FREE FOOD ALERT: Volstead to Offer Free Tuesday Lunch to All Midtown Lunch Readers
This is not a joke. I got an email this morning saying that The Volstead, a newish restaurant on 54th btw. Park+Lex, known for their after work bar scene, is offering free lunch to all Midtown Lunch readers every Tuesday in the month of May. This place is so not a Midtown Lunch (in both price and set up), but it’s free- and they have sandwiches, salads, sliders, burgers, and a lobster roll. Yes, a lobster roll… and it’s free (although lord how long it will be before those run out!). I spoke to owner Matt Wagman, who sent the email, to make sure he knew what he was getting himself into (we are very fat, and there are alot of us), and he not only assured me he did, but that it wasn’t a gimmick. He just wants more people to know about their lunch menu, and figured this was a good way to do it. (What was it they said about gift horses?)
And now for the supprisingly non-restrictive fine print: Limit one entree from the lunch menu, and one non-alcoholic beverage per person (and they assured me that if tables wanted to sample one or two of their appetizers, they would be allowed to do that as well). Believe me, I’m as a surprised as you are.
Lunch is between 11:30am and 2:30pm and reservations are recommended… so if you don’t want to leave it to chance you can actually book a reservation for your free lunch. (Walk-ins are accepted, space permitting, but no take out orders and no doggie bags- for obvious reasons.) Click here to check out the menu. To make a reservation, call 212 583-0411. Available every Tuesday between now and the end of May (2008). Oh and I’m not too concerned about this being a bait and switch… Matt reads the site and knows what happens to places that screw us over on free food days!
The Volstead, 125 E 54th St. (btw. Park+Lex), 212-583-0411
Posted by Zach Brooks at 4:00 pm, May 5th, 2008 under 54th btw. Park+Lex, Free Stuff.
39 Comments | RSS comments feed for this post
39 Comments
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thank you so much! just came back from there, this was the single most useful entry in a blog i have ever read.
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Arrived at 12 with friend, seated at the bar immediately. Perfect service. Crab cake pops very nicely done, lobster roll was excellent. Not rushed but done in 45…saw Zach on our way out.
only in New York…
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We are so thrilled that so many of you are trying out lunch at The Volstead! Just to clarify… Reservations are highly reccomended, but walk ins will be taken if/when possible. We will be opening reservations one week in advance, so please call 212.532.1519 or 212.583.0411 one week prior to your desired Tuesday lunch. We look forward to hosting all of you!
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I am soo sad I’m not able to go! Waaaaaaah!
I’m glued to my desk! -
Just came back with a group of 7….excellent appetizers, very solid lobster roll, and a great experience for the whole group….we have always had a great time there after-work for happy hour but now this just adds another dimension!
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wow. midtownlunch.com rules. and volstead rules too. so glad i came to work this morning and saw the post. quick recap of this most excellent experience.
walked in with a coworker at 12:15 and was promptly seated at the bar. we split our orders. started with the buffalo pops and spicy tuna roll. both we’re very tasty. tuna was buttery soft. pops had bits of blue cheese in them. for entrees we went wit the lobster roll (you have to) and the pulled pork sandwich. both were very good. bartender and staff were very friendly and attentive. will definitely be heading back next week.
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how did Swan get a reso for 20th if policy is one week in advance?
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Two of us went into Volstead for lunch today. The food was excellent, as was the service and decor. I’ll definitely add it to my list of regular lunch spots.
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Another clarification from The Volstead… We are indeed only taking reservations one week in advance, but that message didn’t get to all of the reservationists in time! Any of you that were lucky enough to get reservations for the 20th or 27th, we will still of course honor them! Apologies for any of the confusion, and we look forward to seeing you soon!
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I may have to take a 2 hour lunch one of these Tuesdays.
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Perhaps we could organize one communal table, hosted by my young wife and me?
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I don’t know, what do you guys think, could I do a walk in around 11:30 and beat the free lunch rush?
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The ambience, and service is excellent.
However, the food is not that great.
Oily, little flavor, and salty.
Definitely not worth it for the prices on the menu.
But if you can catch a free meal on a tuesday, go for it. -
I just got back from lunch at the Volstead. The place has great service and ambience. Very mellow and calming. However, there is room for improvement in the food category:
1. Lobster Bisque: A generous portion of lobster bisque. I thought this was quite good, considering it is bisque, and bisque is somewhat mild. It was served with fried crab wontons, which didn’t enhance the bisque. I would’ve just add chopped chives, fried wonton strips for texture, and a dash of fresh ground black peppers. Texture, color, and spice would definitely improve this soup.
2. Crab Cake Pops: My bf thought this was the highlight of the meal and enjoyed them very much. I thought it was okay. The texture was crisp, but it was definitely blended/pureed and dropped into a wet batter and fried. There isn’t enough texture for me. I prefer my crab cakes to be somewhat flaky and dense with crab meat. Overall, I liked the idea of serving them on sticks, but it was not spectacular.
3. Short rib cheesesteak: Five mini buns with shredded short ribs and cheese. Cheese was thin though. The short ribs were okay. Tasted fine but it leaves my mouth wanting more. Maybe a kick of something? Maybe some bell peppers/onions to add another layer of flavor? I don’t know; it was good, but ordinary.
4. Gyro: My bf got this appetizer as his meal. Ground lamb on sticks, served with black olives, yogurt sauce, and medallions of flat bread. Cute presentation, and I did like the ground lamb. Tasty with just a slight hint of spice. I could use some more spice. I liked this the most.
Overall, great place to hang out, fun food to eat. I would go here with colleagues and/or friends to hang out while munching, but if I want spectacular food, there is defintely room for improvements. The lobster roll was out when I was there. There may be other stuff that are better or tastier so give it a try.
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We just experienced the free lunch at Volstead yesterday, the place is amazing. Very cozy with a welcoming staff that gave us excellant service. The food was delicious, I had to try the lobster roll and thought it was amazing. I am also in love with the crab pops. Looking forward to visiting Volstead after work for cocktails.
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our free lunches were canceled today due to some water problem. They will, however, be honoring today’s reservations on June 3rd. They better have lobster rolls ready. I may check out the new midtown location of Mooncake Foods (30th and 8th).
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Same here. Guess it’s a Woorijip day then. We’ll see you June 3, Jamie.
We don’t need no steenkin’ reservations!