Chickpea
“I also grabbed a vegetarian "chicken" salad wrap for lunch.”
“I usually get the falafel whole wheat wrap and can highly recommend it.”
“In a sea of not-healthy options it was extremely great to be able to fortify myself for the day in a healthy way.”
Chickpea
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
8 reviews
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The chai latte i got here was actually pretty good – too bad the staff was a mess. They had one guy taking AND making orders while two other employees counted registers and one washed the tables. I get that those jobs need to be done, but not when there is a line of seven people waiting. Especially since everybody is rushing to catch a train.
Nobody laughed at me when I said venti instead of large, which was cool
Great concept but lousy execution. Location is handy for Amtrak travelers as its near the platforms. I have purchased pitas from there on two separate occasions, first time it was great–pita and fillings were very fresh. Second time I ordered a chicken pita with red cabbage, chickpeas, eggplant & hummus. Pita tasted day old and I found hairs lodged inside the pita (gross!!!). I could not return the pita because I was already in transit. Upon reflection I suspect they don't clean their utensils thoroughly as I recall quite a bit of gunk build up on the spatulas. It's a shame because there aren't too many healthy options open super early in the area especially if you don't have time to go searching through Penn Station.
I believe I gave Chickpea 2 stars in the past and that did not do it justice. My first time, I had a pretty bad experience with the wilty salad I got from there. This time, however, I decided to go for the chicken kebab bowl, and I actually really liked this place. I really enjoyed my basil hummus (they have a really awesome selection of unique hummus flavors), my chicken and its sauces, my rice, tabbouli, and other sides. Wow, Chickpea just works out well and I am officially a fan now. They did the food of my people justice the last time I visited!
There are two Chickpeas in Penn station: the Amtrak Chickpea and the LIRR Chickpea. You'd think they'd be the same, more or less. This is not the case. The LIRR Chickpea is a way better option. I ate here and the staff seemed really high. They put too little hummus in my salad. They gave me stale pitas. They have no seating. Go downstairs to the other one.
Tick tock… Tick tock… 30 mins on the clock till my train boards. My stomach grumbles and I snicker, "Oh, right. I forgot to eat breakfast". I look around and my immediate options consist of dunkin donuts, pizza, more pizza, deli, Hudson news for candy bars and chickpea. I walked in thinking, what the devil? Something healthy around here? Hmpf, healthy with many vegetarian options, none the less. Perfect!
Chickpea is stocked with a large salad bar, assortment of Ito en teas, coconut water, fresh made hummus in a variety of flavors, tabbouleh salads, spicy tofu and vegetarian wraps, grilled chicken wraps, chickpea platters and a side area where they were making breakfast foods to order. A+ on the selection here.
I opted for the steel cut oatmeal with some almonds, cranberries and cinnamon. It was thick and delicious, too bad they didn't have a option to add cinnamon sugar. I also grabbed a vegetarian "chicken" salad wrap for lunch. Not bad at all with fresh tomatoes and red peppers mixed in with it.
Staff was super friendly and helpful. Too bad they forgot to give me a spoon for my oats. I had to run back before the train left.
Prices are a little high but remember this is NYC, folks.
This is the best option for a healthy, veg-friendly meal inside of Penn Station. The salads are fine, though not as good as even nearby options outside the station like Maoz. Non-premium toppings are salad bar fare with a middle eastern theme–cucumbers, tomatoes, a corn salad, cabbage, beets, different kinds of beans. Feta is extra. For about $9, you can get a few of those, a flavorful dressing, and some baked falafel, which is definitely fair given the convenience.
One of my favorite Middle Eastern restaurants in Chicago is called "Chick Pea", so when I noticed this place (after 2 years) in Penn Station, I was nostalgic. I had enough of eating decent, but greasy pizza, and I was so over gagging at the sight of gooey Krispy Kremes at 9 PM. I was finished with nibbling on Auntie Anne's pretzels for dinner and choosing spicy mix over any of Primo's sandwiches. I was a ghost – subsisting on peanut M&Ms and Perrier from the newsstand.
However, my hope for a wholesome meal was shortsighted. After visiting I realized that most of the prepackaged food is non-vegetarian. Additionally, the food bar looked icky and scary. I walked away with a $10 falafel salad, which was dry and very unappetizing.
After visiting this place, I realized I'd rather eat pizza.
Thought seemingly "fresh" and, most likely, the most relatively healthy eating option inside of Penn Station, after an experience with an average veggie wrap partially filled with the worst falafel I've ever consumed, I'd gladly eat a 1,200 calorie cinnamon roll for dinner from the CinnaBon down the hallway.