Guess where you can find us getting down on all you can eat shellfish in Times Square. No, not Steinthal’s 30th birthday party at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. We were actually recently turned on to this little spot BXL last month, and have hit their all you can eat mussels special a few times since. On Sunday and Monday nights, twenty bucks gets you all the moules you can keep down, frites on the side, and a Stella. It’s a great deal, and the mussels are high quality and really tasty. All of the food at BXL is actually pretty solid. Aside from the moules, you’ll find a decent burger and a lot of traditional Belgian fare. It’s a great spot to have in your repertoire if you need some eats in Times Square after work or before a show. Unfortunately, the place gets crazy busy and is always pretty loud. The 51st Street location is usually (a little) quieter if you’re not locked in to location.
We do have to say though, that mussels are probably not something that should be all you can eat. There is something unsettling about consuming very large quantities of mollusks in one sitting. A two-pound pot of mussels is a lot of food, and to some people, “all you can eat” might as well be a dare. We’re told that the record holder at BXL put down eleven pounds of the suckers in one sitting…and didn’t die. In some cultures that will either get you appointed king or drowned in a river for being a demon. At BXL I think it gets you a second Stella.
