Best non-overpriced restaurants in Westchester

[PlasticMoonRain]

After seeing all the complaining about overpriced food, especially in this awful economy (and completely justified), which restaurants in Westchester offer the best bang for the buck?

I'm not looking for taco stands, if you get my drift.

I'm looking for honest to God restaurants which seem to realize that there are a lot less people forking over $20 for pasta dishes at a time when every penny counts (that means you, Antipasti!). That there is good food to be served if it is reasonably priced without charging an arm and a leg.

[jhopp217]

Honestly, everyone seems to want good food for cheap, but when you tell them to try a place you get it thrown back in your face that the service or ambience isn't what they were looking for. It's a tough call, but I will say Pizza & Brew. They have $20 dinner specials that come with soup or salad, entree, glass of wine, dessert & coffee. How can you go wrong. And in my opinion their food is just as good as some bigger names. You give up ambience as it gets a little noisy.

Casa Maya also has coupons for buy 1, get 1 free entrees on Tuesday and Wednesday. I hate coupons, but when you're saving $20 on dinner, It's worth it.

[iluvcookies]

Pizza and Brew on Central Ave just off Ardsley Road (in the Staples shopping ctr.) Good pizzas and pastas, fairly priced (most pastas under $15, large pies around $20 and are plenty large!), OK wine list (decent choices at $5-6 per glass) and good service. Tartufo for dessert is big enough to split and they thoughtfully cut it in 4 pieces to make sharing easy. Excellent bread too!

Mont Olympos Diner on Central Ave (across from Kohl's on top of the hill)--very friendly staff, great portions for the $ and is well priced---lots of complete dinners with soup/salad/app and dessert in the $20-25 range. Their "a la carte" offerings come with either soup or salad and cost a few $ less. The complete dinner is a great deal---always leftovers to bring home when I go. Their house white wine is crisp and light and I think about $5 a glass.

I've been to both places in the last month and both are great for a casual meal. P&B is not terribly crowded on weeknights either.

[winston1]

If we eliminate Buffets, Pizza, and Asian there is not much left.

[Alberta516]

Turkish Meze in Mamaroneck. Lovely food, service, moderate prices. Great fish!

[dolores]

Zitoune was very very good too, although I am not sure that they are not over-priced.

[Wizzapizza]

Since Paparazzi closed, and the space transformed into an over-priced, over-hyped, underwhelming restaurant, we have had a a hard time finding good, cheap Italian food near White Plains. Then a revelation occured when we dined at Abatino's, in North White Plains next to Stop and Shop. Very good pasta, pizza and entrees, reasonably priced, and in a very relaxing setting. Hands down, our go-to weeknight Italian restaurant.

[dolores]

Wizzapizza, do you get a salad and a side of pasta with an entree? I know, it sounds like I'm asking too much.

Do they have a bar?

I've been there for pizza but never think to go there for a meal.

[Laurieso]

We like Pastina on Central Avenue. They have a price fixed dinner I think from Sunday to Thursday. We went on a Sunday evening with our 3 kids. It was nice pasta dishes and chicken dishes, included a salad and i thnk coffee for about 14.95. You can't beat it. The service was nice and the food was good. Alot of bang for your buck.

[z235e49a]

what about la manda's on tarrytown road in white plainsthe chicken scarpara is excellent . cash only.

[dolores]

La Manda's food is good, but they suffer from the 'get 'em in, get 'em out' service mentality which I loathe.

[Marge]

I very recently went to La Manda's for the first time. I actually found the service perfect --friendly, pleasant and perfectly spaced. However, I thought the food was mediocre, at best. Of course the low prices are what brings the crowds in.

[dolores]

Interesting, so the dynamic is reversed.

[Wizzapizza]

My experience w/ LaManda's is that it is among the best pizza around WP, but I stay away from the entrees. Other good, reasonable places:

Bao's (as mentioned above): Surprisingly decent decor for such a crappy mall.

James Joyce: If you stay away Thurs, Fri, & Sat nights, and Sunday day. All other times it's pretty cozy and they have very good pub food.

Los Gemelos in Port Chester:
Not a taco "stand", but kick-a#@ Mexican, sit-down restaurant.

Latin American Cafe- Good Cuban food, decent prices

You also can't rule out Cheesecake Factory (I know, it's a chain): for what you pay, you would be hard pressed to find a better value. Obvious problems are parking and crowds.

There really is a dearth of small, good moderately priced restaurants. Is it because they can't do volume loke in the city? It seems like when does open up, it is priced into the stratosphere. La Bocca, for example, seemed way too expensive when it opened. I haven't gone, so I don't know if it is over-priced for what you get.

And, I'll just say it over and over, a small, decent Thai joint in White Plains would make a KILLING.

[Nancy C]

Amen on the Thai - wish we could sponsor an entrepreneurial Thai family to come to Northern Westchester to open a restaurant.

[Wizzapizza]

Salad or pasta. Small bar, but full service, I think; I've only had wine. We have also done a baby shower there and everybody was very, very pleased.

[Laurie914]

laugh if you want, but there's a consistently high-quality Chinese buffet in the Crossroads shopping center, off Rte 119 in White Plains or Elmsford (same center as Barnes and Noble or the new HomeGoods).

[dolores]

Mamma Francesca in New Rochelle is again doing their winter specials of complete meals for a price under $30. I believe Piccolo Mulino in Mamaroneck has the same type of deal.

I can vouch for the very, very good red sauce Italian at MF, and am still trying to get to PM.

Laurie914, I am sooooooooooooo happy. I wish them all the best.

[rolise]

Laurie914 my 7 yo son loves chinese buffet due to crab legs and he likes to eat variety plus ice cream. We stopped going to the one near Kohls for a reason I am not allowed to state on this board (I was reprimanded) and have been going to one near Pizza Beat although the food is not that good. This one is further for us so is the chinese food actually decent? And do they have crab legs? Soft Serve ice cream?

[dolores]

Laurie914, I never laugh at good food. There is a very good Chinese buffet in Poughkeepsie on Route 9, but -- it's in Poughkeepsie. I usually shudder at Chinese buffets, but this one is very good, unlike the one in New Rochelle, which is very, very, very, very, very bad.

So the one on 119 is good? I'll have to keep that in mind. Imperial Wok good, which is fine, or Bao's good, which is even better.

rolise, I'm with your son. All you can eat decent soft serve ice cream? How can one go wrong?

[Laurie914]

I will look for Bao's & Imperial Wok. I don't get up to Poughkeepsie, but I'll keep the reccomendation in mind!

[jayjay]

Dolores: Where on Route 9 in Poug. is the Chinese buffet you're referring to?

[dolores]

jayjay, it's on the left, before the Galleria Mall, nearer to the small outlet strip mall. It might be Fishkill? It's not far off Exit 13 from 84.

Sorry I can't be more specific, it's been awhile, but it's smack dab on the road, so you can't miss it. I hope it's still good, if you go. OH, and whatever you do, do NOT ever eat at Hudson Ribs and Fish on Route 9, I was served raw ribs not once, but twice.

[corky]

d...is it the hudson international buffet on westage dr. about 1/4 north of 84 on the left????

[dolores]

Could be, corky. The distance sounds right. I'm not sure the road is named, I seem to remember it being in a mall, but you can see it from Route 9.

I also doubt there's more than one in that immediate area?

[corky]

d...i've been to a couple chinese buffets and hated them but it sounds like this one is different

[dolores]

corky, the only caveat is that it has been awhile since I was there. I was in the area for a meeting and a local resident told me it was the place to go for lunch. She was so right. Hopefully, there is someone who lives in the area who knows.

Sadly, nothing is consistent anymore. I hate Chinese (and bad any other cuisine I'm looking at you MacMenamin's) buffets too. And yet the one in New Rochelle goes on and on and on and on. Go figure.

[gvogelge]

We went to Hudson Chinese Buffet last night, and I thought it was great and the price was right. They had many different types of food, including a few dim sum options, sushi, the mongolian grille option, steamed crab legs, and even things like ziti. The normal chinese dishes also were well done in my opinion - even the sweet and sour chicken, which usually tastes nothing like chicken was good. It was $28 for my husband and I to eat until we were past stuffed. Also - you could come in and take food off the buffett for carry-out. Thanks for posting about this place. It is on the backside of the complex where the movie theater is, if you're planning on going.

[Laurie914]

I think I've been to that one near Pizza Beat, and I didn't like it really. The one on 119 has crab legs sometimes but not all the time (maybe only certain days?) They do have soft serve. If you go, let me know what happens!

[Laurie914]

There's an UNDERPRICED Italian joint in Irvington, right by the train station, called Buon Gusto or something - I think they make their own pasta. I shouldn't even tell you this, because now it's going to be crowded.

* Go down Main St
* When it dead-ends, turn Left
* Follow road past library and library parking lot, curving around to Left. You'll see it on your Right. Park in spots at left across the street.

[Boswell]

I've been curious about this place. Is it true that they allow byob with no corkage, even though they serve wine themselves?

[Laurie914]

Not sure...?

[scarsdalesurprise]

The last time we were there (a couple of months ago), they were still byob, no corkage. Great place - it can get quite busy, though. Make a reservation if you can.

[gordoma]

The owners are the sons from a family that has a restaurant in NJ, where the BYOB option is more common, so they decided to import the custom. They told me they weren't changing it. They also benefit from better sourcing and purchasing through their family. The net is a pretty decent local restaurant with reasonable prices and a warm atmosphere. It's a gem in these parts.

[Laurie914]

Sunset Grille is now open! On the property of Maple Moor Golf Course, lunch & dinner, to anyone. (Free parking!)

**************************************************
From All Points South
* Take Hutchison River Parkway North to exit 25
* Take a left at the light after the exit to North Street
* Maple Moor Golf Course will be 100 yards on your right

From All Points North
* Take 287 East to exit 9 South toward Hutchison River Parkway South
* Take Hutchison River Parkway South to the first exit, exit 25
* Bear right off the exit onto North Street
* Maple Moor Golf Course will be 25 yards on your right

Maple Moor Golf Course is located at 1128 North Street, White Plains, NY 10605.
**************************************************

(Not a taco stand) ; )

[5678]

We tried going to the new Sunset Grille Sunday at 6. We went to Maple Moor, 1126 North Street and nothing was open and no one was in the parking lot. Is it right where you turn in for Maple Moor? We couldn't find any other roads leading off the Maple Moor parking lot to a restaurant.

[Laurie914]

Yes, it's right there. They opened Monday. Where did you wind up going instead?