Friendly’s

I came to this Friendly’s for the first time last week and had the $ 5 Honey BBQ Burger plate with fries and coffee. The staff were super friendly, the food came fast, and everything was absolutely delicious (including the coffee).
I came a second time and had much the same experience.
Today was the third time, and while the food and service were again excellent, the experience was infuriating. I took my mother and brother here for lunch. We barely started eating when a staff member went around telling everyone that they were going to test their new fire alarm, and that it would be really loud but only momentary, and please just ignore it. Well, it was indeed a really loud and annoying horn that they blasted for about 5 seconds and stopped. But then they proceeded to repeat it at roughly 4 – 5 minute intervals at least another EIGHT TO TEN TIMES, startling the living crap out of everyone each time.
Our entire lunch was punctuated at random with this blaring alarm horn – no further explanation, no apology, nothing. WTF, Friendlys? When *you* go out for a nice lunch with *your* family, is that the experience *you* expect to have?
Next time you need to test your new fire alarm, do it before or after operating hours! What makes you think it’s OK to charge people full price for a meal and then proceed to make them miserable the whole time with startling, ear-​splitting horn blasts? If I had been given forewarning that that was happening today, I would have had the choice to eat elsewhere. I think you owed me at least that much courtesy, rather than leaving me no choice but to sit through being audibly assaulted for an hour, and then getting billed for the privilege!

I thought I liked Friendly’s but on my last two visits the food was not good and it was two different locations.
The first was Upstate NY and my father and I ordered the fish & chips. Neither one of us liked it. The quality of the fish was very poor and was not enjoyable. Now I’m in Massachusetts and I try the buffalo wings here and they were horrible. I can describe them as chewy & undercooked.
On a good note, there’s a lot of wings that come with the order and the service was great both times… but I think I’m gonna stick to the fried chicken meal if I even end up in another Friendly’s.

Just had the bacon cheese burger and waffle fries. Staff were friendly and efficient. Service was immediate. Wait time very short. Burger was delicious and juicy. Bacon fresh and crisp but not burnt .bun soft and fresh. Tomato was fresh and ripe lettuce fresh. Waffles fries nice and crisp… actually much better burger and fries than other way more expensive restaurants… will definitely come back.

Whenever I need a reminder that there are wholesome people in this world, the kind I usually find nauseating but occasionally crave being in the company of, I go on a weekend trip out of the NYC metropolitan area. And I never fail to be amazed at how teenagers and college aged kids aren’t necessarily all rude, indifferent or nasty at their service industry jobs.
(Note I experienced the indifferent variety at my local Queens Keyfood on the same day as my friendly Friendly’s experience. A study in contrasts if ever there was one!)
So this Friendly’s experience was very much like my other one in Massachusetts earlier in the year: friendly teenagers, fast service and a tasty wallet friendly breakfast.
No, you won’t see any mimosas, bellinis or other big city brunch aberrations here. Instead of my typical Sunday brunch I ordered a «Big Two Do». Even before being given a menu I was asked if I wanted juice or coffee. I opted for orange juice, my wife, coffee and she was given not a cup but an entire pot of coffee. (I feared asking for tea and being driven out of the store as some sort of communist).
A few minutes later and the big two do was presented in all its glory: two scrambled eggs, two sausages and two buttermilk pancakes. I could have had two slices of bacon or two pieces of french toast instead of my selections.
Out of all the items on my plate, in order of tastiness I submit pancake, sausage and then scrambled egg. Pancake– light, fluffy and I wish there were six more. Sausage– it’s meat, that’s all I need to know. Scrambled eggs– I’ve had better but these were the source of protein I needed to prepare for auto battle heading south on the Hutch.
The staff, mainly all girls in their early 20’s/ late teens, were well mannered and courteous to customers, whether you are a regular or a newbie like me. Note to Friendly’s corporate trainers: you could do amazing business training the teenagers of NYC in how to present themselves while at service sector jobs.
Oh, and the toilet was actually clean and did not instill the fear of God unlike toilets I’ve been to at other local NYC chain restaurants and just restaurants in general.

The staff here are hilarious and easily believed horrible things I told them about my friend that is as ugly on the outside as he is on the inside. Ice cream is the best thing, grilled cheese sandwiches with crazy things in them are the second best thing.

I’ve been in here several times since and all was excellent.