Hell’s Kitchen’s newest neighbor is called Sall Restaurant & Lounge, a seafood-centric New American cuisine spot located on 10th avenue between between 54th and 55th street. After stopping by there last weekend with a friend, I realized that this is a place that needs to make a couple of adjustments before they can call themselves a “hotspot” to dine in.
Sall Restaurant & Lounge is moderately sized with some added seating in the back. The major problem that I found when I went there was that it was incredibly clustered to the point where I have no idea how they maneuver around when the seating was unbelievably tight. Even the skinniest of persons would have a hard time sitting in the middle of place as it was just uncomfortable period.
The location, however, is very nice to look at. The sprawling bar when you enter was quite fabulous and I did enjoy the varieties of blue that adorned the walls and seating.
The food at Sall Restaurant & Lounge had some high and low points as well. I am a big lover of Shrimp Cocktail, and even though it is a simple dish it can still be extraordinary if done correctly. The shrimp had a very mealy, dry texture to them that made it unpleasant to eat.
On the flip side, I did enjoy their Lobster Roll Sliders with came with some spicy house made chips that were seasoned with Old Bay. This was the better of the two appetizers, as the sliders were so fresh that they transported me to Maine where this type of seafood reigns king.
As for the entrees, the Whole Fish option that they had was quite tasty and came with a garlic herb butter that brought it all together. They also have a seafood pasta item with a variety of different sea-based options including mussels and more that was on par for the most part.
Overall, Sall Restaurant & Lounge has potential, but they need to up their game on some of the menu items and overall execution of their seating so customers can feel comfortable and at ease during their time there.
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