Restaurant in New York City, United States
Low-effort entry, high-quality neighbourhood sandwich.
A Pearl Recommended sandwich counter on Lorimer Street in Williamsburg, Edith's is one of the easiest bookings in New York City — walk-ins work, the format suits solo diners and small groups, and the food holds up well off-premise. If you want a low-effort, high-quality casual lunch in Brooklyn, this is the call.
Edith's Sandwich Counter, on Lorimer Street in Williamsburg, is easy to get into and worth the visit. There's no months-long reservation queue, no dress code calculus, no tasting menu commitment. For a first-timer, that simplicity is the point. Pearl has recommended Edith's for 2025, and the case for it is direct: this is a counter-service operation built around sandwiches, and it delivers on that premise without overcomplicating things. Walk-in access is generally available, which puts it in a different category entirely from the reservation-required rooms you'd plan weeks around.
The address is 495 Lorimer St, Brooklyn, NY 11211 — a Williamsburg location that puts it within easy reach of the L train. Booking difficulty sits at easy, which is rare for any Pearl Recommended venue in New York City. For a first visit, the practical implication is that you don't need to plan far in advance. Come with a loose plan, not a locked reservation. That said, peak weekend hours at popular counter spots in this neighbourhood can mean a queue at the door, so arriving early or midweek takes pressure off the experience entirely.
The atmosphere at Edith's reads as relaxed and neighbourhood-casual. This is not a loud cocktail bar or a dining room with ambient music calibrated by a consultant. The energy is the kind that comes from a small, focused operation doing one thing with care , the ambient feel reflects that focus rather than performing it. For a solo diner, a sandwich counter is an entirely natural format: you order, you wait briefly, and you eat without the social choreography that a sit-down reservation implies. There's no awkwardness in dining alone here in the way there might be at a twelve-seat tasting counter.
Editorial angle worth leaning into for Edith's is takeout. A sandwich is, by design, one of the most travel-friendly formats in food , and a well-made one holds its integrity better than most restaurant dishes attempted off-premise. If you're visiting Williamsburg and want something to carry to McCarren Park or back to a hotel, Edith's is a logical stop. The food doesn't require a dining room to make its argument. This is not the case for most Pearl Recommended venues in New York City, where the room, the service, and the plating are part of what you're paying for. Here, the value is in the sandwich itself, which means off-premise is a genuine option rather than a compromise.
Placing Edith's in context of the broader New York City restaurant scene: this is not a venue you're choosing over Le Bernardin or Eleven Madison Park. Those are different decisions entirely, at different price points and occasion types. Edith's competes in the category of neighbourhood lunch and casual grab-and-go in Brooklyn , a category where the question is less about prestige and more about whether the food earns a repeat visit. Pearl's 2025 recommendation says it does. For visitors already exploring Brooklyn who are considering the broader New York dining picture, our full New York City restaurants guide covers the range from counter to tasting menu.
Edith's is not the right call for a special occasion dinner. If you're marking a milestone and want a room with presence, look at what Pearl covers in the fine dining tier across the city. But for a low-key birthday lunch, a casual group hangout, or a solo working lunch in Williamsburg, the easy booking access and relaxed counter format make it a practical fit. Groups should note that counter-service logistics favour smaller parties , two to four people is the natural upper limit before coordination becomes the story rather than the food.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edith’s Sandwich Counter | Pearl Recommended Restaurant (2025) | Easy | — | ||
| Le Bernardin | French, Seafood | $$$$ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Atomix | Modern Korean, Korean | $$$$ | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Per Se | French, Contemporary | $$$$ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Masa | Sushi, Japanese | $$$$ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Eleven Madison Park | French, Vegan | $$$$ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Dietary accommodations can vary. Flag restrictions in advance via the venue's official channels.
Yes, and it's one of the stronger solo formats in Williamsburg. A sandwich counter has no social awkwardness built in — you order, you eat, you leave on your own schedule. Pearl Recommended (2025), it's a low-pressure stop that works well alone, especially as a takeout lunch near the L train at Lorimer St.
Edith's is a sandwich counter, not a bar-format restaurant, so bar seating in the traditional sense isn't the setup here. Expect counter-style ordering and casual seating rather than a sit-down bar service. If a full bar is the priority, this isn't the right call.
Specific menu details aren't confirmed in Pearl's data for Edith's. As a practical step, check directly before visiting if you have serious dietary needs. That said, sandwich counters at this neighbourhood level in Williamsburg typically offer some flexibility — but don't assume without confirming.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
