People heading to New York City looking for a dining experience may have heard of the Stardust Diner and their singing waiters and waitresses. However, did you know that if you wanted to get another Broadway style experience, you can head over to Friedmans NYC at Times Square. At Friedmans NYC, pay a visit at the right time to enjoy their singing servers.
Friedmans NYC Restaurant
Friedmans NYC has seven locations around Manhattan. Even though it looks like it belongs to a large chain, it is a family business.
It started off in 2009 with the original store located in Chelsea Market. From the start, the menu at Friedmans was created to be gluten free. This includes its pancakes, waffles and the fried that it is known for.
If you are wondering where you may have heard of the name Friedmans before, it may be because of famed economist Milton Friedman. He was the economist who popularized the phrase “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.”
Well obviously you won’t get a free lunch at Friedmans NYC but, instead, you will get some decently good American food that will satisfy your cravings.
Friedmans Theatre District
The Friedmans restaurant in the Theatre District is located within the Hotel Edison, which is also named after another famous person, Thomas Edison.
It faces out towards West 47th Street and is just a couple of steps aways from the north end of Times Square.
It opens from early at 7 am and has a tie up with Hotel Edison where it serves a sit down breakfast for hotel guests.
Beside the all day breakfast, which is served up till 4 pm, there are also other menu items that are served all the way into the evening at 9 pm for dinner.
There are wholesome burgers along with chicken and waffles. Plus you can try some delightful milkshakes or have a hearty soup.
The restaurant also has a bar that serves cocktails.
The Friedmans Theatre District restaurant stands out because it where you can be entertained by singing servers even as you have your dinner.
This is thanks to a tie up between Friedmans and Gayles Broadway Rose. The servers who bring you your food also take turns to sing and entertain the crowd. It is a unique experience and very much feels like a New York moment.
The Friedmans singing servers present their live music performances from Tuesdays to Sundays from 5 pm to 8 pm. So you need to make sure that you are there during those hours if you wish to catch them in action.
5 pm does feel a bit early for dinner but perhaps you can catch an early bite first before going out to explore Times Square area and its sights like the M&M store.
During this three hour period, the servers take turns to sing Broadway numbers to the accompaniment of backing tracks. Their voices provide a musical soundtrack to the dinner.
Don’t be surprised if your server is bringing you your burger one moment and the next moment, he or she is belting it out in front of the crowd.
The quality of the singing is very high. You may also be wowed when the servers team up to sing a duet. It feels like a fun New York experience.
If you wish to show your appreciation for the singing, you can always add a tip into the bucket that gets passed around the restaurant. This is separate from the usual tip that you have to add to your bill for the food service.
If you are looking for somewhere unique to have dinner and a place that doesn’t quite feel as hammed up as Eileens Stardust Diner, Friedmans Theatre District is a wonderful place for a meal and a musical experience.
Another interesting place where you can get dinner and a performance in New York City is at Birdland along West 44th Street. Birdland is a jazz club where you can catch top notch performers and also have dinner before the show. Find out more about what you can expect if you decide to pay a visit to Birdland.
You may also enjoy reading about Eataly, the Italian all-in-one marketplace and restaurant.
