Sarabeth’s is one of the popular brunch spots in NYC, yet, I have never dined at any of Sarabeth’s location. Since it is also a popular tourist destination, we decided to finally go check it out at their Park Avenue location. There was a host/hostess section at the entrance, with a large waiting area. It was crowded for the weekend brunch. We had a reservation and arrived about 10 minutes early. We checked in the staffs, and waited for our name to be called. They had a large bar at the right to the entrance, with some table seating as well.

After everyone waiting for their tables have been seated, including the ones who arrived after us, it was just us two waiting… And then one of the staffs came over and asked what our name was for the reservation. I guess we have been forgotten…? So, 10 minutes after our reserved time, total of 20 minutes of waiting patiently, we were finally taken to our table.

Once we were seated, a very friendly waiter greeted us right away. We decided to get a cocktail to go with our brunch. We both got intrigued by their Tiramisu Martini ($16), made with Coffee Liqueur, Crème de Cacao, and Espresso. It had a look of the classic black-and-white cookie, which I thought was cute. It was strong with a punch of espresso to wake you up. A nice large glass, which was great.

For food, we ordered one savory, and one sweet dish as we normally do. The server asked if we wanted any sides, such as bacon, and we thought “why not?” so we added bacon on the side. To our surprise, the side of thinly-sliced Applewood Smoked Bacon was whooping $14! My goodness.

The sweet dish of our choice was Lemon & Ricotta Pancakes ($26) with blackberries. It came with five fluffy pancakes, perfectly griddled, if that’s a word. I spread some butter and drizzled syrup, and went in! The pancake had a nice sweetness to it, airy and light. Unfortunately, I didn’t get much of lemon nor ricotta flavor. It tasted more like a regular pancake, with a hint of lemon, which was a bit disappointing.

For the savory, we went with Adult Grilled Cheese ($25), made with 3 cheeses, pretzel bread, housemade pickles, served with tomato soup. When it arrived, I was a bit taken aback at the small potion size of the sandwich. Good thing it came with a nice sized soup.

We recently had an Adult Grilled Cheese during our trip to NH, and we loved it. So, this menu intrigued us for sure. The sandwich was rather small, but it was loaded with gooey, glorious cheese. The tomato soup was creamy and comforting, and it provided extra substance to otherwise a small sandwich. It was more filling than it looked, quite tasty, and we enjoyed it.

Their bathroom is in the back, then to the right. It is kind of far, almost like a maze. Make sure to pay attention to the bathroom signs along the way. There is one accessible, gender-neutral bathroom at the end, and more men and women bathrooms further down. I believe they are located down the stairs.

I used the accessible bathroom right there, since it was not occupied. It was large, aesthetic, and I liked the large plant in there. It had a toilet, urinal, and a sink. Well lit, and well maintained.

Overall, it was a “ok” brunch. We did get full enough from our cocktails and food. I wouldn’t say the food was as good as I wanted them to be, especially the pancakes. The price point felt a bit high too, especially the side of bacon. Most of all, the way front staffs acted, how we were kind of forgotten while they just chatted among themselves, that made us feel not welcomed nor appreciated as customers. Would we return? Not sure…but I am glad we got to finally visit one of Sarabeth’s locations, and tried out their food and drink.

Sarabeth’s (Park Avenue South) – 381 Park Ave South, New York, NY 10016