Unless you’re anti-Instagram, you’ve probably seen the decadent, gravity-defying milkshakes prepared by one of New York City’s trendiest restaurants, Black Tap. Located in both SoHo and the Meatpacking District of Manhattan, social media has quickly transformed the quiet pub into a nationwide craze. One look at these milkshakes and your inner sweet tooth will instigate a “coup d’etat,” overtaking your senses and having you jump on the next train into Manhattan—that is, until you learn you will be left standing in a line wrapped around the city block for at least two hours.
Sadly, you were not the only one viewing those Instas—there were also the tourists, the locals, and your best friend’s grandma. So you are left asking the ultimate question: Is it worth it? The answer, in my opinion, is not so simple.
Last weekend, I ventured into the city to check the place out for myself. When I arrived at the SoHo location, I joined the line of people that wrapped around the block. Unlike a typical restaurant that will seat you by party size, Black Tap sits their customers in shifts, taking in blocks of people all at once and waiting for them to finish before taking in the next group. On this line, I waited just under two hours, though, it would have been longer if people in front of me didn't exit. With no seating for the duration of the wait, there is not place for the faint of heart. The wait is very tiresome—especially if you’ve already had a long day in the city—but if you bring a friend, it’s not hard to make waiting part of the fun.
When I was finally seated, it wasn’t hard to see why the wait is so excruciatingly long—the upstairs bar only sits about 20 at a time. Though the restaurant does have a downstairs with tables, it cannot even be used to its full potential because, as the hostess described to me, the kitchen is too small to accommodate that number of people. At the bar, I sat scrunched next to my date and a stranger with barely any space for my server to set down my food another 35 minutes after I ordered.
My food was fine and the service passable. I ordered a specialty burger to go with the main attraction, and while I found it enjoyable and satisfying, I have had better. But the meal, of course, is not why you go to Black Tap…
After a long debate, I settled on the cotton candy milkshake, and when it came, I learned social media had not lied to me. My strawberry-flavored shake came topped with cotton candy, a rainbow swirl lollipop, and rock candy while the cup itself was decorated with blue and pink chocolates. With so many toppings toppling out of the glass, I had to send a search and rescue team to find the spoon and straw trapped in an avalanche of whipped cream. It was a beautiful masterpiece, and I was saddened that I couldn't maintain the artistry as I dived in. The milkshake itself was good enough, but I was only a few sips in before I lost interest and decided to save myself from this zillion-calorie dessert. Taste-wise, the shakes are over-hyped. By no means was it bad, but it wasn't amazing either—just like the meal.
Overall, I would say that it is an experience—and an enjoyable one at that. The milkshake provided both the artistry and Instagram I was promised (because let’s face it: If you don’t Instagram it, did you even go to Black Tap?). Clearly, Black Tap was not prepared for its instantaneous fame propelled by Instagram, but in a way, its long wait only increases the hype. Would I go again? Probably not. I feel this restaurant and its mediocre food are not worthy of my repeated business. I would, however, recommend it to anyone who wants their own milkshake art and mouthwatering Instagram.
