Sarah D.
Google
Not impressed.
I had heard so many good things about Red Hen, so when I was meeting two friends for lunch, I insisted we try it out.
The service was great. Super friendly and attentive waitstaff.
Everything else was pretty mid.
It was shocking to see zero fun non-alcoholic beverage options. No coffee drinks, no mocktails, but... I saw the alfogato on the menu, so I ordered that without the liquor. Our server came back to let me knew they only had decaf espresso (what?!?!). I got a water and the chicken and wild rice soup. It was decent. Served in a big bowl with no crackers.
My one friend saw the bourbon pecan bread pudding on the menu a week in advance and knew she was going to get that. It was actually our deciding factor in going here. When we arrived, the first thing she did was ask if they had it (just to be sure, since sometimes places run out). She had a dish she was going to order as a backup, if they didn't have her dessert, but when they confirmed they had it, she went with her original plan and got a white pizza, which I will say smelled delicious.
My other friend got a fresh salad and a crock of French onion soup. Her soup looked underwhelming, especially being served in the diner capital of the world, and she confirmed it wasn't that great.
So back to the bread pudding. The time has come for the pièce de résistance. My friend put in her order. Don't you know, the server comes back to say they're OUT OF VANILLA ICE CREAM! The disappointment on my friend's face. I get it. It happens. But she checked before ordering anything!
I wanted to like this place so badly. The vibe is cool, the location is great. But I wasn't impressed by anything. I wouldn't choose to go again, but if friends were going, I'd join them and give it another go.