Collegetown Bagels & Appetizers
Triphammer Mall
607-257-2255
Ithaca Northeast
This bagelry and appetizing establishment offers a wide variety of breakfast and lunch sandwiches and simple entrees from 6:00 am until 7:30 pm. It's informal as dinners go, but that's fine. CTB has an excellent selection of retail gourmet items, along with an ever-changing variety of prepared food items. It’s very vegetarian-friendly. (Web Site)

Corners Deli
200 Pleasant Grove Road
607-257-4019
Ithaca Northeast
Hours: M-F 8:30am-6:30pm, Sat 9-4.
This Community Corners institution is a family-owned delicatessen specializing in Middle Eastern specialties in addition to a wide array of fresh American-deli-style foods. The overstuffed sandwiches and pitas barely leave room for the exceptional baklava and other desserts. Great falafel and gyros, and fresh roast beef whose aroma permeates the neighborhood. In the morning, stop by for a pastry or rice pudding and a cup of flavored coffee. (Web Site)

Doug's Fish Fry (Cortland)
206 West Road (Rte 281), Cortland
607-753-9184
Nearby
Hours: 11am-9pm Sun-Thurs, 11am-10pm Fri-Sat
Doug's Fish Fry is worth the drive from Ithaca. It's a small, privately owned chain that prides itself on simple, quick food, with no table service, no wait staff, and no tipping. Excellent lobster bisque or clam chowder, huge fried fish sandwich that overflows the roll, or even steamed live lobsters. (Full Review) (Web Site)

Doug's Fish Fry (Skaneateles)
8 Jordan Street, Skaneateles
315-685-3288
Nearby
Hours: 11am-9pm Sun-Thurs, 11am-10pm Fri-Sat
Doug's Fish Fry is worth the drive from Ithaca. It's a small, privately owned chain that prides itself on simple, quick food, with no table service, no wait staff, and no tipping. Excellent lobster bisque or clam chowder, huge fried fish sandwich that overflows the roll, or even steamed live lobsters. (Full Review) (Web Site)

Grist Mill Cafe
3825 Main Street, Burdett
607-546-7770
Nearby
Hours: Mon-Sat breakfast & lunch
This tiny eatery, on Route 79 between Ithaca and Watkins Glen, just past Burdett's four-way flashing stop light, offers pancakes and egg sandwiches for breakfast, and delicious fresh sandwiches for lunch. The coffee is top-notch, and a "large" mug is the size of a measuring cup! A warm roast beef sandwich was served on a fresh roll with caramelized onions and garlic mayo -- complete with garlic cloves. Yum! The lemonade was fresh, and went nicely with the quiet outdoor deck, which overlooks a stream with a small waterfall.

Ithaca Bakery
400 North Meadow Street
607-273-7110
Ithaca West End
When I told a friend in Florida I was going to visit the Ithaca Bakery, she exclaimed, "Oh, I love bakeries!" I had to stop and think for a moment, then explain that our Meadow Street "bakery" doesn't just do bread and pastries. They do bake the fresh bread, rolls, donuts, cookies, and cakes for a staggering number of hotels, stores, offices, and other eateries around the region, but I was there to visit the eatery part of the business. Any time of day, you can satisfy your appetite at the Ithaca Bakery for just a few bucks for a bagel sandwich or deli sandwich, or spend $5-10 for a full meal. (Full Review) (Web Site)

Ithaca Cheesesteak Emporium

Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches
122 North Aurora Street, Ithaca
607-645-0075
Downtown Ithaca
Hours: 11am-3am daily
This sandwich shop offers well-stuffed sandwiches on French bread or thick-sliced whole-grain bread, with delivery available (the prices are higher for each item). The sandwiches are made to order, and they're lightning-fast. (Web Site)

Letters Central Hots
109 South Cayuga Street
319-4944
Downtown Ithaca
Letters is a small shop on South Cayuga Street featuring hot dogs and coffee in a beautifully redone space with a gorgeous wood bar and free evening music.

Ling Ling
Ithaca Shopping Plaza & East Hill Plaza
607-272-0718 & 607-273-1668
Ithaca
Hours: 11-10 Mon-Thurs, 11-11 Fri & Sat, Noon-10 Sun
Ling Ling, a pair of carry-out or eat-in Chinese restaurants, offers quick and inexpensive and tasty Chinese food. They offer a surprising variety of Szechuan, Hunan, and Cantonese cooking a la carte, with several options available as combo dinners ($7-8 or so for entree plus fried rice and egg roll), and a couple dozen lunch special possibilities, where $4.60 gets you an entree with fried rice, plus soup or an egg roll. Make sure you check which one you’re calling, or you’ll go pick up your food at the wrong place!

Little Thai House (Collegetown)
202 Dryden Road
607-273-1977
Collegetown
A tiny, casual eatery for take-out or eat-in service. You can order items from the menu, but your best bet is to select two already-prepared entrees from the steam table as a combo (or one large portion) for $4.95. We recommend the Pad Thai and one of the other entrees. Some dishes are deliciously spicy, and there’s good chili sauce if it’s not hot enough.

Sadie D’s Deli
DeWitt Mall
607-273-9027
Downtown Ithaca
This friendly, family-run deli, named after a dachshund, offers tasty sandwiches, delicious soups, and great coffee drinks in a convenient spot in downtown Ithaca, a short walk from the Commons. The usual deli sandwiches are supplemented by house specialties, such as the wonderful “Godfather” sandwich. They have a wider-than-usual selection of cheeses, and such interesting sandwich toppings as artichoke hearts. Try a half sandwich with some fresh soup, and don’t forget a slice of the peach pie.

Sangam
Center Ithaca
607-277-6716
Downtown Ithaca
Hours: Open 7 days a week
There are a few select entrees from the main Collegetown Sangam Indian Restaurant here at this steam-table counter in Center Ithaca. The food always tastes fresh, and it's always ready when you walk up. There's also a small selection of Indian groceries and videos.

Shortstop Deli
200 West Seneca St., Ithaca
607-273-1030
Downtown Ithaca
Hours: 24 hours every day
Whether you call them subs or grinders or hoagies or whatever, Shortstop Deli specializes in those long sandwiches on fresh-baked French bread, or smaller sandwiches on kaiser rolls. They've got the usual ham, roast beef, and turkey, but they've also got seafood salad, eggplant, seitan, or prime rib. For the last couple of years, the Shortstop hot sub menu has had a selection of the famous Hot Truck French bread pizza subs. Supplement your sub with a fresh hot bowl of soup or chili. (Full Review) (Web Site)

Viva Taqueria & Cantina
Corner of State and Aurora Streets
607-277-1752
Downtown Ithaca
Hours: 7 days until 10 pm
This downtown corner eatery features inexpensive and plentiful handmade, fresh Mexican food, focusing on tacos, burritos, nachos, and the like. The fillings include deliciously spiced chicken, beef, pork, or bean-based vegetarian mixes. The next-door Cantina offers table service and a bar that mixes (among other things) a respectable margarita.

Wendy’s
Pyramid Mall & Elmira Road

Ithaca
Wendy’s isn’t Ithaca-specific, but it’s always got affordable, tasty food, usually beats the other chains on quality, and if the staff isn’t the quickest or most talented around, at least they’re not ruining any expectations. A pair of 99 cent “double stack” cheeseburgers and a soda makes a filling and quick meal, and if you’re inclined to step up to a spicy chicken sandwich or a stuffed pita, so much the better. The fresh and inexpensive salads and potatoes have always edged Wendy’s onto the good side of healthy eating for those who want it, and the grease is of course there for those who prefer that approach.

Wings Over Ithaca
East Hill Plaza
607-256-WING (9464)
Ithaca
Hours: 11a-1a Sun Tue Wed, 11a-3a Thu-Sat, 4p-1a Mon
This new branch of "Wings Over Albany" offers an affordable lunch buffet and free delivery (4pm to close, daily). The hottest "Afterburner" wings are hot enough for Ithaca, if not Buffalo, and flavourful as well. Vegetarians are basically out of luck, unless they're satisfied with fries and macaroni salad. Poultry-eaters, though, might enjoy the 15 varieties of wings, and those who can't stand bones should try the "boneless wings," excellent hand-battered chicken strips sold by the half pound. We have yet to try the wraps, sandwiches, or ribs. Let us know what you think. (Web Site)