Restaurants in Union City

Traffic's menu dabbles in classy fare without sacrificing any finger friendliness. Tell ma to take a look at your lack of fork while eating baked mac 'n' cheese, breaded with parsley and parmesan cheese ($8) or a homemade hummus and cheese platter stocked with olives and a trio of gorgonzola, brie, and goat cheese aside flatbread ($9). Please the crowd with a mini burger-madness platter comprised of 10 pint-sized sirloin patties dressed in savory sauces and cheeses on a bed of french fries or onion rings ($36). Technically you could hand-shovel a chicken caesar salad ($12) or an asian steak salad ($13), but then the chef wouldn't appreciate your high five nearly as much.

Rated by Zagat as one of New York's best Chinese restaurants, Philippe Chow Express offers quality chow, done with the speed and precision of a caffeinated hummingbird filling out last-minute tax returns. Enjoy Philippe Chow Express's signature dish, the chicken satay ($5)—poultry coated in a delicious carrot-juice-and-egg mixture, speared with bamboo skewers, and served with chef Philippe Chow's secret peanut sauce—between sips of the restaurant's signature lychee martini ($12), a savory splendor of Grey Goose vodka, lychee juice, coconut cream, fresh-squeezed lime juice, and triple sec. Get your Groupon, pull a stool up to the countertop in Philippe Chow Express's modernized diner-esque eating quarters anytime between Monday and Thursday, and make Saturday rue the fact that it wasn't born earlier.

Café du Soleil brings to mind and mouth the appetizing ambience of a French bistro, without the stumping mathematical riddles of the real thing. Leave graphing calculators at home, and instead key in to the authentic French flavors of Café du Soleil's dinner menu, the tastechild of Chef Matthew Tivy. The mussels main course, served with garlic french fries, bathes farm-raised Newfoundland steamed mussels in your choice of white wine and shallots, fresh tomato sauce with garlic and basil, or Thai curry coconut broth ($19.95), while a dozen escargots, baked in a classic garlic-herb-butter sauce, showcases a savory use for snails other than as horses in beetle chariot races ($16.95). Opt for the organic awesomeness of a grilled salmon filet covered in dijon mustard sauce with cauliflower potato puree and braised leaks ($23.95), or tongue-lasso in the free-range, red-wine-braised chicken of the coq au vin, with mushrooms and pearl onions ($21.95). Café du Soleil's desserts dig deep into France's dominating bullpen of pastries and puddings, with the cocoa vin, a warm flourless chocolate cake with an orange wine sauce and toasted hazelnuts, emerging as the reliable closer ($8.95).

Set within an upscale speakeasy atmosphere, Prohibition ensnares picky patrons with a diverse menu of casual 1920s-inspired victuals and cocktails. Begin the gustatory beguine with a tuna taco starter, swimming in wasabi mayo and Asian coleslaw ($11), or plant pincers in a veggie-bedecked goat-cheese pizza ($14). Mini the Works burgers quell carnivorous cravings with a supporting cast of applewood bacon, american cheese, thousand-island dressing, and a side of shoestring fries ($11 for two, $18 for four).

The smells don't match the scenery at Market Café. With a modest exterior and a formica-tinged, art-deco theme on the inside, the venue seems like a traditional diner. Yet the aromas sneaking from the kitchen bely a more complex story—one of daily-made flatbread dough, pork burgers stuffed with cilantro, and sautéed tiger shrimp. These are but a few of the protagonists on a continental menu of made-from-scratch plates. The café's stress on in-house prep and signature touches—such as the loin-of-pork sandwich's housemade butter pickles—defies its unassuming design, offering what New York magazine calls "culinary salvation" from the area's standard eateries.

In addition to prioritizing housemade fare, Market Café caters to dietary restrictions. Its gluten-free menus draw from many mainstay listings for brunch, lunch, and dinner, and diners can also sub gluten-free noodles and buns into regular pasta or burger dishes. Much of the café's press homes in on its generous desserts—specifically the chocolate cake, a three-layered slice big enough to split between several people or act as a doorstop until someone gets hungry. The decadent confection pairs well with offerings from the fully stocked bar. Fresh blueberry purée and lime juice mix with gin in the blueberry gimlet, and the Dirty Goose—Grey Goose vodka, vermouth, and prosciutto-stuffed olives—preserves an avian motif that began with dinner's grilled quail served in a red-wine reduction.

Groupon is a combination of the words group and coupon. Each day, we offer an unbeatable deal on the best of Brooklyn: restaurants, spas, sporting events, theater, and more. By promising businesses a minimum number of customers, we get discounts you won't find anywhere else. We call it "collective buying power."