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Underground, in the bowels of Rockefeller Center, Tri Tip looks like a Quiznos, but the place is souped up with serious grills and buzzers that vibrate when your food’s done. It’s tough to picture 30 Rock’s dapper Jack Donaghy sauntering into a place like this—you’re more likely to find the small dining room filled with Kenny-style NBC interns. The eponymous dishes, essentially cheese steaks, disappoint. Named for an uncommon cut of beef (there are only two per cow) that’s known for its three-pointed heart shape, deep flavor, and fatty marble, these sandwiches are sometimes too dry, as is the case with the Border Buck. Others, like the Roadhouse, whose meat is sliced thicker, end up too salty to enjoy. But some of the items on this straightforward menu of lunch fare can pass for a decent meal. A thick Applewood bacon and Cheddar burger on a soft seeded bun proves to be above average, and the grilled salmon surprises in its char-grilled flavor and its soft, flaky texture. — Edna Ishayik

Bacon cheddar burger, $6.99; salmon, $12.99