Broadway Eats: Serendipity 3

 Every once in a while, we do something "touristy."  That includes eating, and we really went for it with lunch at Serendipity 3, a New York institution since 1954. We visited their Times Square location for a pre-matinee Sunday lunch. Located kitty corner from the new Palace Theatre entrance on West 47th Street, it is a perfect location for theater-goers. We went early enough that the reservation we made really wasn't necessary, but by the time we left, there was a small line. Reservations are simple through their website.

Broadway Eats:

Serendipity 3 - Times Square

So was it worth our time and expense?

LOCATION	Theater District/Times Square: 157 West 47th Street Phone: (646) 455-0467
CLOSEST THEATERS	Palace, Lyceum, James Earl Jones
HOURS	8 am - 12 am, Monday - Sunday
WEBSITE	https://serendipity3.com/
MEALS SERVED	Brunch, Lunch and Dinner
BAR	Full bar - Small bar with seating; specialty cocktails and standard menu
OUTDOOR SEATING	No

The Menu:

As you can see from the picture above (Tap to enlarge) they have a fairly large menu with a variety foods. I'd probably describe it as "elevated American diner" cuisine. with various styles of burgers, foot longs, mac and cheese, and standard issue entrees of chicken, salmon and salads. They do have a few specialties, including a Sunday Dinner Sunday, which is chicken strips, fries and mashed potatoes covered in gravy and arranged to look like an ice cream sundae. I actually saw one, and it did look as advertised, but I have to admit it didn't look too appetizing. They also serve a small brunch menu, and have cocktails and a full bar. Serendipity is probably most famous for its desserts and "Frrrozen Hot Chocolate." 

The Place:

We were seated at the first booth for two just inside the dining room entrance (you can see it peeking out in the top left photo above), so I didn't really get to see much of the dining room, bur as you can see, the decor is similar throughout. In person, you can see that great pains were taken to make the space what may best be described as deliberate kitsch. It's just slightly too well-matched and purposely organized. That said, it is comfortable and fun. To a person, every guest that was ushered past us, grew wide-eyed and smiled as they looked ahead to their destination. In the lobby, there is a small gift shop and a bar with about ten seats that functions as a bar but looks like an ice cream shop. Definitely a tourist trap kind of set up, but a fun one, and it is obvious it works. 70 years in business is no small accomplishment.

 

Our Order:

We both decided on foot long hot dogs for lunch. Mike got the Classic Dog ($19.95) dressed in Gulden's mustard and served on a hearty roll with fries. I opted for the Chili Cheese Dog ($22.95), which was piled high with a mildly spicy, very meaty chili and plenty of shredded cheese. Mine also came with fries. The hot dog was fine, but the roll and toppings really made the sandwich great. The portion of fries was big, and they were hot and crispy and perfectly salted, too. Neither of us completely cleaned our plates. We were pretty full, but had to have dessert. I had a "Drug Store Sundae" which came with three scoops of ice cream and I chose hot fudge as my topping with one scoop of chocolate and two of vanilla. They have several flavors and several toppings and you can order it as you like it. Topped with a whipped topping that looked like a picture, but was not really whipped cream, and a cherry, this treat was $18.95. Mike went with their signature Frrrozen Hot Chocolate with peanut butter chips, also $18.95. He enjoyed it, saying it was quite chocolate-y, but not overly sweet, and that he'd order it again if we ever returned. My sundae was delicious, too, and I'm not sure how they did it, but the ice cream was so cold, it did not melt from the first bite to the last. One down side to that is that the hot fudge - very tasty - was also pretty close to frozen to the glass and took a bit of scraping to get it all. We both had refillable soft drinks at $6.95 each. Though the portions were large and the food was all delicious it was a pretty expensive lunch coming in at just about $120 for two after tip.

The Service:

Our waiter was very attentive at first, quick with the drinks and taking our order. As the meal went on, he returned less frequently. We had to ask for refills and to order dessert. At the end, we waited several minutes to get the check. I'm glad we weren't really rushing for a show.

The Verdict:

It was fine, and I'm glad we did it. Does it live up to the hype? Not really. Would we go there again? Maybe - when we have plenty of extra money. Still there were several things on the menu I'd like to try - I love Belgian waffles, and the burgers I saw looked pretty amazing, too.

🥄🥄🥄 1/2🥄 out of 5