For budget-conscious Midtown worker bees, this Middle Eastern lunch spot is a miracle on 45th Street.

The Scene
In this narrow, unassuming and immaculate Middle Eastern joint, local employees line up for cheap and reliably delicious eats. By noon, rapid-fire orders start flying over the lunch counter, a glass case displaying vegetarian specialties--like zesty fattoush salad and creamy baba ghanouj. Behind it, falafel hits the fryer and hunks of fragrant meat rotate on electric spits. The tiny back room houses a few tables, but many patrons carry their orders back to the office.

The Food
The vegetarian combination platter (your choice of five) is big enough to last through dinner. Favorites include the plump fava beans; perfectly spiced chicken shwarma; the satisfying moussaka, a combo of melted eggplant and tomatoes with chickpeas, and onions; or the kafta meshi, a substantial serving of well-seasoned ground beef patties.