McCormick & Schmick’s

We went on a company Christmas dinner here and we loved the place. They have an excellent selection of seafood and steaks, as well as other poultry dishes. I chose the half lobster dish served with garlic mashed potatoes. The flavor was «melt-​in-​your-​mouth» amazing. It’s great for groups and couples. The atmosphere is trendy, and great for business meetings as well.

I never updated this review for years. I haven’t been a patron for years. I no longer go to this franchise. I rather avoid them like potholes. They just don’t do it for me anymore. Ever since they got bought out it feels like the service and quality went down.

Very disappointing. Place had a strange smell to it. Sat at the bar initially while waiting for friends. Bartender was mixing cocktails according to corporate rule book (using shot glass to make martini’s) service was ok at the table, but nothing special. My fish was ok, but considering Salmon is idiot –proof, no work of art. My friend ordered Talapia; but he is not too bright to begin with.
The desserts were great, which explained all of the fat mid-​westerners. I’m still not sure why we ate here, but the place was a tourists magnet.

Service is par/​subpar. I feel like they are understaffed because the place is always crowded especially after work since its near a lot of companies and near the theatre district.
Food wise its okay. Reminds me of a red lobster or a legal seafoods.

Okay: Decent Service — Small Portion Sizes
Arrival: we were asked if we had reservations — we did not — we arrived on a raining Friday night.
Service:
— Waited a few minutes beyond normal for a waiter — once he arrived he was great.
— Waiter offered suggestions that were great
— Did not have to wait long for refills
— Service gets a thumbs up
Food:
— This section is what stopped this location from getting a higher review.
— The portion sizes vs. the cost was not what I expected. If you have ever been in Miami — there is a similar place called Devon Seafood and Steak and I ordered something similar here that I would get a Devon (roughly the same price) and the portion size was small.
— The food tasted okay.
— We ordered the mixed grill and lobster mac and cheese — still looking for the lobster in the mac and cheese.

There is nothing wrong with this place.
There is also nothing special about this place.
Food is very standard and is not creative.

*HAPPY HOUR REVIEW*
Happy hour is Monday-​Friday 4 – 7 at the bar only.
My friend and I came in at around 5:30 on a Friday and it was already starting to get crowded. Deffo don’t expect a seat by the bar because you won’t get one. This nice man we met decided to share his standing spot on the side with us, so we were lucky we had somewhere to put our drinks.
I think this might be the best HH I’ve seen in Midtown West. Can’t go wrong with a $ 6 mojito! Yes, it is a tad overly sweet but they compensate with a good amount of alcohol.
Here’s the rest of the list:
$ 4 well drinks
$ 4 domestic beer (not to be a beer snob but I think I’ll pass on the Bud)
$ 5 import beer
$ 6 glasses of wine
$ 6 margaritas and mojitos
$ 7 cosmos and martinis
Will deffo be back to try some of their happy hour food items!

This place is awesome sauce! Drinks are great… I had the perfect patron margarita omg… the new age surf & turf I recommend. it was wonderful! Don’t sleep on this spot. Even though it may look a little boring inside it has much to offer!

Pretty good-​sized seafood restaurant in midtown — they have a lot of competition in the area though, so getting 4 or 5 stars seems like a bit of a stretch. Granted I’ve only gone there for drinks midday — hostess was very friendly, though service at the bar was a bit slow given that it wasn’t really that crowded. Would definitely go back to try the food though …
Also quick note about the address — the entrance (I assume the only one) is on 52^nd street, not 6^th avenue.

My friend and I had a late lunch (1:45) on a Monday afternoon. The host was so friendly and nice when we arrived. Our server, Mike, was very nice. We ordered the Clam Chowder, Tuna app, the Crab Tower, Shrimp Cocktail, 2 Broiled Lobster tails, Lobster Mash, Creamed Spinach, and Fries. My friend enjoyed the Chowder. the Tuna App was the best thing we had! The Tuna Tartar was bursting with flavor! Shrimp Cocktail was ehh… the shrimp were smaller than I was expecting for a place like this. The Crab Tower was absolutely flavorless. I was surprised, because there was so much color on the plate.
The Lobster Tails were the worst. They were so mushy and awful we had to send them back. Mike, was so courteous and helpful. The second round was a little less so, but still VERY over cooked. Major disappointment. Lobster Mash was cold. The Creamed Spinach was really flavorful and good. A little soupy, but that is how I like it. The fries were basic frozen fries. Nothing special. I wondered if the «A» kitchen staff was sent home already after the lunch rush.
I will go again, but will try the steak next time. I will get the Tuna app and Spinach and stay away from everything else I tried.
Over all I would say it was «okay»

Smiley face– Very nice service. Pretty décor. Kentucky Smash was a great cocktail and not badly priced at $ 12 each. Shrimp kisses (grilled stuffed shrimp wrapped in bacon) were amazing… if anyone ever needs to make me eat via oral gavage, this will do the trick.
Frowny face– Typical of steakhouses in midtown, almost everything is seriously overpriced but at least it’s tasty.
$ 40 got me a tiny filet and three shrimp. My side of lobster mashed potatoes were $ 14. Don’t get me wrong, things were good but they were just about 30% more expensive than necessary.
Came here for a Christmas dinner with friends and had an enjoyable time. Much better than Rothmann’s, I’ll tell you that.

I ate here during a corporate event. I’m not sure if it’s a true reflection of the restaurant but after hearing great things I was extremely disappointed. The food I had was very good but the service was quite bad.
I typically drink a lot of water however my glass sat empty almost the entire time, it was only refilled once the entire hour and a half I was there. Any request to the staff was answered with a we can’t do that and quick rudely a couple of times. I guess the event was a little more crowded than expected and a bread basked of of 8 or 10 rolls was put on a table of 13, when we asked for another we were told there was no more bread. I’ve never been to a corporate event where it doesn’t include basics like soda or tea but this one didn’t, I’m sure that speaks more to the event host but I would assume the restaurant would include it in every package. Every encounter with the staff was very rushed which was strange considering that the food took quite a while to come and they weren’t really doing all that much.
We had the walnut mixed greens as a starter which I liked. The salad was fresh and candied walnuts are always nice. For my main I got the Salmon stuffed with crab and shrimp which I enjoyed quite a bit. The salmon was cooked well, tasted fresh, and the brie sauce rich and very tasty. The mashed potatoes it was served on top of were also very good and creamy. I found the green beans really undercooked and inedible. As it took over an hour and a half for the first 2 courses to come out I asked if I could get my desert to go, of course they couldn’t do that. I really don’t know if I would eat here on my own, if the typical experience is anything like mine then I’m not sure why anyone would dine here.

One of the best happy hours in midtown that I had no idea existed. It is in fact nearly the same at all McCormick & Schmick’s across the nation. Because there is one near where my parents live in Troy, Michigan that my sister happened to work for once upon a time. It’s a more upscale seafood/​steak restaurant chain that has a shockingly pretty vast amount of locations scattered across the USofA.
Getting back to the New York based location.. .. it’s a really beautiful bar and restaurant. Dark mahogany wood, people in suits after their schlepy 9 – 5 day. Lit up statues along the bar of the Chrysler building. I love that little touch. You can sit and bask in a whiskey anything in a very large high-​ball glass might I add for only $ 4 untl 7pm. But this is the breakdown: $ 4 Domestic Drafts, $ 5 Craft Beers, $ 4 vodka, gin, rum, tequila, bourbon, scotch anything, $ 6 wine/​specialty cocktails, $ 7 martinis. Yup. Phenomenal. If you’ve had a rough day, go here. If you happen to get out of work early, go here. Happy hour starts at 4pm.
It doesn’t just stop at the booze though they have a decent happy hour food menu as well. On this trip I sampled the blue cheese chips with crumbled bacon and chives. The chips are house-​made, the blue cheese is fairly fresh and its a wonderful savory accompaniment to a super boozy cocktail. Also, it’s $ 3.99. YUP. Cheap. I then tried the buffalo shrimp and warm spinach dip with pita chips. Buffalo shrimp was o-​kay. I like fresh non-​adultered and not too jazzed up shrimp. Not a particular fan of the grease and tangy sauce on top. The dip was fantastic. Split among four people for a light dinner it was fairly filling. They also have a $ 4 cheeseburger with fries. Baja fresh fish tacos, calamari, bruschetta and so many other great options align the bar menu. I would definitely be in heaven if I worked in midtown but unfortunately I’m regulated to the confines of the seaport and god awful stone street.

Yay! This is review número 400!!! *throws Unilocal balloons and confetti!*.
So this review is strictly for their happy hour which is one of my favorite in Manhattan if I’m hungry and certainly one of the best (if not the absolute best) HH deals in Midtown…
In an area that is normally littered with overpriced bars/​pubs full of «young professional» yuppies preying on… I mean «hitting on» women or trying to relive their douchey college days this place is a complete breath of fresh air!
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Happy hours foods I’ve tried here include:
Their spinach and artichoke dip with warm pita chips clearly made on the premises,
The 3.99 cheeseburger which is a delicious 1 lb. patty of beef that is cooked to order and comes complete with crunchy French fries
Their bacon and blue cheese chips (also made in house!)
The Buffalo shrimp platter — delish, small shrimps drowned in okay tasting buffalo sauce, but I’m not a huge buffalo sauce fan to begin with…
Grilled seasoned calamari garnished with lemon
Their chicken Parmesan sliders (to be honest they’re okay — a bit unimpressive but still pretty good for the price),
The rosemary garlic French fries complete with lemon Tabasco aioli (seriously amazing! I’m sold by anything with aiolis in or on it!!),
The buffalo wings (no atomic wings, but I’m more of a boneless wings kinda gal anyway).
The herb shrimp croutons with lemon tabasco aioli — deliciously tangy, not greasy — the shrimp could be bigger, but again it’s like $ 2.99. Get what you pay for, they’re still delicious.
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I’d like to come back and try their margarita flatbread, I’ve seen some other patrons order it and it looks pretty tasty.
None of the HH foods here are awful — the burger I think is an especially outstanding deal seeing as it’s not an awful burger and it’s steakhouse quality meat… chain steakhouse, but whatevs — it’s 3.99 and super juicy when I’ve ordered it medium rare. Mmmmmmm, medium rare.
*drool interlude*
Cocktail wise, well drinks are only $ 4 and specialty cocktails range from $ 5 – 6 (if you’re lucky you’ll get a heavy handed bartender, I’ve usually gotten nice pours!), beers are $ 3 drafts (not particularly a stellar beer selection) and they have all sorts of freshly squeezed juices… last Friday night a basically ordered greyhounds (vodka, freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and I added a super light splash of grenadine for good measure) and they were delicious.
I almost knocked off a star because their HH schedule is rough for us office folk, I mean how many people can do 3:30−7pm? By the time I get out of work most days it’s 5:30pm, I can arrive here at that point by 6pm and then I only have an hour to rage… totally wish happy hour here ended at at least 8pm :(.
Also sometimes, certainly not always, bartender service can be spotty. I’ve only sat at a table once here, I generally secure a bar stool — how can service be spotty when you’re actually sitting AT THE BAR is beyond me, but this place still has such great happy hour specials that I’ll let it go… also on Wednesday nights (after 5pm I believe) they have $ 1 oysters. I freakin’ LOVE me some oysters! Who0t!

*HAPPY HOUR REVIEW*
Very crowded, but rightfully so. With appetizers as low as $ 3 and brews at $ 4 a pop (albeit only Bud Light and Coors Light), it’s hard to turn your nose up. They have nicer beers for $ 5, wells for $ 4, wines and more cocktail-​y/​mixed drinks for $ 6.
Deals are at the bar only, so seating is first come first serve. There are a couple of stools at the bar and some booths, but don’t bank on getting a seat. At least there are coat hooks!
Their cheap prices make me so happy I am willing to look past the fact that I’m in Midtown.
Happy hour menu:

This is a good MC&S. The only problem I have is that the service can be spotty. If I’m going to drop a good amount of cash on a dinner, I want my server to know and recommend good options.
The last time I went our server was a bit uninformed and pretty rigid in his ability to take our order.
But overall MC&S has a decent ratio of cost-​to-​food value. Their shrimp cocktail is always good, and they have some decent happy hour prices on their fried fish/​shellfish and meat app/​entrees.

Bar review only.
Came here for drinks after the theater since we were nearby. Note that they no longer have the late happy hour. Their wine selection is alright but I wouldn’t try to order any fancy cocktails. The bartender basically told us that half the stuff on their bar is only for display. We did order dessert and the pumpkin cheese cake was pretty yummy.

I came here after dinner around 9 PM and they had a late happy hour special going on they also have an earlier happy hour that starts at 3:30. It’s Monday — Friday and at the bar & lounge area only. I had their $ 1 oysters and $ 5 raspberry cosmo. I highly recommend this place for happy hour.

I booked a semi-​private happy hour downstairs by the fireplace for my team members of 20 or so. I pre-​ordered all appetizers as well. The staff was diligent in getting all the food out when we got there and the $ 125 minimum charge for our waitress was a good deal (no other minimum charges). The waitress served us very well! I also received a $ 50 gift card for future visit for booking our party with M&S.
The drinks are decently priced during happy hour. My amaretto sour was about the strongest I’ve ever tasted it… I guess you get a lot of liquor for what you pay for?
BUT, 2 stars for thee happy hour appetizers. The appetizers are actually super cheap, but the quality and taste of them — just doesn’t cut it.
Black bean hummus: looks like someone took a really dark-​colored dump (sorry) in a bowl. It comes with grilled pita and vegetables… it didn’t look too appetizing so I didn’t even bother trying it.
Spinach dip: this actually tasted decent, but the fried pita made it terrible. It tasted like really stale pita bread dipped in oil.
Buffalo wings: I approve. Just the right spicy flavor and nice big juicy pieces.
French fries: nice and garlicy, yum. Just a little on the soggy, oily side.
Fish cakes: 2 decently large portions. Lots of fish, tastes decent.
Spicy tuna roll: absolutely a no-​no. Basically, there’s little to no fish in the middle, and mostly rice. The whole thing is deep fried… definitely not how a spicy tuna roll should be.
Oysters Rockefeller: too much cheese and spinach. 3 oysters per order.
Peel and eat shrimp: you really can’t mess up shrimp. This was prob the best out of the bunch.
Oyster platter sampler: I approve! At $ 34 something its pretty pricey for 12, but the oysters are fresh and delicious, and a good size.

Six Layer Chocolate Mousse Cake.
This is what we walked in the door for. Three hormonal, tired and cranky girls just getting done with working the lunch shift.
So as not to look like I’m eating a giant piece of cake for lunch, I chose to start with a salad. It was actually pretty delicious! It was roasted veggies topped with goat cheese and some mesclun greens tossed with balsamic vinaigrette. Yum.
Ok this cake, seriously. It’s moist chocolate cake layered with milk chocolate mousse and vanilla (i think) mousse. It’s light and creamy and delicious and evil.
I hear they’ve got some good seafood too.