The Meatball Shop

The Meatball Shop is probably one of the first NYC restaurants that I heard about. It has been years since I first heard of it and I finally got around to trying it out last week. Unfortunately it was rather disappointing but I've heard that it has inconsistency issues with its various locations. I think the idea is really cute and I love the set up of the menu, however, the food was not that great and while it was not so bad that I would never return, I also would not specifically recommend it.

I loved how you can pick and choose your own dish (you also do that with the ice cream sandwiches for dessert) 

Classic Beef Meatballs with Marinara Sauce over Polenta 
Our waitress recommended the classic beef balls but they were a complete let down! They were very stiff and definitely needed more fat in the mixture. The marinara sauce was also much too tart and the polenta was not creamy or rich enough. 

Spicy Pork Meatballs with Spicy Meat Sauce 
The pork balls were much more flavorful and also richer in texture. The spicy meat sauce was also more complex in flavors and not as sour. 

Ice Cream Sandwich
The cookies weren't soft enough and my ice cream melted SUPER fast. Flavors were good though and I loved how you can pick two flavors of cookies and the ice cream filling. 

Overall, it was not a bad meal and I would come again for the pork meatballs and perhaps try the mushroom gravy but this is definitely not a place I am particularly yearning to return to. The wines are very reasonably priced though and the atmosphere is casual and cute. I hear that there is another meatball shop called Polpette nearby so I will give that a go next!

The Meatball Shop

447 Amsterdam Avenue

New York

NY 10024