The Original Soupman

Absolutely great soup. I had clam chowder and my husband had the lobster bisque. They were both wonderful. Only downside is this location does not have anywhere to sit. It was raining and we had to take soup to the park. Great price for quality soup!

It doesn’t even deserve one star.
WARNING:
If you have a Groupon, show it AFTER you sampled and pick what you want to order. You get treated better if they don’t know what you have a discount. The short little man will actually offer you samples rather than ignore you since they already have your money.
Communication there is a disgrace. And the employee (the one specific manager acting man. is he the manager? well if he is he needs to be replaced with someone that values customer service and satisfaction) is so rude. Talks back to the customer and does not care about service.
If you take out, don’t stack the soups because the cheap lids break with pressure.
Check that you have your bread because they skimp.
Over priced soup.

I went to the 38^th and 6^th ave location. The staff here are friendly, the restaurant looked clean. This location also has a coffee and ice cream shop. The soup is a little pricey idk maybe its just me. But overall my oven roasted turkey sandwich and crab bisque soup were good. I also liked the chocolate they give out with every soup. Lindt’s chocolate… yummm :-)

Not saying it doesn’t exist, but the address listed didn’t help this tourist get his soup fix.

I came here on a chilly night for some good soup. It is a bit expensive, but I’ve heard great things about the lobster bisque. It is really good and it’s pretty much the only thing you should get at The Original Soupman. Even though it’s a little pricey, the only reason I’m giving this place 4 stars is because of the lobster bisque.

I’m sad to report that this is the only remnants of the «Original Soupman» left as the original location, which I hunted down, was closed. Yes I mean the same one in Seinfeld! This place probably has a lot better attitude but lacks a lot of the character I was expecting, with the whole line must keep moving soup nazi status type of experience.
It’s actually pretty modernized and they have a huge variety of soups available on a daily basis including the famed lobster bisque. The staff is friendly and this is definitely a chain as there are other locations in NYC as well. I guess its not a bad place for a quick lunch or whatnot, but overall has lost its appeal to me. I want the «ORIGINAL» back!
Otherwise, I suppose this place was pretty good as far as soups go … but I don’t know that without the hype it was worth the almost $ 40 in two soups.

Now that the weather is getting colder, I know I’ll be going to the Soupman fairly often. However, let me warn you that it’s nothing that great. It’s fairly overpriced, in my opinion, and although the soup is good, the sandwiches are mediocre at best.
I’ve tried various soups, the best is probably the lobster bisque. But get that with the combo and you’re at $ 15 for lunch. ehh, not worth that.
I do like that with the soup you get a fruit and bread, just to fill you up a little more, so that’s a plus.
I just had the Chicken Corn Chowder and it was pretty good — although, it just wasn’t anything to go nuts about.
Will I have it again, yeah. Will I crave it? Probably not.

I really am disappointed with all the soups there. Regardless of its reputation, the soup is just plain NOT good! It’s just filled with stuff, and so that makes it filling, and perhaps tries to justify its exhorbitant price tag for what amounts to a bowl of soup.
I have given it several tries to see if it’s the flavor that I just haven’t had luck with, but every time it’s just nothing I want to really drink/eat…I have even felt like I had to force myself to finish my soup, just because it’s so expensive. Every one of my friends who have tried the soups also also confirm the same sentiment.

Since I’m going to ramble i’ll put a quick summary up front: the soup is fantastic, try the lobster bisque. Its expensive but its like having a lobster meal in a bowl. Its no frills, but the product is as good as it gets.
I’ve gone to the Soup guy/​nazi since before he was a famous seinfeld character, and there is a reason there has always been a line there at lunchtime and a reason it got someones attention enough to be a part of a seinfeld episode.
He makes a damn good soup. This is a VERY small place in fact, there is no real inside, only a counter you approach to place your order. He only makes a limited # f soups each day and its always fresh, because he runs out of things most days.
It is not a tourist trap, nor is it overpriced. If you think $ 9 is excessive for a large soup, maybe you’re not paying attention to the fact that its lobster bisque and each bowl has more lobster in it then you get sometimes when you order lobster in a restaurant. And he uses really high quality ingredients. Do you think these things are cheap?
Before you get pissed about the price of something, consider this– when your ingredients are expensive you have a few choices, (1) use cheap stuff in your product to get the price in line with what people expect something to cost (2) charge what you have to and hope that some people are willing to pay a premium for what you have to offer or (3) charge less and go out of business.
If its too expensive for you, there are cheap soups full of filler and scraps available all over the city.
I respect Al’s integrity for producing a top quality product, and i respect him for his rules that got him a nazi reputation. He knew he had a line every day and that his customers had to go back to work, and he wanted to keep the line moving so his customers would keep coming back.
My favorites are the lobster bisque, the shrimp bisque, the mushroom soup (creamless but tastes like cream of), and any of his chilis. If you like broth based soups, there are better places to go (try the edison café near times square); these are not his specialty.

Okay, I think no one can really write a review without using Seinfeld in their review. But this place is really good, and I can understand why they made an episode about this.
The soups are very good from the broccoli and cheese to the Turkey chili. You can’t go wrong. But don’t forget to try the wraps or panini which are very delicious.

After watching Seinfeld’s «Soup N@zi» episodes I always wondered if soup could be that good. «The Original Soupman» received many high marks from fellow Unilocalers so I had to try it one day.
Today was that day.
After researching the Soupman website and what other Unilocalers recommended I already knew what I was going to order.
I got there at around 11:50am, besides another person eating there, I was the only one there, no mad rush, no long lines. I got the whole joint to myself and will have the full attention of the order taker.
I ordered the Lobster bisque combo.
— 1 bowl of Lobster bisque ($ 10.95)
— 1 banana (Bonita brand) (included)
— 1 small piece of chocolate (included)
— 1 piece of bread (included)
— ½ Egg salad sandwich (just the way I like it plain, no fancy thousand island dressing, just eggs & good mayonaise with salt, pepper & romaine lettuce) (part of $ 3 combo meal)
— 1 Fresh Brewed Tea (Pineapple Green) (part of $ 3 combo meal)
$ 13.95 + tax = $ 15.00
Yeah I know that is pretty expensive for lunch but you gotta go all out to get the full affect. Next time I will order less, once I am a veteran of «the Original Soupman» joint.
So was the soup that good? Absolutely! This is the first time I have had lobster bisque with REAL chunks of lobster meat. The taste is simply awesome. Not too salty yet still lots of flavor. Quality ingredients costs money, real lobster meat is not cheap. This soup embodies quality ingredients. I wish I could afford to eat it everyday.
So yes, soup can be that good!
I am now a fan of «The Original Soupman».
I highly recommend it.
I will definitely return to try the other soups like the Jambalaya soup.

What a waste of a meal in NYC, this is such a tourist trap. The soup is decent, but not worth the price or Starbuck’s feel. What a sucker I am. Go somewhere more authentic in NYC.
As usual dishes are rated 1 — 10, 10 being amazing.
$ 5 Tomato Basil Soup Combo (3)
It’s fresh, but you can get that quality at any deli or bakery.
$ 9 Lobster Bisque Soup Combo (6)
This soup was actually pretty good, but $ 9 for a cup, bread, and a banana. How the fuck does a banana compliment hot soup?

When I realized how close this was to my office, I had to stop by being a huge Seinfeld fan. I definitely made like George Costanza and had the crab bisque, and I have to admit that it was really good… and had HUGE chucks of crab legs (deshelled of course). It’s a little pricey, but I still can’t wait to go back and try more of the soups!

For sure Stale and Narsty has nothing on the soup man himself! This is the real deal folks.
Yes, it is just that good. Yes, it is worth waiting in the freezing cold in a line that wraps around the block. Follow the footsteps and directions and you’ll get some fruit and chocolate as a reward for your effort!
The lobster bisque is really worth everything. Even knocking your mama over to get to it first.

NO SOUP FOR YOU!- says the Soup N@zi.
umm… you’re not talkin’ to me, are you?!
yeah, i thought so. hmmpf!
tomato basil…*garrrrrrrrrrr! gobble! burp!*
lobster bisque…*garrrrrrrrrrr! gobble! burp!*
cuban black bean…*garrrrrrrrrrr! gobble! burp!*
jambalaya…*garrrrrrrrrrr! gobble! burp!*
chorizo spicy mexican chili… *garrrrrrrrrrr! gobble! burp!*
chicken chilli… *garrrrrrrrrrr! gobble! burp!*
chicken noodle soup… *garrrrrrrrrrr! gobble! burp!*
shrimp gumbo… *garrrrrrrrrrr! gobble! burp!*
as you can see… i come here often for SOUP.
*garrrrrrrrrrr! gobble! burp!*
sorry. the last one was unnecessary. =)

Great soup, excellent price, a little hard to find
My friend and I walk by this place a few years ago. I thought having a meal for $ 10+ was quite exp. I mean, its only soup…, right? Then I forgot about this place.
Back to present day. I was actually looking for this place for sometime because I had a craving for soup one day and couldn’t find anything good. For some reason, I forgot the exact location and can’t seem to find it on Unilocal (there’s just too many Soup stores). I was running an errand and was walking on 48^th and I noticed the place, I was like «cool»! I thought they closed or something, unable to find them til today.
So I got the soup combo after I finished my errands. For $ 9.70, you get a cup of soup, a ½ sandwich, a piece of hero bread the about ½ the size of a Subway 6in sub, a banana (or apple), a bottle of water (or lemonade) and a piece of chocolate. That’s a lot of food for $ 9.70, for NYC anyway. Sometimes, you’re lucky if you don’t go over $ 10 at the entrée bars.
Most soups I had have tiny bits of ingredients or like they were put it through a food processor. If you don’t care for chewing, you can down it like you down a bottle of painkillers (not that I would do such a thing, lol). This soup was was chunky and the pieces are large enough that you will need someone perform the Heimlich on you if you were toothless and try to enjoy this soup.
I wish I ordered the Manhattan clam though, the Chicken gumbo was okay, but I rather dig my teeth into large chunks of clams. But wait, there’s a coupon for $ 1 off their soup combo. You know where I will be going for lunch next time… (already drooling…)

Yes Virginia, this is the place originated by the man immortalized by his caricature on ‘Seinfeld’. The Soup N*zi. «Is he that crazy?» I asked my New Yorker cousin. «Yes». «Is the soup???» «YES, its THAT good.»
I go every time I visit New York. I made my friend march 5 blocks in 4 degree wind chill winter weather for some of the soup. Was he disappointed? He finished his bowl before I was halfway through mine.
The lobster bisque, the jambalaya, even the basic veggie is GREAT!
MORE SOUP FOR ME!!!

Setting: Little cozy place, mainly for to-​go. There’s not much seats there, just stools.
Food: Wow. Maybe it’s just me, but it was hella good! The soup was magnificent (Manhattan Clam). And the sandwich I got with it was yummy (Buffalo Chicken Wrap). A combo comes with these 2 things, a drink, bread, and chocolate candy. And it cost less than $ 10. Definitely a bargain for such great food!
Service: No complaints. Very nice people.

While touristing around New York, I made it a point to stop by the place made (even more) famous by Seinfeld. I was expecting to see the Soup Nazi behind the counter but instead found two very polite workers who had no problem as I stood and debated which soup to get and offered me a taste of them until I found one I liked. I ended up getting the jambalaya which was a great decision. As previously mentioned, it comes with bread, fruit and a piece of chocolate. I made short work of the soup, but the bread was too dry for my tastes (even after dipping it in the jambalaya). For $ 7.50 I was full. I ate the fruit later in the day while exploring Times Square.
The seating here is resigned to the counters facing out the glass windows. There is a TV which plays a loop of the original Soup Man doing various interviews. Above the ordering area is a sign which reads:
«Soup Man Rules:
For the Most Efficient and Fastest Service
The Line MUST be kept moving!
1. Have your order ready
2. Pick up your SOUP!
3. Move to the EXTREME Left
4. Enjoy your soup!»

The soup is fantastic! Came here with a friend today when I was originally going to Hale & Hearty and I am so glad I did! I ended up getting a cup of the mushroom barley and now I wish it had been a bowl. Soup is fresh, warm and tasty. On top of great soup they give you bread, fruit and a piece of chocolate! For my friend and I both to get lunch it cost us about $ 11. That is a bargain in anyone’s book! I will be coming back for more in the near future.