Travel video guide
Where to Eat in NY: All 9 Spots + Addresses
This guide turns I Tried Bankrupt NYC Restaurant Chains from Jon Barr into a practical restaurant map with 9 saved spots around Brooklyn, New York, and Manhattan. The mapped places include a restaurant stop, a bagel shop, a cafe stop, and a deli. Use it to understand the places, dishes, and trip context before saving the map in Varedelo.
What the creator captured
Jon Barr explored the decline of iconic New York chains, finding that while nostalgia made the Sbarro and Planet Hollywood experiences tolerable, the food quality often struggled to compete with modern standards. He was most pleasantly surprised by the Blimpie Best sandwich, which he felt deserved a comeback despite the staff's hostility toward his filming. Ultimately, he concluded that while some chains like Blimpie still hold value, others like Sbarro are better left in the past.
What this map is good for
- Planning a pizza restaurant stop or short itinerary in Brooklyn.
- Comparing food stops from a creator or saved local map before you commit time in the city.
- Saving 9 mapped spots into Varedelo so the list stays usable on the ground.
- Using the original video as context, then turning it into a clean place-by-place map.
Featured spots on this map
- H&H Bagels
Bagel Shop in 1551 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10075, USA, Manhattan, New York, United States
Price level: Inexpensive
Hours: Hours available - Chock Full O'Nuts
Coffee Shop in 1701 Avenue M, Brooklyn, NY 11230, USA, Brooklyn, NY, United States
Price level: Cheap - Macario
Mexican Restaurant in 463 4th Ave Store 1, Brooklyn, NY 11215, USA, Brooklyn, NY, United States
Price level: Medium
Hours: Hours available - Planet Hollywood New York
Restaurant in 136 W 42nd St, New York, NY 10036, USA, New York, NY, United States
Price level: High - Famous Famiglia Pizza
Pizza Restaurant in 686 8th Ave, New York, NY 10036, USA, New York, NY, United States
Price level: Medium
Hours: Hours available - Gray's Papaya
Fast Food Restaurant in 2090 Broadway, New York, NY 10023, USA, Manhattan, New York, United States
Price level: Cheap
Hours: Hours available - Blimpie
Deli in 2200 Westchester Ave, Bronx, NY 10462, USA, Bronx, NY, United States
Price level: Medium - Sbarro
Pizza Restaurant in 2509 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11234, USA, Brooklyn, NY, United States
Price level: Medium - Tasti D-Lite
Ice Cream Shop in 416 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10016, New York, NY 10016
Price level: Cheap
Hours: Hours available
Food notes from the video
- Sbarro baked ziti
- Sbarro cheese pizza
- Blimpie Best sandwich
- Planet Hollywood nachos grande
- Planet Hollywood LA lasagna
Experiences captured
- Visited a mall food court in Brooklyn
- Sat in decades-old Sbarro booths with springy seats
- Noticed shakers chained to the walls at Sbarro
- Encountered a 15-minute time limit to eat
- Got confronted for filming inside a Blimpie
- Ate a sandwich on the streets of the Bronx
- Explored a nearly empty Planet Hollywood in Times Square
- Discussed Knicks basketball with a restaurant greeter
Planning notes for New York
New York City, located at the mouth of the Hudson River, was established as a Dutch trading post named New Amsterdam in 1624. Control transferred to the English in 1664, at which time the settlement was renamed New York. The city served as the first capital of the United States under the Constitution from 1789 to 1790. The architectural landscape includes 19th-century brownstone rowhouses, Gilded Age mansions, and a high concentration of Art Deco skyscrapers.
Must-try foods nearby
- Pastrami on Rye
The quintessential New York deli staple, featuring beef brisket that is salt-cured, seasoned with a secret spice rub, smoked, and steamed until it melts in your mouth. - The New York Slice
A wide, thin-crust pizza slice that is foldable yet crispy, characterized by a high-gluten bread flour crust, light tomato sauce, and full-fat dry mozzarella. - Bagel with Lox and Schmear
A dense, chewy, and malt-boiled bagel topped with a generous layer of cream cheese (schmear) and silky translucent slices of salt-cured salmon (lox). - Halal Chicken and Rice Platter
The ultimate street food fuel, consisting of yellow basmati rice topped with chopped grilled chicken, a side of iceberg lettuce and pita, and the legendary. - Chopped Cheese
Originating from Upper Manhattan and Bronx bodegas, this cult-favorite sandwich features ground beef, onions, and melted American cheese grilled together on a flat-top.
When to go: The best time to visit New York is during the shoulder seasons of May to June and September to October.
Local tips
- Treat sidewalks like highways by staying to the right and pulling over to the side before stopping to check maps or take photos.
- Tipping is essential in full-service restaurants, where a gratuity of 18% to 22% of the total bill is the standard expectation.
- When using the subway, always let passengers exit the train completely before you attempt to board.
- Use the OMNY contactless system to pay for public transit by simply tapping your credit card, smartphone, or smartwatch at the turnstiles.
What travelers are noticing
- Shaver Hall: A massive new 35,000-square-foot food hall in the former Lord & Taylor building featuring the first U.S. location of London’s Pick & Cheese and the Japanese spot Mako.
- Somssi: A viral new Greenwich Village opening from Ahris Kim (NA:EUN Hospitality) featuring social media-famous dishes like the 'Potato, Potato, Potato' and White Rabbit candy ice cream.
- Noury: A modern Parisian-style izakaya in SoHo from the acclaimed Kiko team, trending for its reimagined futomaki and extensive sake program.
Extra place context
- Gray’s Papaya
Known for: Gray’s Papaya Hot Dog. Mentioned as a must-try spot in top foods.
food and Gray’s Papaya Hot Dog
Official tourism resource
The official destination marketing organization for the five boroughs of New York City, providing comprehensive travel guides and resources for Brooklyn.
Planning questions
Where did Jon Barr eat in NY?
This guide maps all 9 spots featured in the video, with names, addresses, and neighborhoods, so you can plan where to eat in NY.
What are the must-try foods in NY?
Creator picks from the video include Sbarro baked ziti, Sbarro cheese pizza, Blimpie Best sandwich, Planet Hollywood nachos grande. Open the map in Varedelo to see which spot each one is at.
Can I save these spots to use on my trip?
Yes. Open the map in Varedelo to save every spot, get directions, and revisit the guide from your phone while you travel.
Use it on your trip
Save this restaurant map before you go
Keep the mapped spots, creator context, food notes, and planning details together. Varedelo turns the page into a phone-friendly map you can revisit when you are choosing where to go.