Soup Kiosk
/Soup Kiosk
94 Prince St between Greene & Mercer St
SoHo
WHY COME HERE?
- Short lines
- Under $8
- Great soup, comfortably filling
WHAT TO GET?
- Gazpacho (summer)
- Clam chowder
- Beef chili
FACTOIDS
- No seating: sit by Mercer Hotel
- Not good for groups/dates/parties
A simple Soup Kiosk
Soup Kiosk is one of those places you never remember is there until you walk past it and are reminded of it’s existence. It is a small, well, kiosk attached to a far more expensive Soho bar/restaurant. This place is honestly one of the best lunchtime munchie spots I have ever frequented. They rarely have long lines so you get that instant gratification, and their food is incredibly inexpensive--I mean, when I try to spend less than $10 on lunch I normally hit the $8 mark, but the soup here wavers between $5-7. You get a nice crusty slice of bread to go along with your soup choice, or crackers if that’s the way you roll. (hyuck hyuck)
Counter of the Soup Kisok
When I go to Soup Kiosk it is probably because I am craving gazpacho. Theirs is chock full of veggies and perfectly refreshing, just the sort of light lunch you crave on a smouldering day. For their richer soups, like the chili and chowder, I usually go for a small because they don’t skimp. But as for the gazpacho, I recommend the large because it is a lighter soup and you need a little more to feel comfortably full. Coming from Boston, I am critical of all clam chowda’s. Theirs is...okay. It’s not the best, the clam pieces were a little tough last I had it and the soup itself was a tad underseasoned. However it is not bad either. It’s creamy and rich and perfect for autumnal slurping. I recommend this one with crackers because come on, when you have chowda you need oyster crackers- there’s really no other way to do it.
I wouldn’t go there for their sandwiches, not because they’re bad or anything, but just because the place is called SOUP Kiosk. You go there for soup! Also, the reason why business is so efficient is because pouring soup is very simple. If everyone went there for sandwiches, there might actually be a line *gasps in horror*. These are terrible reasons to not get their sandwiches though, so if you are craving a sandwich, then by all means, don’t let me stop you from that. I recommend the avocado.
~Personal Anecdote~
What I like to do is, on a nice hot day, head down there, order me some gazpacho, and sit on the benches out front of the Mercer Hotel. In my Jenny-less days, when I ate lunch predominantly on my own, this was my go-to lunching situation. My companion would be a book or a sketchbook or my DS, and I would eat and people watch and enjoy the crowds of Soho without actually having to navigate them. One time, I was sitting there, enjoying my gazpacho, and suddenly all of these black Escalades pulled up in front of the hotel. Paparazzi appeared, and a confused crowd began to buzz. I couldn’t tell if they were there for me or for someone else, so I asked just to make sure, but it turned out Jay-Z was in the hotel and would be coming out soon. It was crowded and security guys were fluttering about, staring cruelly at me, as I on principle refused to move from my seat (which was inconveniently very near to where I assume he would appear) until my lunch hour was over. All I wanted to do was eat this gazpacho and Jay-frickin-Z had to get in my way. Luckily for them, my lunch hour did end before he showed up so I had to make my way out of the crowd. So yes, just a caveat if you do decide to take me up on this lunchtime recommendation: watch out for the celebs because they will screw up your peaceful gazpacho enjoyment.