Friedmans NYC Is My New Favorite Restaurant

Friedmans NYC is our favorite destination for dining in New York City. Find out what makes Friedmans Restaurant our top pick in NYC!

Reuben sandwich (gluten free)

Friedmans NYC Is My New Favorite Restaurant

When we decided to spend part of our summer vacation in New York City, I took on the task of figuring out the all-important question: where would we eat?  I needed to find a “home base” restaurant, within walking distance of our hotel, that was both kid-friendly and able to handle my dietary restriction (absolutely no gluten). 

The Food

At Friedmans, you’ll find elevated versions of classic breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner foods, 99% of which can be made gluten free. When we visited, the all day menu was available from morning until 4:30 pm, featuring breakfast and lunch foods.  After 5:00 pm, the dinner menu adds entrees like brick chicken, roasted salmon, and steak of the day, plus an assortment of appetizers like potstickers, spinach artichoke dip, and Korean chicken wings.

Vegetable potstickers (gluten free)

Kid-friendly, for us, meant that our daughters (ages 7 and 11), could enjoy their favorite comfort foods on a trip that, admittedly, was a little outside their suburban comfort zone.   Our kids were thrilled with the kids’ menu.  Every meal was a joyful dive into a stack of pancakes, a bowl of mac & cheese, a thick burger, or a big plate of crispy chicken strips. 

As for the adults, we enjoyed steak & eggs, Reuben sandwiches, hearty dinner salads, and an array of creative sides and appetizers, depending on the time of day and the whim of appetite.

Cobb salad (gluten free)

The Drinks

We were especially happy with the freshly squeezed juice options.  The whole family enjoyed lemonade for lunch and dinner.  My husband said the green juice and ginger shot kept him feeling energized, which is a real feat on a trip that involves miles and miles of walking!  I felt energized, too… except I got my energy from a tall glass of excellent cold brew coffee topped with half-and-half.

The Prices and Portions

It’s New York City; set your expectations accordingly.  Breakfast entrees are $10 to $20, averaging $15.  Lunch entrees are $15 to $20, while dinner entrees are $17 to $27.  Freshly squeezed juices are $4 to $6; coffee is around $4.  Sides and soups run $5 to $8.

Poached eggs, toast, potato hash, and chicken sausage (gluten free)

The portions were so generous that we ended up needing only two meals per day.  If you prefer to eat more meals, but smaller ones, two adults could split a single lunch or dinner meal and still come away full.  Or split a meal and add on a side or freshly prepared dessert to share. 

Planning

On a typical day, we’d walk from our hotel to Friedmans for breakfast in the morning around 9:00 am, then go sightseeing for the rest of the morning, afternoon, and early evening.  After that, we’d return to Friedmans for dinner around 6:30 pm.  We went to the location in the Upper West Side and never waited more than a minute or two for a table.  If you’re heading to a busier location (there are 6 locations in New York, most of which are in tourist-heavy areas), you might want to find out when the restaurant is less busy, and try plan your mealtimes around those times.

Gluten Free Options

As I mentioned above, I can’t eat gluten.  One of the Friedmans NYC founders was diagnosed with celiac disease and decided to make the menu almost entirely gluten free.  As a result, all sorts of food that people with celiac disease wouldn’t usually be able to eat are available here.  There’s a dedicated fryer and waffle iron, meaning that those of us who can’t eat gluten can feast on French fries, fried chicken and waffles, potstickers, tortilla chips; plus, there’s spinach artichoke dip, pancakes, Reuben sandwiches, and house-made desserts, just to name a few.  It’s hard to list everything when 99% of the menu is gluten free.

Spinach artichoke dip (gluten free)

Because there were very, very few menu items that couldn’t be made celiac safe, there’s no “gluten free” menu, since almost everything on the menu is gluten free.  Ask your server for the most up-to-date information, and enjoy!