We spend an inordinate amount of time on the Upper East Side. My husband works there and my kids take their lessons there. We often finish with our day around 5pm leaving us to come home around 6:30pm–well past dinner making time for our family. So on occasion we try to find somewhere to eat.
However, if you’ve read any of my blogs at all, you should know this is no easy feat. First of all, finding a restaurant in Manhattan that has room for a double stroller is not easy. Secondly, figuring ways to tame and conquer the formidable force we refer to as “the twins” is. . .well. . .intimidating. Enter Hamburger Heaven.
Hamburger Heaven is actually a small franchise with a few locations throughout Manhattan. We went to the one that was on 3rd Avenue right off of 86th street. It is a retro style diner complete with a soda bar and black and white tile. To be fair, I have to admit that my dining experience in New York City is somewhat limited, but I have to present this restaurant with the privileged distinction of being the best place to take your kids for a good burger.
The food was definitely tasty and it was reasonable by “normal” standards. Considering we were on the Upper East Side the food was cheap with entrees around $10 (and some things even cheaper.) What sold us however, was the service.
To fully appreciate what I am going to say about the service, imagine that you are the hostess of said restaurant on a Friday evening. You’re busy and tired and ready to go home. Only we got no such impression as we walked in the door. . .did I mention that there were 7 of us?
Not only were we greeted as if we might be their best tipping customers ever, they rearranged seating to accommodate our large family so there was wiggle room for the wigglers. (A real rarity in Manhattan.) They brought extra crayons to our table. They refilled our drinks on cue and the waiter even took an extra ten minutes to listen. . .no. . .encourage my three year old to explain exactly how she might like her hotdog sliced. (The fact that they knew how to make the hotdog look like an octopus was pretty impressive too in my estimation.) They brought balloons to our table too and when they realized that they didn’t have five balloons (one for each of my children) the manager went down the street and bought some more. (Did you catch that folks? The manager. . .not the hostess, the busboy, or the waiter. . .the manager.) I’m fairly sure that if we had said that doing back flips would’ve made our stay more enjoyable. . .they would’ve done back flips for us.
Truly we were treated as if we were VIP customers but as I watched I realize that this is simply how they do business. They love kids and demonstrate such by their service and atmosphere. If you are in the neighborhood with your kids (or even without), I highly recommend that you give Burger Heaven a try!
Other things to do in New York City: