In MTV’s show I Just Want My Pants Back, the characters, like many New York residents, frequent their Brooklyn neighborhood bodega on a daily basis. The bodega in the show and countless others throughout the city are important locations in many people’s lives. Maybe they know you by name and or how you take your coffee. Maybe they don’t judge you when you come in the next day for an egg sandwich in your work clothes. From shrimp flavored crackers and hard to find nostalgic candies, bodegas offer things you need and items bought on impulse, like cheap lighters that light up. No matter the ethnicity of your corner bodega they all have one thing in common; they are relied on by many residents as a source of necessity and great food. Remember not to judge a bodega by its storefront window because some bodegas serve up the best foods you can find anywhere in the city.

 

Here are three Manhattan bodegas that serve up some tasty authentic flavors, from Spanish food to Vietnamese sandwiches:

Sunny and Annie’s (Avenue B): This East Village bodega goes beyond your average deli sandwiches. For a filling and cheap lunch or midnight snack try Sunny and Annie’s “Pho Real” sandwich. Inspired by the Vietnamese comfort soup, Pho, this sandwich is the perfect transformation of soup into sandwich. If you don't like too much spice, ask for less szechuan pepper sauce.

Tehuitzingo Deli Grocery (10^th Avenue between 47^th and 48^th): Located in Hell’s Kitchen, Tehuitzingo looks like your average corner grocer. There’s a deli upfront selling a range of standard grocery items like canned vegetables and cleaning products. They also sell hard-to-find Spanish groceries. The magic happens in back of Tehuitzingo, where the deli becomes a taqueria serving authentic Spanish tacos such as, arroz con pollo tacos with green salsa or beef sope tacos.

Zargoza Deli (Avenue A and 13^th Street): If you’re in the Alphabet City neighborhood, stop in to this unassuming-looking Mexican grocery store. Inside Zargoza, you'll find a cat curled up on an old jukebox in a room the size of your bedroom. Zargoza offers a great selection of fried snacks and even your friends from California will love. A must try is the goat taco with a Mexican Coca-Cola (real sugar, not corn syrup!) to wash it down.