By Reagan Payne.

But tucked into Greenpoint’s neighborhood grocery world is Jubilee Marketplace, a place that is quietly rebuilding what “affordable lunch” looks like. This supermarket has a commissary heart and prices that feel unfair.

Walk into Jubilee. You can get a garlic confit-filled grass-fed ground beef burger for less than the price of a subway swipe. These burgers have gone viral not because they’re tiny or cute but because they are made with real tasty ingredients. 

The genius here is simple: Jubilee makes everything behind the counter from scratch. This is how you dodge corporate Sysco sourcing and scale pricing. The butcher-to-grill pipeline keeps cost down and quality way up. Because they control their supply chain, they sell a kick-ass burger that tastes like it could have come out of a diner’s griddle at far punchier prices.

Not a big beef eater? Never a problem. Jubilee’s prepared food section offers bowls and meals that feel beyond-grocery premium. They have the likes of chirashi bowls and bulgogi rice bowls that mirror what you might pay big bucks for.

The story behind the prices is almost as Brooklyn as the food itself. CEO Young Kim publicly responded to customer complaints about grocery price inflation by lowering prices across thousands of items and apologizing to the community. Legend has it, he still spot-checks his prices against competitors. The $2.75 burger has become an act of defiance against inflated pricing norms in the city.

Jubilee Marketplace is the place to shop and eat with intention. You can spend less without sacrificing flavor and support a business that prioritizes people over profit. 

Reminder: community-minded food still exists in NYC. Go get that burger.

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