Ashley’s Fine Foods

I work in the building and can’t say anything bad about the food here, although I know of someone who got food poisoning from the chicken salad and heard about another person who found a fingernail in their oatmeal. No, this terrible review is for the cashiers. Some of them are pleasant enough, but you will be consistently charged a different amount when you buy the exact same thing every day. I would chalk this up to general incompetence. What I can’t forgive, is that on at least two occasions I have made a purchase under $ 10 and given them a twenty, only to receive change as though I gave them ten. The first time the cashier laughed and corrected her mistake. This week, the cashier fiercely challenged me. I stood my ground and we eventually went to the videotape and I was vindicated (it was the principle at this point). The manager simply told the cashier I was right and she scowled while giving me my money — without an apology. I firmly believe that they probably do this to people all day, particularly the tourists in the area, and try to intimidate them into thinking they are mistaken. Then the cashiers go home with the extra that they’ve scammed all day. As convenient as the place is, I would avoid it at all costs, or at the minimum loudly announce your denomination when paying in cash.

Lots of options, pricing is decent, steam tray buffet is pricey, but sandwiches can quite good. Lots of soups, paninis, udon and a grill. Several cashiers to keep things moving, some cramped seating to eat-​in and they are open late hours.

— Not many options (Nearby Essen has lot many option)
— Pricy for the quality of food !
— Very small seating area !
Overall an OK place !

I found this stuff in my quinoa salad (from the cold buffet). The quinoa grains stick to it so I initially thought it was just clumps of quinoa and didn’t notice it at first. Then I flicked the quinoa grains off with my fork and found whatever this stuff is. I presume it’s some sort of filler to bulk up the salad (quinoa being not exactly cheap)? I genuinely couldn’t identify the stuff so chose to remove the individual pieces. Any ideas?

Things have improved lately at Ashley’s. Salad bar and breakfast sandwiches /​wraps are awesome and cheap for amount of food you get. Also, plus, guessing they’re cleaning the seafood better now too, been feeling fine after eating.
Cash register ladies are SO MUCH NICER these days! That I would say is the best improvement of all.
Most of the store is still severely overpriced and coffee is terrible, but guess you can’t have it all, eh?

We were staying one block down in one of the local hotels and I asked the doorman where was a good place for a quick breakfast. He pointed out Ashley’s. This deli has everything! Nice salad and breakfast buffets, freshly made sandwiches and breakfast, drinks, snacks, etc.
I used to live in Brooklyn and have been in and out of Manhattan and the other boroughs hundreds of times. So, I’m used to New York delis and their abundance of food and items to choose from. I also, am used to and kind of enjoy the strong, rough attitude of many of this fine city’s residents. So when I read comments regarding the attitude of some business employees, I understand and get it. It is what it is and I try to flow with it, trying to keep out of their way and showing some type of friendliness.
I actually got some attitude here when I waltzed up to the food counter in back of store to place an order. It was approximately 10:30 in the morning and I ordered a breakfast sandwich. Mmm, egg and sausage sandwich to be exact. All the cooks behind the counter were of Hispanic heritage, so when I heard the lead cook chew out the cook in spanish that took my order that it’s too late for breakfast and he should of told me that, I kind of chuckled to myself. You see, I’m of Mexican descent and I speak and understand spanish very well. And I can guarantee that these fellows were from Mexico. This was my moment to shine. I immediately started chatting up a storm with them using Mexican terms and doing some friendly, well accepted harassing. Lo and behold, breakfast was served with a smile and laughter! I even nagged my cook for not adding cheese to my breakfast sandwich. And all the other cooks back there started nagging him as well, telling him in spanish that the customer is always right.
I parted ways with them amidst friendly ‘good days’ and ‘pleasure meeting you’s’. When I went to front counter to pay, the young lady at cash box was also Hispanic, so my wife and I started some casual spanish chit chat with her. We even made her smile. After eating our meal there, I went back for some packets of gum and bottled water, and I purposely checked out where the Asian women was. I started with casual chit chat as well and she was quite friendly with me and even wished me a good day when we all walked out.
So, my business here was pleasant. And even though my spanish speaking helped out quite a bit, in my experience, just being a tiny bit friendly and some casual interest will go a long way, no matter the language we speak. And yes, things in general here are a bit overpriced, but I was vacationing and the neighborhood is expensive. There’s no cheap around here. Therefore, for the amusing experience and the good food, I give this place 4 stars. If I stay close by again, I’ll visit my new friends again.

Decent food, but way over priced! Plate full of food from the buffet cost $ 19!
I’m talking fried rice, sesame chicken, and some chicken with mushrooms… I felt ripped off! Dish with caution!

WORST SERVICE I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED!!!
Was in line for 45 minutes to get my food with 7 people in front of me
Reason it took this long?
They start making your food once you order it and then you have to wait for you hamburger patty to cook you and everybody else behind you in line
THEY WILL NOT TAKE OTHER ORDERS UNTIL YOUR ORDER IS DONE
I was somewhat okay with that due snow blizzard
Not a lot of places were open
What got to me is this
I was warned that at this store they often overcharge so I was well prepared for any surprises
And of course they did not even blink when they overcharged me at least 15 dollars
When confronted this Asian lady who I think is the manager started cursing in broken English took my food and told me to get the f out of the store before she calls the police
I kept my cool I needed my food I waited for it for a long time now
I was nothing but polite tried to get my food for whatever price they charge
In return her and other cashier/​owner
continued cursing me out until I left empty handed
So bottom line I don’t know if they have good food there all I know is be vigilant cause they scheme
And I have strong suspicion that this wonderful couple actually owns the business, no employee in their right mind will talk to this way to customers

This is a really convenient place to get food if you are staying in the hotel across the street or if you are taking trains to or from Grand Central.
There is a lot of food selections at this buffet. It’s price by plate, so if you get lightweight plate, it’s cheap.
Me, I saw the mashed potatoes. I filled my plate because… mashed potatoes! Of course I had to get meat to go with my potatoes. The flank steak was awesome! I should have just got that only because the chicken didn’t have much flavor. And the mashed potatoes… awesome! But they needed to have gravy, but there was no gravy:(
Nice people who work here too.
There’s a dining area if you want to eat inside as well, which is good space. But I’m sure during rushes, it can get crowded.

So basically, this place is (as cited in many other reviews) really convenient. My office is basically on top of it. Or literally. Whatever.
Everything in here is ludicrously overpriced… but, they sell Quest bars, every yogurt ever, and white Monster. So, I go and spend $ 9+ on the above items at least once a week, and come and grumble about it on Unilocal.
Yes, I know there is a GNC and a Duane Reade right nearby. But again, convenience!
They have basically every protein bar ever.
The employees are always really nice to me, so I have zero complaints there. The girls at the checkout by the salad guys are the SWEETEST. Seriously.
It’s always filled with tourists and corporate folk (like myself, hayyyyy) because hello, it’s midtown. No one actually lives here.
My coworker goes here for breakfast and lunch sandwiches and they always look (and smell) really good, and are typically some colossal party of meat, cheese and bacon — which is never a bad thing.
TL;DR: Overpriced, but they have errrrrrthang.

Lot of variety and super convenient and quick. The spicy pork rice bowl is amazing — hot and really really flavorful. Tried the ramen and the noodle bowl as well but they lacked flavor and had a bit too much oil. They have a few tables to sit and eat at as well. Service is great, would definitely go back to try salads or paninis.

I come here often as a matter of convenience for lunch — it is very close to my workplace and the food isn’t bad. It is your typical deli with a lot of choices /​diversity for food. However, my gripe (besides the egregious pricing), is more with the quality of how their food is prepared.
The first time I felt sick post-Ashley’s was after I had their soft tofu stew. I chalked it up to the egg not cooking correctly, but I definitely had a bout of food poisoning.
I decided to come back (once again due to convenience) this morning where I had a Bacon, Egg and Cheese sandwich. Around 5 – 6 hours later I was vomiting and shaking in my office’s lavatory (how professional) whilst feeling extremely nauseous and dizzy. As I did not consume anything the night before which could explain my nausea, I have to attribute it once again to Ashleys.
Curious, I checked their grade on the NYC Department of Sanitation. They currently have 24 points in violation (copied /​pasted directly):
Sanitary Violations
1) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F.
2) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
3) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
With their current grade pending, I would be really surprised if they scramble (excuse the pun) an ‘A.’ Among my colleagues, I am not the first to get sick from their food and most certainly won’t be the last if they continue with their unhygienic ways.
I’m sure their pre-​packaged items are fine, just please, please, please be weary re: any dairy /​egg /​fish products, as it seems you may get more than the $ 6 breakfast sandwich.

I will start off by saying the food here is pretty decent. The prices are high, but that’s midtown. My issue with this place is their arbitrary rules on when they will prepare foods and when they will not.
Take for instance today, I got in line at the counter at 10:50. After about 7 minutes one of them gentlemen working started yelling «no more breakfast» a bummer, but okay, me and several other patrons continued to wait. One by one we were turned away, no lunch. Okay, until when? 11:30. so they let people stand in line for, at this point 15 minutes, with no intention of making them either breakfast or lunch? Where’s your sign? Where is your consistency, the day before I got my lunch sandwich?
It’s a shame, because I walked out the door, and down to Café Metro and spent almost $ 30.00 for a breakfast sandwich, 2 lunch sandwiches for me and my husband, and drinks. That’s $ 30, they lost, and will lose each morning from me.
It’s too bad, this place has a lot of verity, a great location, but no concern about the customers.

I was denied service because the $ 2.75 KIND bar wasn’t enough for their illegal credit card minimum.
I know they pay a fee, 3%(?), on each transaction. I hope it was worth it because I told them as I left (without the item) that I will not return.
Disgusting.

AFF is just another one of the fine korean deli institutions that serve the working drones in Midtown. They have a decent size seating area and plenty of food options.
Service is fast, maybe a bit gruff at times, but they do get the job done and keep the lines moving. You can get a half lb burger for about 5 bucks, which is a pretty decent deal.
Bonus points for selling sriracha flavored popcorn!

We stumbled onto Ashley’s on the way back from Times Square to our hotel, after watching Terminator Genesis (great flick!). The wife was getting slightly hangry for passing up all those late-​night eateries in Times Square but then Ashley’s came to the rescue!
Its a bit like a huge 24-​hr 7-​Eleven with a lunch counter to crank out burgers, sammies, breakfast, salads, pre-​made sushi, and made-​to-​order udon, ramen, and even Bimbimbap and Spicy Korean stews. Near the center of the store they have self-​serve buffet of pasta, Chinese food, and more salads.
5-​stars for convenience and having a nice seating area. We had watermelon and mango that was pretty sweet and refreshing (5 stars). Kimchi Ramen I’d have to give 3-​stars — instant ramen noodles with decent broth and choice of five other veggies. Good for a late-​night snack but probably not a primary meal option. So 4 stars overall!

When reading the reviews prior to going, I was expecting a cross between an expensive food court type restaurant and an overpriced convenience store. This was not our experience. I found Ashley’s to be…
1. Place where I could order breakfast or lunch and get a healthy, freshly made sandwich or omelet at a reasonable price.
2. Very convenient to buy a pint of ice cream or a home made type dessert to bring back to hotel that didn’t break my wallet.
3. A cashier who always gave us spoons, napkins, and recognized us with a smile after the second time we bought something.
4. This place was very convenient as it was directly across from our hotel, had sushi, salads, hot and cold bars.
5. Lots of choices, clean, healthy food options, and 24 hours. Great job Ashely’s.

Worst place ever! At 10:55 on a Saturday morning I tried to order a chicken sandwich. the place is empty but the wise guy behind the grill informs me I cannot order chicken sandwich until 11 a.m.
Really? You want me to stand there for five minutes until you’re willing to take my order? in a half-​empty restaurant?
So there’s absolutely no chicken breast in the restaurant at 10:55 but then they all miraculously appear five minutes later?
If you don’t want my money just say so, there’s a thousand other delis in the neighborhood.
Clearly this place is staffed by morons and managed by idiots because they don’t want to earn money.

Convenience.
This place is super convenient but is not cheap but at least it has healthy and fresh options.
— Their coffee is self-​serve so it’s fast (unlike the Sbux across the street which is the slowest Sbux I’ve encountered in Midtown). A large runs $ 2. But in no way am I saying that it is good.
— Their oatmeal bar is $ 4 – 5 and has 3 – 4 options. And then you can stuff as much fresh berries/​mango/​banana in it as you want. This really makes me question why I can’t make it at home.
— Their bibimbop isn’t bad but I’d recommend telling them to omit the sesame oil and to go light on the hot sauce or it’ll be too saucy.
— Their bagels are not what you would call a NY bagel.

Ashley’s Fine Foods is a gourmet deli in Midtown East, located on Lexington Avenue. This deli offers a large selection of premade and made-​to order salads and sandwiches, a hot and cold buffet, sushi, smoothies and other grab-​and-​go snacks. If you would prefer to dine-​in there is seating provided inside.
This deli was located conveniently across the street from our hotel during our recent visit to New York. My husband and I had breakfast here two mornings in a row because the food was so much better and cheaper than the breakfast served at our hotel. The coffee at Ashley’s was good and my everything bagel with cream cheese, cucumbers and tomatoes was very fresh and tasty.
If I stay in the same area again I will definitely return to Ashley’s Fine Food for breakfast.