may take about five or six minutes to make your food, you still have to wait another five minutes for your friend’s food, and depending on how many people are with you, this time can add up and take away from your eating time. Long Island Bagel Cafe gets 5 stars for distance, 4 for price, 3.5 for taste, and 2.75 for speed.
Pizzarelli’s Pizza & Pasta
8 Depot Pl, Scarsdale, NY 10583
Approx. 5 minutes away
Looking for yummy pizza for lunch? We highly recommend Pizzarelli’s due to their speed, impeccable taste, and kindness. The employees welcome you when you enter the small restaurant and immediately take your order. The price is solid for an exceptionally large slice of baked ziti pizza, $6, and it is very close to school, only around a five-minute drive from school to the Scarsdale train station area. There is a room with booths and tables to sit and eat next door which makes it super quick to eat. But be aware that there is a heavy smell of cleaning products when you walk in. The pizza crust is crunchy and the sauce, cheese, and toppings are filled with flavor. We enjoyed their baked ziti slice, and it has our Eve and Lexi stamp of approval. The best part about Pizzarelli’s is that they are accepting of those who are pizza folders and those who are not. Lexi folds, but Eve does not. Whose side are you on? We ranked this eatery very highly on our list of restaurants: 5 stars distance, 4.5 stars price, 5 stars taste, 5 stars speed
If these places do not appeal to you, try out Bagels and More, Bango Bowls, Shake Shack, or Slice of Scarsdale. We may or may not be mentioning these places because we don’t want to lose parking spots at every spot we have lunch. Nevertheless, we hope this is a helpful guide if you’re looking for a great place to get food during your lunch period. If you see us at any of these places and we are behind you in line, just do the right thing and let us cut you. After all, we did you a big favor here.