Union Square Cafe

This restaurant is huge. Thats not the point. The point is it has ONE BATHROOM. I waited on line for 15 minutes. Luckily the guy in front of me informed me that there was both a urinal and toilet, so we were men enough to go at the same time. I could only imagine what the patrons thought when we both walked out together. The food is good, not fabulous.

Regulars from day one, you can't imagine the disappointment we experienced from the woman taking our reservation (we are in the system so it should be easier not more complicated!) to the oily, cheese-y and "crispy" menu (three items were described as "crispy" before we even got to the entrees. Definitely not the healthy choices that once represented USC. But really, it's a loved neighborhood landmark! Was.

We don't come to NYC very often but when we do USC is always on the agenda. But I have to say we were recently there and I was very disappointed with the service. Our waiter was arrogant and much too serious and the waitress(??) assisting him who poured the water and drinks was so unfriendly - never smiling or speaking a word. Other times when we've been there the feeling was much more fun and relaxing. I felt the waiter was trying to rush us and really didnot give us good info. I will come back, hoping this was just a bad night . I have read Danny Meyers' book and I definitely know this is not the hospitality he wrote about.

I think it is an OK place but def not on par w prices. Maybe it's just me, but the bread basket is a SHAME. Several kinds of bland bread=not match USC's reputation. USC should check out places like Vincent's or even much smaller restaurants who takes customers (and bread) seriously b/c i think bread shows a host's attitude towards the business+customers. Fracastelli was ok and banana tart was on par w what most reviews said. Extremely friendly waiter. Overall it does not match its reputation (or i might not have ordered the right food) and not worth the price tag.

We walked in to Union Square ready to enjoy a lovely evening out and we were not disapointed. We started by saying that we wanted an unhurried experience and the staff did everything to make this happen. The service was just about perfect all night. We shared the beef carpaccio which was tender and flavorful and then shared the app size of the Butternut squash ravioli with a butter/sage and balsamic glaze. They were so flavorful and not too sweet. We then each had a different lamb entree: one Lamb chops and one baby roasted lamb. Each were large portions and totally delicious. The only minor disapointment came with the desserts. The Pear dumplings had quite a bit of cinnammon so the pear flavor was lost. The 3 scoops of ice cream varied widely in consistancy. But the dinner was near perfect and the overall experience was just what we hoped for. While there are many restaurants that come and go in NYC, Union Square again showed why it has been here for decades.

I don’t care for being played and I certainly didn’t expect to be played by the USC wait staff, yet this afternoon I most certainly was. My wife and I went for brunch and as we were ordering, our waitress suggested and highly recommended today’s special, a pasta / truffle appetizer. She made it sound good enough for us to change from the original order of calamari. Absolutely no mention was made of the cost, only how good it was.and it was OK, not earth shattering or "to die for", but very pleasant.. not $75 worth of appetizer (regardless of the price per pound of truffles). What bothers me is not the cost, but that the USC waitress failed to at least hint that the appetizer special cost near 3 times more than anything on the menu (including entree's). I’ll definitely pay a little more attention in the future, but with plenty of 5 star restaurants to choose from, it will probably be a while before it’s with USC again. And yes, the rest of the meal was exquisite, as it always is.

We have been celebrating at Union Square for decades and have never been disappointed...