The crown jewel of the Ranch 1 franchise, this location–right next to Letterman’s Late Show–is front and center to the throngs of curious tourists and marauding gangs of business-casual Midtown workers. While pretty typical in terms of Ranch 1 stores, this one has been renovated recently and seems to have made some attempt to pay attention to lighting, esthetics and cleanliness. They’re not going to fool anyone into thinking he or she is eating at The Four Seasons or anything, but it’s nice to eat your grilled chicken salad in a place that doesn’t smell like a urinal puck. I know it’s a world’s tallest midget kind of thing, but in terms of fast food, it’s nice to have options out there that don’t make you feel like a greasy slob after wolfing it down. [MF]
1695 Broadway
212/262-7171
ranch1.com