Whitmans

Unsurprisingly, the first thing you’ll see when you walk into this East Village spot is a picture of Walt Whitman. Most of the decor is Americana, with flags and Revolutionary War-era prints throughout. This place serves salads, one of the best cheesesteaks in town, and 15 different burgers, all of which are fairly large and cost around $15. We recommend the Juicy Lucy—but eat it fast before the pimento cheese cools and gets too gritty. If it’s crowded upstairs, head to the basement where there’s more seating and a stack of board games. No one here will mind if you order a few cans of beer and start a long game of Monopoly.

photo credit: Ryan Muir