Wild Cherry

Had such a great night at Wild Cherry! We showed up around 5pm, put our names down, and after hanging out in the neighborhood for a bit, snagged a reservation at the bar at 7:30, totally worth the wait. We ordered the Caesar salad and steak dinner for two and it was absolutely delicious. The steak was cooked perfectly, the baked potato was super tasty and we subbed the 2nd potato for fries, which proved to be a solid choice! For dessert we opted for the coconut cake and next time we’ll definitely try the swirl! Huge shoutout to the head bartender, Robert, he was so fun to chat with and made fantastic drinks all night. Great vibes, great food, and a memorable experience all around. Can’t wait to go back!

Wild Cherry is tucked inside the historic Cherry Lane Theatre in the West Village, now run by A24.  It comes from chefs Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr, the team behind Frenchette, Le Rock, and Le Veau d’Or.  The pedigree is real, and you feel it the moment you walk in. We had a 9:15 reservation and were greeted on time, but there were a ton of people waiting right outside the main entrance. The restaurant only seats around 40 to 50 people and the line moves slowly. That said, the wait gave us a chance to talk to Carlos outside, who I recognized from a video online where he was making the house martinis. He broke down the menu, gave us his recommendations, and we ordered exactly what he suggested with a few more courses . That interaction alone set the tone for the night. Kelly walked us to our table. The interior is genuinely beautiful, soft globe chandeliers, red checkered floors, a gleaming bar at the center of the room.  Part psychedelic diner, part Hollywood supper club.  The one downside is the table spacing. It felt tight, not enough room between parties, which takes something away from the intimacy the space is going for. Marcus was our waiter and he was excellent. Attentive, proactive with water refills, brought fresh silverware between courses, and kept asking if we needed another drink. Good upsell, never pushy. We only had about 15 minutes to order since the kitchen closes around 10pm and we came in at 9:15, but we knew what we wanted. My girlfriend was originally going with a white wine. Marcus brought over a taste before she committed, which was a thoughtful touch. She ended up going with their riff on the Bees Knees, made with miso honey for a subtle umami note. Well balanced and different enough to be interesting. Here’s what we ordered: The tuna crudo was just okay. Presentation was decent but the piquillo didn’t work for me personally. Wouldn’t reorder it. The Caesar salad was excellent. The croutons were the standout — big, chunky, super crunchy with a little cheese baked inside. Worth ordering. One note: the website lists it at $38 but it was $28 in person. That $10 discrepancy almost made me skip it entirely before I walked in. They need to fix that. The cheeseburger was the star of the night. Dry-aged beef, cooked medium rare as the kitchen recommends, on a soft pillowy bun. Marrow-infused patty on a pedestal of onion. The inspiration from Minetta Tavern comes through and it shows. My only take is I’d swap the raw onions for an onion jam, but that’s personal preference. This is the dish you come here for. The chicken thighs were great. Three pieces, well cooked and not salty. The flavor came from the bed of fries and the sauce they were coated in. Those fries wity the sauce were excellent. Honestly they should offer those as a standalone side instead of plain fries at $14. That sauce makes the difference. The frozen custard closed the meal perfectly. Chocolate, vanilla, dark chocolate shavings, Luxardo cherries, pieces of brownie, and two wafers on the side for crunch. This one actually wowed us. We weren’t sure we had room for dessert after everything else. We made room and it was worth it! One kitchen timing issue worth noting: the table next to us ordered after us and received their burgers first. They also ordered medium instead of medium rare, so by cook time alone ours should have come out first. Maybe Something was off in the kitchen that night. Overall we left full and satisfied. Prices are fair for the West Village. The vibe and design are genuinely great. Next time I’d come earlier, sit at the bar, and focus on the drinks. Carlos and the cocktail program look like a full experience on their own. 4.3 out of 5 stars.

I was in the area and decided to try to get a bar seat on a Sunday evening as a walk in. They were booked for the night but were able to get us a standing spot to grab a drink. We then got lucky and got a bar seat prior to a reservation coming in. The hostess, Victoria, was extremely friendly and helpful. We found the service to be great amongst all the staff. We had a limited time at the bar so we stuck with the burger and fries. The burger was solid, the bun was so fresh and grilled to perfection. We also enjoyed our drinks, the margarita being the favorite. I’d definitely come back to try the steak dinner.

Lovely restaurant with top service, great food (including some of the best burgers I’ve had) and delicious desserts. The coconut cake is divine and the custards are very good too. Definitely worth the effort to get a reservation!