Dichter Pharmacy & Soda Shoppe

Not what I expected.
I was driving home from Philly to Boston and was craving ice cream. I put «ice cream» in my Unilocal search while in NYC and this seemed to be the best option. While the guy at the counter was super nice he was very slow and out of many flavors.
Inside was unorganized and dingy. Again. not at all what I was expecting. My «Toasted Coconut» milkshake was delicious but has chocolate and cookie pieces in it that wasn’t advertised. Not a bad place I’ve just experience better.

I love this pharmacy, the great staff, the kind service, and especially love the fact that Manny cares about our community and does what he can to help us, offering event space, and other courtesies. And it’s a great place to go for ice cream and sit down and talk to the guys behind the counter — I swear the ice cream tastes better than if I were to take it home and eat it without their company.
Manny and Dichter Pharmacy are a great asset to our community and no Rite-​Aid or CVS can claim the same.

The store is reminiscent of old time soda shops and you can sit at the counter which is fun. But the items in the store are overpriced and the delivery time is incredibly slow and the food was greasy and overcooked. I was really hoping for better.

I used Dichter Pharmacy for about six months, and was initially quite satisfied. But in one instance the wrong prescription med was dispensed to me. After I noticed this later that day, the pharmacist insisted there was no mistake until I had the prescribing physician contact him. This never happened to me before. It was unnerving since I had a pill in my hand and was about to swallow it when I realized these weren’t my meds.
In another instance, after I received a partial Rx refill because the full amount was not available, when I returned for the rest the pharmacist insisted he had dispensed a lot more of this than he had. Fortunately, I had saved the container with the number of tablets dispensed written on the label. After I returned and helped the pharmacist make out the # he or an assistant had written here, I received the correct balance.
Another time, after the pharmacist promised to keep at least a small quantity on hand of a maintenance med for which I had refills, none was available when I was due for the next refill. When he said this was too inconvenient for him I went elsewhere.
Unrelated to any of the above and cute as the vintage soda fountain/​lunch counter may be, I’ve never had anything here. I’m not comfortable stopping for refreshments in such close quarters to people with colds, sore throats, flu, and the like coming and going for their meds.
I admire the pharmacy’s willingness to host evening community events and meetings, and love the great vintage photos they have, showing neighborhood transitions starting about a hundred years ago.

Let me tell you if you don’t see what you are looking for on the shelf Manny will make it his business to order what you need asap. I never experienced better service then this from anyone or any place. Thank you Manny.

Manny’s is the best pharmacy I’ve found in NYC. Every one we’ve interacted with has been very nice and it’s truly old-​world service.
The place is old-​school awesome. They have a soda fountain and a good amount of places to sit for a small place.
I’ve stopped buying so much from Amazon and buy Advil and other pharmacy items from Manny. The prices are competitive and it’s much more convenient. You can go to Darling Coffee before or afterward, which a few doors away.
We also get our prescriptions from Dichter, despite offers via my insurance mail order service. I really want to support local businesses and good old fashioned service — so go to Dichter if you value interesting shops and don’t want a corporate feel.

Excellent local spot with very good ice cream.

This is my new favorite! Best freaking ice cream shop! The price is the right, the service is 10 stars and the ice cream is fresh. I forgot what it’s like to have non freezer burn ice cream.

Adorable old world pharmacy. Pick up any of your pharmacological needs along with some ice cream from the counter. Super friendly staff. Great selection of ice creams. Take a seat at the soda pop shop style counter and grab a malt.

I love the warm family feel!

A small-​town pharmacy & soda shoppe in the heart of the big apple! Come in, fill your prescription and grab an egg cream while you wait! What can be better. I also want to point out their over-​the-​counter drug prices are by FAR cheaper than many drug stores I have been to. Manny keeps his prices extremely reasonable! Come on in and support our local business!

Not coming back. First time I came the man made my wrap with a bloody finger. Second time I came I ordered a turkey wrap with Swiss cheese. I had to make sure there was Swiss cheese by asking. The guy said «you didn’t say Swiss cheese». Not coming back. Poor service.

Love the vintage soda shop atmosphere. Came with my son for ice cream and the staff was very polite and helpful. My sundae was delicious and my son enjoyed his ice cream topped with gummy bears.

I love this place! discovered it a few days ago. the vintage ice cream parlor is adorable. The food is delicious and the prices are very reasonable. The chili dogs were great as well as the malted shakes.
The staff was warm, welcoming, and helpful from the minute we walked in.
It’s not fancy, but definitely the ideal family spot or cute daytime date stop.

Love that this place has food & milkshakes/​ice cream! Love that this place delivers milkshakes even on snowy day! Really love that I’m a few blocks away from this place! Thanks for the awesome speedy service/​delivery!

Finally decided to try the food out today. The chili dogs were pretty good. Mac and cheese was decent. I honestly wasn’t crazy about the fried chicken, it wasn’t bad but it lacked taste. We also got a strawberry short cake which was pretty delicious!

Small town feel to the place, i.e., how pharmacies used to be before impersonal giants like Duane Reade and CVS took over.
Friendly pharmacist and staff.
Bonus: bagels, also ice cream available at the counter :)

Manny has food for the soul and medicine for the body. I have had a bad run-​in with germs this winter – norovirus, flu, strep throat, ear infection, cold – and have been in Dichter a lot.
Manny recommends the cold and flu remedies that work, and then I can get hot soup or cold ice cream, depending on what my throat and tummy can tolerate. And, everything comes with good wishes for a fast recovery.
I also like the events Manny sponsors for the neighborhood. He builds community, and that is so important for a humane existence.

I wanted to like this place.
The owner, Manny Ramirez (not the baseball player), has been profiled in the New York Times, Daily News, WSJ and other media for his dedication to the Inwood community. He’s let’s various community groups use a meeting room, and even provided a home for a synagogue that lost its home due to a fire.
We came for an ice cream. The counter guy was incredibly rude and portions were small. Yes, the price was extremely cheap, but the experience was soured when the server treated us poorly.
What happened was a simple question about whether Dichter’s makes its ice cream or buys commercial product. The fellow behind the counter said they sell Breyer’s, Bassett and Gifford’s. I asked what flavor of Gifford’s he had and he wouldn’t tell us. It was like we had caught him in a lie and he didn’t want to serve us.
Gifford’s is a great brand, based in Maine. Bassett’s is an equally good Philly-​based brand. Breyer’s is owned by global conglomerate Unilever. I still would have ordered it, but without having gotten my hopes up that Dichter sold a premium product.
We ordered three cones of mystery ice cream, each with two flavors. Price was $ 6.50 so no one’s arguing that Dichter’s is overpriced. It’s just just under friendly.

Toasted coconut Ice cream yum! Everything I have tried at this traditional soda fountain is really great actually and you can tell that this place is locally owned. The staff is nice and always ready to help if you need to make a purchase or are looking for a certain product.
One of my favorite things about uptown right now!