There is a trick to getting service at Serendipity 3; don’t wait outside. The inside waiting is small so most people wait outside. The host tells everyone that there is an hour wait time, but she never goes outside to call people in. If you stay inside you can cut that hour down to about 10-20 minutes.
Although the name may seem odd (it pays homage to the three people who started the restaurant also known as the Serendipity 3) this isn’t your average popsicle stand. Located in a basement on East Fifty-Eighth Street everyone from Bill Clinton to Andy Warhol has eaten here.
Serendipity is a hodge podge of items. The inside looked appropriate for the Mad Hatter to have his tea party there. Stain glass lamps hung from the ceiling and white marble taps were crammed into the building. Shelves near the register are packed with interesting knickknacks such as cookie monster cookie jars, action figure dolls, and books of all kinds.
It isn’t just the interior that people come for but the food. After being seated the host will hand you a menu over a 1-½ foot high. Most people come for the ice cream, which are more than enough to feed two people. Their drug store sundaes are three huge scoops. I split the Forbidden Broadway Sundae with my grandmother, and we both agreeded that it was one of the best sundaes we had ever had. It consisted of chocolate Blackout cake, which was still warm, next to vinella ice cream and topped with hot fudge. The only complaint was the whipped cream. It was very sour. Almost like it went bad. We weren’t the only table taking it off. The sundae cost $13.50. We also decided to split an entrée, The Alamo. I had some reservations about this black beam burger, but it was a wonderful pleasant surprise. The burger tasted unlike anything that I had before. It was almost like a cross between a hamburger and refried beans. I also highly recommend adding the picante salsa and the sour cream. The Alamo was only $10.
Serendipity 3 offers a wide variety of food besides the ice cream that is famous for, such as Lemon Chicken, Cheddarburger, and Chicken Nachos. Regardless of what you get you’re guaranteed a delicious twist on old favorite.