PJ Clarke’s

I went last night with a friend. She is somewhat frail and uses a cane. The hostess was very nice and accomodating, seating us at a table of our choice. We ordered bottled beers with chilled mugs from out waitress, who was friendly and attentive. My companion loved the calamari with marinara sauce. A big portion, too. My medium-​rare Clarke Burger, with Swiss cheese and carmelized onions, was delicious. I prefer steak fries, but, as they weren’t on the menu, I settled for the shoestrings (with no salt, as I asked), They were fine. We were not rushed. The place is spacious and busy and loud. My only slight complaint was that when someone brought our food to the table, he didn’t bother asking who ordered what. He just put the burger down in front of my friend, until I said, «No. That’s for me.» So… that happened. But by and large, a very nice experience. I’ll be back.

Great service!
The hamburger was amazing, fries as crispy as I asked, mojito really good, brownie with ice cream super tasty.
We had our food really fast, the attention was great.
Only con (sort of): no wifi

My first time dinning at PJ Clarks in Lincoln Center and it will not be my last. Was so impressed with the service, drinks and food. The restaurant is very large and busy but not the attentive service. You felt like you were in a small intimate restaurant.
Cocktails were delicious. We started with spicy fried shrimp and Parmesan tater tots. Both delicious. For dinner we had the Thai mussels and lobster fried rice. So delicious and the portions were large. I recommend all of these highly.
Who couldn’t resist dessert. Not me. We had the butterscotch pudding and the cheesecake with blueberries. Sorry no photos because we dived right into them.
If you are in the neighborhood go to PJ Clarks, you will leave with a very happy tummy.

Best steak I’ve had in years. Filet medium rare. Bartenders are great. Chris & Chris are the best in NYC. And I’m from Chicago… Shhhh

It is exactly what it is. A bar. With a raw bar and a very good burger… and a ton of tourists, many who have no idea how to behave in a bar or a restaurant.
Great cocktails, cold beers, oysters as good as you can get and fantastic bar service downstairs. Upstairs, amid the hungry throngs of tourists loaded down by a days worth of shopping and at least one crying, whiny child, is pretty close to hell on earth, but none of the problems are caused by the menu or an occasionally overwhelmed staff.

3.5 stars– Just like everyone else, we came for the burgers, and left quite satisfied — but with a significant dent in the wallet & thinking we would have been satisfied with burgers elsewhere, even Shake Shack.
My dad and bf are both huge burger fans, but since they were visiting, they could not comprehend or withstand the wait for the Spotted Pig. So we ended up here. We ordered 2 Cadillacs, clam chowder soup, Maryland crab cake, and a side of onion strings and Brussels sprouts.
*Cadillacs: this was a good burger but not spectacular. The raw onions were oddly enough placed at the bottom. It came with no sides.
*The onion strings were good though! They were huge and came in a plate the same size as that of the burgers. A huge bundle of fried strands, some with visible onion strips inside, some too thin and falling apart. If I’m back I’ll order this.
*brussels sprouts with bacon: okay, I ordered this because I’m currently in a Brussels sprouts phase. And now I know what bad, hard Brussels sprouts taste like. They were little hard shells, without much distinctive taste of their own. All I could taste was the bacon. Which was yummy, but a waste of Brussels sprouts, which are sometimes done so well all roasted and tender and flaky.
*crabcake: this was also okay, but for $ 19, extremely overpriced. Will not be ordering it again, since I’ve had good crabcake like this elsewhere too.
*clam chowder: this was lukewarm and bad. It could have come out of a can.
This came up to $ 130 for 3. Ugh. I don’t foresee myself coming back for average food at this price. The servers were also extremely busy at ~8pm on a weekday (also during graduation season). The entire restaurant was abuzz with chatter, and it had a fun atmosphere: if only the food was better.

My family and I ate brunch at PJ Clarke’s before a show at Lincoln Center, and it was a great meal! We were smart to make a reservation because they fill up quickly on weekends (and we were a large party). We had the best table, right in the front corner curved window with a view of Lincoln Center… ideal for people-​watching.
Our server was friendly and timely with our drink and food orders. Some of us went with more traditional brunch options (the Blueberry Pancakes looked AMAZING) and some of us stuck with the tried and true PJ Clarke’s burgers (always delicious) with sides of the Shoestring Fries and the Onion Strings (a must).

I was excited as this was my first time eating here. To be honest, I was disappointed with my entire dining experience. The waitress was very unpleasant for no reason and I understand — we all have our days. So I’ll let the shitty service and cunty attitude slide. I ordered the Thai Muscles. Clearly someone lied to the chef and told him that his cooking was exquisite… This establishment had no business charging me as much as they did for what poor excuse for a meal that was placed before me. The muscles tasted mediocre at best. I’m pretty sure they were served with regular garlic broth as well. Then, when I asked my cranky ass bitch of a waiter if they were the Thai style muscles, she responded «I think so». The fuck do you mean you THINK so? Girl, get it together… I’ll definitely never eat here again. Waste of money. Horrible service. Eh food. My friend’s burger looked nasty too — probably gross frozen meat. McDonald’s serves a better looking burger. I wouldn’t feed this filth to prisoners. YUCK!
Grade — F

Met my boss here for quick drink and apps. The resturant it self is very nice, which is what to be expected, and service is great.
I had the calamri which was freash, hot and perfect salt touch. The sauce on the side was more tomoate bisque but I really enjouyed it.
My drink was also good and I would for sure come back here.

Sadly there are not many restaurants around here so the options are limited but we are happy we came in. This restaurant has a pub feel and they seem to be known for their drinks. I ordered the Clarke burger medium rare with fries and a Coke. The burger is probably the best one I’ve ever had and that sure is saying something since burgers are my thing. It was cooked perfectly, was juicy and had flavor. I didn’t even need to add ketchup to it because it was so perfect. The fries were fries so nothing special there. My husband got the crusted chicken with mashed potatoes and a side of Brussel sprouts. The chicken was also cooked perfectly and the mashed potatoes were great but such a small serving. Our waiter brought us complimentary onion rings so that was really nice of him and they tasted delicious. My only complaint is the prices which we knew when we walked in so it is in no way pj clarkes fault, but to charge over eight dollars for a side of Brussel sprouts is insane. And the ten ounce sodas were over three dollars so to say this joint is pricey is an understatement. Overall the food was delicious and the service was great so I give them four stars.

I’m surprised by the low rating for this place. Just had dinner, early Saturday evening (5 pm) before going to a show. Our service was fantastic (water glasses never left empty), and the burgers were quite tasty. The bernaise sauce was a delicious addition. The fries were crispy and satisfying, but definitely overpriced for the serving size.
I understand people having an issue with the price, and when it comes to the side dishes I agree, but in that area of Manhattan there are very few options for an affordable meal that doesn’t involve carry out or $ 1 slices. Would I eat here often? No, but if I want a nice enough place for a meal before heading to a show at Lincoln Center I’d come here again for another tasty burger.
Fun note: they will give you a postcard to write to anyone and will post it and mail it anywhere in the world! I sent one to my folks in Chicago. I wish I had remembered the addresses of my family in India!

It took me some time to really think over my experience here and I finally realized that if I were to find myself in the area again and in search of food, I would not dine here again and I’ll tell you why.
Before I even get into the details of the food that we had, I will first mention that the table we were seated at was totally disfigured. It wobbled almost dangerously so, my moms soup splashed everywhere when she put an elbow on the table. We let the waitress know and the only thing that was done about it was that she brought over a door stop to place under the table which. didn’t help. Why we were not moved to a better table? I don’t know.
Don’t order the onion soup, to quote my mother; «panera makes a better onion soup» they do.
The shrimp salad I ordered was good but to me it wasn’t 20something dollar good.
I don’t know, I just look back at the meager items, and spending over $ 70 plus my mother getting burned and I can’t help but feel like we got totally ripped off. Nope, never again.

I only wish there was a zero stars option on Unilocal.I think one star is too much for this place. PJ Clarke’s is 3 minutes walk from our place. We haven’t been here ever knowing this place is very average. Today we finally decided to have dinner. We ordered mushroom burger, turkey burger, lobster roll, calamari, onion rings and side of fries. First up the drinks showed up at room temperature! Then the calamari, which was supposed to be an appetizer came with mains. Calamari was literally swimming in oil — no one bothered to drain the oil. The food came pretty fast but every dish was cold. All of them. Calamari completely disgusting. The rest of the food was on low end of average at best. What a waste of time and money. NEVER AGAIN! Stay away people.

Blech.
Ordered the clam chowder, «The Cadillac» burger and fries.
Fries were okay. Used to thick steak fries and free dipping sauces back west so to charge for extra sauce is beyond me. The clam chowder was «New England» which is code for runny and dishwater-​like. Everything sank to the bottom of the (tiny!) bowl so you had to scoop up from the bottom of you wanted anything that wasn’t flavored water.
The burger was cadil-​lacking alright. Store-​bought cold top bun, bad presentation, and a thoroughly soggy and lumpy bottom bun. The onion was literally raw and for some reason was under the bottom bun? No idea. Pics of the burger attached. Not great.
Service was okay and somewhat on the slow side (we went directly after a Phil concert so the bar was packed). Not recommended.

This rating is strictly based on their tater tots, service & burger only. Place has a nice size bar & raw bar as you enter into the restaurant. We were sat pretty quickly and server was very friendly, no complaints there. Ordered their tater tots to share and it was delicious. She of marinara made it even better. I ordered mushroom burger to med, the other order was for Clark burger to med-​rare. It was a pleasant surprise that both burgers were cooked to order. When burgers came out we quickly realized, the orders were for just the burgers. No fries, no sides… Sides were additional btw $ 4.50 around $ 7.50 depending on what you choose. It was not a bad burger but my mushroom burger had little too much mayo. If i had known, would’ve asked them to go EASY on the mayo. Service was very pleasant and quick. Coffee refills came quickly as well.

My friends and I had tickets to a performance at Lincoln Center so thought we would try this place. We had reservations but I was running late due to train trouble and they will not seat you until your entire party is there. However, the hostess was nice about it as all the tables/​reservations were running behind. I’d definitely budget more time if you’re under a time constraint and definitely make a reservation — walkins were about 1.5 hour wait!
We were seated about 45 mins after our original reservation but the waiter was extremely nice and very accommodating. He was nice when we told him we had tickets to a show for 8pm. The food was good. We all got the Clarke Burger which was good but the Parmesan tater tots are a MUST HAVE! Delicious.

Never order online and reconsider going in person. Submitted an order worth over $ 65, needed to call after the order was over 40mins late and then was missing the two orders of French fries and side salad when it arrived.
We called asking about the missing items which the manager fought us over and refused to deliver. There are too many other good burger places in the area to order from to settle with this place.
Try McAleers or big daddy’s diner instead.

My friends and I were just walking around Columbus Circle mid-​afternoon when we all of a sudden got hungry, looked right and noticed we were right next to PJ Clarke’s.
We opted to start with a few drinks, and this was when the first red flag arose. There were absolutely no prices indicated on the menu, which made us all a little weary when ordering but, onward and upward. I know I should of ordered a burger, but I had red meat the night before so instead I went for the Crab Cake Sandwich. My boyfriend ordered the Cadillac Burger and our other friends went for the Maine Style Lobster Roll and a Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. From what I gathered, the burger was really good but the others were mediocre at best.
So just a quick recap,
Red Flag #1: There were no prices on the drinks, so some of us had ²⁄₃ rounds just to compensate for the lack of alcohol.
Red Flag #2: When I was ordering, I told the waitress I didn’t want the bread on the sandwich and then she suggested instead of the sandwich, she can give me 2 crab cakes. I hadn’t seen it, so when I was fishing through the menu, she assured me it’s just a verbal request to the chef-​I just went with it. They ended up being very good so I was content with the decision at the time.
The cocktails were $ 16 a pop, and my makeshift crab cake entrée was $ 40! I was really in awe that the waitress didn’t feel the need to alert me to the fact that I was about to pay DOUBLE what I intended to pay with the sandwich. Talk about shady service. In the end, we paid 3x what we should have for stingy drinks and a mediocre meal for LUNCH. The whole thing really rubbed me the wrong way so it’ll be a whole before I think about coming here again.

PJ Clarke’s has been an iconic Manhattan venue since 1884. I dined there in advance of a spectacular Bartok/​Stravinsky performance by the London Symphony Orchestra on 10÷23÷15. PJs served the need to get a quick and palatable meal before the concert. The noise level is loud but conversation is possible. The tables are a little too close together. The beer menu is commercial, lacking a variety of good craft choices. The Shepherds Pie was good, as was the duck leg. Service was prompt and pleasant.
PJ Clarke’s is a more than adequate destination for those seeking a quick and casual meal before Lincoln Center events.

Wanted to grab a quick snack and a beer before bed. This is right next to my hotel (empire hotel). Got the Brooklyn Lager and an order of parmesan tots. Tots were great… Wish they were a little crispier. But, they were good and hit the spot!
Prices are alright. To be expected for the area!

PJ Clarke delivers a quite good burger. I took the wild mushroom one, with low expectations given the Unilocal reviews I’d read. What I got was a burger quite similar to that of Five Napkins. The meat was good and juicy, and the cheese really added a few flavor to the dish.
However, it is a bit overpriced for what you get and the fries (shoestring fries) were not well cooked. I thought they were quite dry.
3 star location, Five Napkins is a bit better.