A hidden Cuban lunch counter that may well be the definition of "why we all moved to New York City."

There's no doubt that the phrase "hidden gem" is seriously overused when talking about restaurants in New York, but when you walk into Margon for the first time, you realize there's no more apt descriptor. You could scour this section of W. 46th Street dozens of times and never catch on to the spectacular Cuban food happening inside this narrow lunch counter. Margon's menu claims that it's the city's "best kept secret since 1970," and it's not an empty boast: once you've sampled the pork chops, roast chicken, and oxtail (all lined up in colorful steam trays), you'll hesitate to let others in on your precious, off-the-radar discovery. Every day, fiercely loyal fans pile in for morning cortaditos and Cuban coffees, then return at noon for the daily specials and the outstanding, crazy-cheap sandwiches on fresh-baked bread. Even if you don't work nearby, and would need to take a long lunch to get here for a mid-day meal, make the trek. It's worth it if only for the reminder that New York is still filled with genuinely hidden joys.

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Menu Highlights:
Media Noche Sandwich, $4
Roast Chicken, $8.75
Fried Chicken Chunks, $8.75
Pork Chop, $9.75
Beef Stew, $9.75

Hours:
Monday—Friday, 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed Sundays