Dining at Friendly’s: Is This Nostalgic Chain Still Doing the Job?

Fribbles and Jim Dandies. Reese’s Pieces and banana splits. Happy Ending ice cream with cotton candy and whipped cream after the killer chicken fingers and fries. That’s how I remember trips to Friendly’s after elementary school choir concerts in the 80s.

Ever since my daughter was born, I’ve dreamed of taking her there to create those same basic, sugar-soaked Long Island memories. But I couldn’t escape the central question: Will Friendly’s hold up?

Founded in 1935 by the Blake brothers in Springfield, Massachusetts, Friendly’s began as a stand-alone ice cream shop with double-dipped cones for just 5 cents. Its bright red “Family Friendly” signs became a childhood (and parental) haven for classic ice cream and signature milkshakes. As the company grew, it added a menu of burgers and comfort food. But at least a half-dozen Friendly’s locations on Long Island have closed in the past five years.

BACK TO FRIENDLY’S

On a recent rainy Sunday, me, my dad, his girlfriend, and my 6–Grace’s year-old daughter drove up to Friendly’s in Commack. “Save room for ice cream,” the sign above the door shouted. Man, I had room – over 35 years – for ice cream.

As I remembered, the interior was airy and bright, with accents of cherry-red leather booths and tabletops and thick, well-traveled carpet. The warm table lamps had been replaced by sharper, fluorescent ceiling lights, and black-and-white murals of the iconic Fribble milkshake gave the space a modern bar feel. About half the tables were occupied, a mix of older couples, young families, and groups of teenagers. Not surprisingly, there was ice cream on every table.

Our server led us to our table, laying out a stack of menus—food, kids’ area, desserts, seasonal specials, lunch menus. So much choice, I was overwhelmed. No wonder the friendly (ahem) server waited patiently while guests of all ages looked through the selections with wide eyes and bellies, pondering the most important decision of the day. My father and his girlfriend chose the BLT ($11.99)—from the senior menu, a well-priced offering that, like the kids’ menu, also included Happy Ending ice cream (a $4.99 value). Grace chose the kids’ grilled cheese ($7.99), and I chose the Honey BBQ Chicken Super Melt ($13.99). All of our meals came with fries.

MEMORIES FROM FRIENDLY’S

For me, Friendly’s was never a place to eat; it was a place to go for dessert, where the meal was just a means to an end. But I was pleasantly surprised by the food. No complaints about the peanut gallery BLT: “Lots of bacon, fresh, ripe tomatoes, crisp, not soggy lettuce,” my father said in his review. “Good slaw,” his girlfriend added. The grilled cheese earned high marks from my little one, who has become quite the food critic in the past few years. Even my melt, filled with frozen (but good) chicken fingers and slathered in spicy barbecue sauce, hit the spot. But I only ate a few bites because — say it with me now — I was leaving room for ice cream.

“I’ll have a Reese’s Pieces sundae ($8.49) with butter crunch ice cream, all five scoops,” I happily requested, feeling like I was 13 again. I literally couldn’t wait for the bowl of peanut butter and hot fudge topped with the silky maple toffee chunks of my youth to arrive. As the icing on the cake (no pun intended), I threw a Fribble ($7.29), the original viral milkshake, “on the table,” despite everyone else getting Happy Endings—one scoop of their chosen flavor, one topping, whipped cream, and a cherry.

While we were waiting for desserts, an older couple at a table across the street gestured for the bill, but the waiter informed them that the family at the table next door had paid. Apparently moved by the gesture, the gentleman in the Vietnam veteran cap left, passing table after table of guests who had appreciated his service. It was good to be unanimous in that moment.

FRIENDLY’S ICE CREAM FINALE

Back to the task at hand: the ice cream was exactly as I remembered it. Lightly melted butter crunch ice cream—perfect consistency—peanut butter and fudge swirled high, with more to be scraped off the side of the glass to get the perfect bite. Whipped cream, chocolate chips, and Reese’s pieces layered for texture. Sweet, salty perfection.

Unfortunately, the only disappointment was the Fribble. It was watery, the vanilla flavor drowned out by the ice, and the advertised density was lost in the manufacturing process. Still — for $68, my family had a full meal, drink, and dessert. Save room for the ice cream, indeed.

There are 10 Friendly’s left in Nassau and Suffolk: Massapequa Park, East Meadow, Coram, Commack, East Islip, Sayville, Shirley, Stony Brook, Medford, and Riverhead. If you make it, Grace and I can even meet there.