Lucky Pickle Dumpling Co.
Permanently Closed
Pickle soft serve, dumplings, and crispy pickles served
Pickle soft serve, dumplings, and crispy pickles served
"What It Is: A fast-casual Chinese spot on the Upper West Side Perfect For: Quick Eats, Lunch, Serious Takeout Operation Lucky Pickle Dumpling Co. is a counter-service spot on the UWS with no actual counter in sight. Here, you order on a monitor fastened to a wall. It’s a little like checking into a flight at an airport kiosk, but with spicy dan dan noodles and shrimp dumplings instead of a printed boarding pass. Oh, and they also serve pickle-flavored soft serve (which tastes more lime-y than pickle-y). The rest of the food isn’t bad, but there are much better options for dan dan noodles nearby (like Han Dynasty). The Verdict: This place is only noteworthy if you’re on a mission to taste pickle soft serve. Having tried it, we wouldn’t recommend it." - hannah albertine, bryan kim, katherine lewin, hillary reinsberg, chris stang, matt tervooren
"Lucky Pickle serves pickle-flavored soft serve that comes with salty pickle chips on it. But unless you’re dying to experience pickle ice cream, we suggest you go for the matcha flavor (they also do a chocolate dip)." - Hannah Albertine, Emma, Bryan Kim, Katherine Lewin, Hillary Reinsberg
"Lucky Pickle Dumpling Co. is a counter-service spot on the UWS with no actual counter in sight. Here, you order on a monitor fastened to a wall. It’s a little like checking into a flight at an airport kiosk, but with spicy dan dan noodles and shrimp dumplings instead of a printed boarding pass. Oh, and they also serve pickle-flavored soft serve (which tastes more lime-y than pickle-y). The noodles, dumplings, and sides aren't bad, but there are much better options for dan dan noodles nearby (like Han Dynasty)." - Hannah Albertine
"served “mostly bland, with mealy filling” dumplings." - Serena Dai
"I prefer that very Upper West Side attitude to the attempts at outdated hipster aesthetics you can now also find in the neighborhood, exemplified by Jacob’s Pickles, which serves mac and cheese in cast-iron pans and cocktails in jam jars. The latest from its owners—who are also behind Maison Pickle, down the street, a maximalist mess where offerings range from a Reuben French dip to chicken-and-eggplant parmigiana—is a tiny dumpling shop called Lucky Pickle, where cash is not accepted and you must order using a touch screen, and where all food is put in to-go bags, whether or not you’re planning to go. (Inanely, there are hooks to “recycle” the bags if you’re staying.) The dumplings, vaguely Asian and served five to an order, in broth or, in the case of the shrimp variety, melted butter, are mostly bland, with mealy filling. The fruit juices taste precisely like melted popsicles. But, to my surprise, I was delighted by what I had taken for pure gimmick: the pickle-flavored soft serve. As refreshing as cucumber water, its subtle but distinct hint of brine gives it a frozen-yogurt-like tang. I could have done without the candied-pickle-slice garnish, but I’ve found myself craving another big green swirl." - Hannah Goldfield
