The Snail — Restaurant in New York

walking up to the snail on a saturday night, well no, it was only 5:19pm, so let's say late saturday afternoon, felt like flocking to festival gates, with all the rest of Williamsburg, and/or England, as the people in line ahead of us were, a group that we quickly struck up conversation with, as they too were wondering the same as us -- what's going on here? is this line to sit? is it just to put your name down? can we walk away and get one of those texts that asks us to be back within 15 minutes? what really happens here?

this cool vibe was just beginning. when we finally approached the host stand, it was clear that the two hostesses were excited about the spiel they'd been doling out to every group before us. they held a secret that everyone wanted to know. yes, it was first come, first served. yes, there were tables available right away, but no, they couldn't say for sure what would happen with the weather. eager guests turned their heads up towards the sky, worried and excited, then back towards their weather apps. and if it rained, no, there wasn't any guarantee of another seat inside. it's up to you. like the fate of some life altering decision was being dropped in our laps. would we risk it? or play it safe and add our names to the hour plus long list for an inside table?

the wind whipped the awning fringe around, rippling like waves, and the sun lumbered in and out behind dark clouds threatening rain. but the weather app chances of rain put it down at 30%, so we braved it, knowing that waiting an hour would just be too difficult. as it so happened, i'd done a 10 mile run earlier in the morning (in training for a half marathon), and coupled with my growing necessity for pajamas and the couch by 9pm at the latest, i knew we had to get in there asap and start chowing down.

we ordered pretty promptly: caesar salad, scarpinocc, double cheeseburger, and the flat iron chicken. (i will say, when i heard the waiter repeat to the next table over exactly what he'd said to us after ordering, "you guys are great, i wouldn't change a thing," i felt betrayed, as we hadn't ordered the same things. which one of us was he lying to?)

personally, i order salads for the purpose of the extras. usually, croutons, cheese, and recently, roasted chickpeas, are my faves. this one, decently satisfying, came with snowdrift-sized mounds of grated parmesan that literally blew around in the windy evening air. crispy fried capers were another nice touch, but personally the amount of dressing was a bit overboard.

the negroni and hemingway daiquiri were some lovely, and at the same time 'just fine' cocktails that we had on repeat throughout the meal.

burger was good, but not something that i'll remember much past the writing of this post. the chicken on the other hand, was definitely memorable. crispy top and tender underneath, with a jus that was probably a pinch too salty for my taste, but for some reason the scent of the dish has revisited my memories on random occasions maybe 3 or 4 times since the meal a few weeks ago.

lastly, the scarpinocc -- served with morels which were the star of the dish probably, but i can never say no to a pasta that resembles a dumpling.

and, as we finished the last sips of our last cocktails, signing the check as our pre-summer warm weather clothes flipped around at our ankles, we smiled, feeling just cool enough for one day.

and then it started...

I went to The Snail for my friend’s birthday, and I have major food allergies, so dining out can be stressful for me. From the moment we sat down, the staff went above and beyond to make sure I felt comfortable and safe. Our server was wonderful and immediately had the head chef come to our table to talk through my allergies. Together, we figured out what I could eat and how to make substitutions for a few dishes the group was interested in, which made me feel included and cared for.

We ordered five different appetizers, and one needed a small modification for my allergies. Anytime there was even a question about an ingredient, they personally came to check. Our waitress joked that she’d be coming back often to “bother” us, but honestly, I thought it was amazing — it showed how much they truly care about their customers.

Every appetizer was delicious, but the standout for me was the Lamb Tartare. I’ve had tuna, salmon, and beef tartare before, but never lamb — and it completely blew me away. My friend across from me felt the same way, and we were both laughing about how we didn’t want to share with the rest of the table. The chips and ham were out of this world, and both the oysters and shrimp cocktail were fantastic.

I can’t even pick a favorite main dish because everything looked phenomenal. When dinner came, I obviously couldn’t try everyone’s meals, but they all looked incredible. Mine was prepared with such care, and I couldn’t have been happier. The attention, kindness, and professionalism from the entire team — especially our server (forgive me, I forgot her name) and Austin — made this one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had.

Thank you to The Snail for not only serving incredible food but for genuinely caring about your guests. I’m so grateful and can’t wait...

I will preface this review by saying: this is mostly about the service and the standing room only chefs counter.

I walked in at about 5:30 by myself for a quick bite. In total I was there for about 30 minutes - I asked if I could just sit at the bar, and they said no, but they had a chef's counter that was standing only. I agreed thinking, I could at least watch the chefs cook and be entertained. What i didn't imagine was being put at a tiny counter in between tables - not the most comfortable, but hey, I was there for a quick bite so it couldn't be that bad, i thought.

Well unfortunately it was very awkward. I had to move a lot to let people in and out of the table and the bus boy to come clean that section. Also it felt a little weird having my butt near someone's face - i think it also made the diners that had a table a bit uncomfortable.

And the Chef's Counter is just looking at a very kind line cook and some plates stacked in front of me. So definitely not entertaining!

I do notice as someone who dines solo often, that not much attention is ever paid to me, but not one person checked on me in the entirety i was there. I wasn't able to get anyone to come over when i wanted the bill - I had to put my coat on and walk to the hostess stand and ask them to run my card.

I think what i ate was delicious, but as someone who has worked in the service industry in NYC for 10+ years, that standing space would be more optimal to store napkins, plates, utensils, etcfor a quick reset when a table is finished.

I don't know if i'll go back - don't love having to stand someplace for over an hour when making reservations at other places is an option and can...