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Ed's Chowder House
Rating Details »
Categories: Seafood, American (New)
Neighborhood: Upper West Side44 W 63rd St
(between W Central Park & Broadway)
New York, NY 10023
(212) 956-1288
- Nearest Transit:
-
59th St-Columbus Circle (1, A, C, B, D)
57th St-7th Ave (N, Q, R, W)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
19 reviews for Ed's Chowder House
"For A Horse You Did Alright, Ed. But For A Chef You Fell Short."
Ed has some serious thinking to do. He's either got to beef up the portion sizes, make food of better quality, or revamp the atmosphere to be more in-your-face fancy.
Why? Because those are the three things people pay lots of money for at a restaurant. A) Lots of food, B) Amazing food, and C) A sense of atmosphere that is either elegant, exclusive, or over the top with a theme or something.
The food was good, not great. But the prices would suggest the food would be a bit better. The portions were SMALL, yet were not of the richness one would expect from a gourmet restaurant, where the small portions are okay because every bite is filled with flavor.
The atmosphere, while pleasant, doesn't really add to the dining experience. The stripped wallpaper and dark wood surfaces are nice, but it feels like there is something missing. They could definitely change up the decor to at least attempt to justify their overpricing.
Service was impeccable and the drinks were well mixed, but I would rather go elsewhere where I know I'll be getting better food for the same price (with a better ambiance to boot).
Ed, you're going to have to vastly improve your menu and redecorate or you won't last. Three stars for the overall pleasant evening I spent there, but I wouldn't necessarily go back.
Not too shabby an option for some pre-theatre eats.
At 7pm on a Wednesday, the wait for a table of two was about fifteen minutes. There are two rooms, the bar room and the dining room, and we were extremely pleased when we were seated in a plush, spacious corner booth in the dining room. The space is gorgeous, with a very contemporary, New England aesthetic. Even if you are sitting next to someone, the tables are large enough that you will not feel like you are sitting elbow-to-elbow.
Clientele is pretty eclectic. Though there were a handful of families, tourists, and late-twenty, artsy professionals, the majority of patrons were an older 50-60+ crowd. Of course... then there was me, decked out in grunge-y plaid, a grey hoodie, and black jeans, and decidedly not their most lucrative patron. Still, service was polite, attentive, and professional.
Quality of the food was kind of varied. My sister and I opted to share a few small plates: raw oysters, the trio sampler of chowders, and two appetizers. The raw bar is amazing. Although they only have a variety of new Atlantic oysters, the freshness can't be beat and we would have been happy to eat oysters all night. The chowder, however, was somewhat disappointing. We actually left the clam chowder fairly untouched. Watery, and a little sour, it tasted more like gruel than a hearty, seafood soup. Pumpkin is always a yummy, seasonal treat, but the real star was the spicy blue crab, chock full of lumps of crab, and definitely more interesting than your usual stock.
For our appetizers, we had the tuna tatare and the cod cakes. The cod cakes were delicious and excellently seasoned. If you like pepper, this appetizer will please you. I didn't find the tatare pleasing at all though. Maybe I'm used to tartare in a more Asian style, but their version was not minced very finely and was more similar to steak tatare. It was also seasoned with an overwhelming amount of parsley. Overall, the quality was there... If you order well and maybe take the suggestions of your waiter, you will probably fare better.
Oh, and the bread basket is kind of amazing. The variety is perfect: sea biscuits, flatbreads, rolls-- yum. We were surprised to find that we couldn't polish off the breadbasket, though we really wanted to!
Four stars. Ed's isn't exactly cheap, but with no reservations necessary, and the luxury of space and not being rushed in or out, I will definitely keep Ed's in mind when I am looking for pre-theatre dining.
Trio sampler of chowders: Corn, New England Clam & Blue Crab chowder. I loved the first two, in fact I was amazed how much I loved corn chowder. The name corn chowder sounded like I'd be drinking corn muffin batter (yuck) but it was really a lovely mixture of savory and sweet.
For my main I got the scallops with bacon and white beans. It was definitely over salted, but nonetheless I enjoyed the dish. I am curious to come back again and try more dishes. As a seafood lover, and practically a resident at the Empire Hotel, why the F not?
I also enjoyed their "Anti-oxidant Martini" with pomegranate liquor. Normally that would make me think its all sweet, no substance, but it got a good buzz for all. Ok, just me, but I have many personalities...
Finally, or perhaps firstly, their homemade assorted bread/cracker basket was divine. Again, corn muffin madelines? I die! The crackers were good but hurt my recent filings, boo.
I am encouraged to try again!
WAIT! before I go, the clam chowder was hands down one of the best I ever had. Reason being is because of the bacon! It could have even been called "Clam & Bacon Soup" tho that doesn't have much ring to it. So good, I am pretending to slurp it in my private time.
Small portions, had better chowder, tuff spinich, tuna ordered seared but more like medium. Small scallops 6,
Sadly hearing that Center Cut closed we decided to try Ed's. On a Sunday evening it was pretty crowded and we were glad we had made reservations. It's a very noisy place, and I couldn't get over the family sitting next to us who had a kid that coughed openly the entire meal. Service was kind of slow, but we did get a bread basket with some really good Corn Bread. That was probably the best thing I had.
The portions were small, even on the entrees. I tried the New England Clam Chowder and wasn't impressed at all. I expected better at a "Chowder House." I also ordered the Seared Tuna, and it came out cooked more medium and really tuff. I couldn't figure out how tuna could be tuff like that, but it was full of fat or grizzle (something white and not chewable.) I substituted the fries with Creamed Spinach, which was undercooked. The Scallop dish sounded good, but when it came out the Scallops were small. They were also over a bean mash, which didn't taste good.
I really wanted to love this place, but I just can't do it. I'll miss Center Cut.
Expectations were high, but the restaurant was underwhelming at best. While we were promptly seated, that was the only highlight of the evening.
After being seated, it took 25 minutes before the waiter returned with cocktails (even after asking the manager the status of the order). The waiter was inattentive and appeared to be inexperienced: the appetizers arrived when my dining companion was in the restroom; the entrees arrived when I was in the restroom; the waiter didn't know the oysters (or how to pronounce them); the waiter had trouble clearing our plates.
As for the food, the lobster was a good deal ($16/lb) and the corn chowder was tasty. The risotto was bland, and the chowder had chewy clams.
Most of the guests were 60+ and seemed to receive much more attention.
I would not recommend the food or service, unfortunately. I told the hostess about the lack of service, and I hope that they remedy the issue.
I had a dinner there last night with 4 other friends. Our reservation was for 9pm and we were seated after 20 minutes. The waiting area (bar area) was crowded and a bit chaotic and not comfortable as other guests were having dinner there also. As we walked though the restaurants there were many empty tables. Maybe they do not have enough waiters.
The decor is nice, but still looks and feels like a steakhouse - seems like the only decor change from the former Center Cut was the wall papers and paintings on the wall. But nice atmosphere nonetheless.
For appetizers we ordered the chowder sampler (corn chowder, New England clam chowder, and fish chowder). Corn chowder was spicy and a bit bland, but New England clam chowder was good. My friend had scallop ravioli which was very good.
For entree we had striped sea bass, seared scallops, tuna, and risotto with basil paste and shrimp. Sea bass and scallops were good. Risotto was a bit bland and lacked seasoning and a few ingredients. Tuna seemed over cooked. I wanted to have cod but it was sold out by 9:30pm.
For desert we had doughnuts which came with chocolate and hazel nut dipping source. They were very good. We also had blueberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. It was good.
The wine selection seemed extensive. They also serve some cocktails. I noticed looking at other tables that margaritas were served in a martini glass which was a big turn off for me.
Our waiter was very attentive and helpful with the menu. But other servers lacked some training. When pouring water into the glasses he spilled all over the table like he was serving at a diner. We were not served bread until we asked for it. It took half hour to sign our check after we gave them our credit card - apparently credit card machine was not working. How could you run a restaurant without a credit card machine?
All in all it was a nice restaurant and I expect the service will improve over time. I would go back for pre-theater dinner if they can give me the check on time.
Not bad, but not quite ready for prime time.
The server we had was not up to snuff which colored our dining experience, let's say a Crayola Burnt Umber shade. The New England clam chowder tasted like a watered down version of Campbell's. Table beside us had ordered the special chowder which looked pretty special indeed. Strike one for us for having ordered poorly, strike one for the venue for have an ass choice on the menu.
Entree was much better, we both had the lobster. It took some time to get the entrees out to us and we filled up on the bread basket which had a variety of savory and spicy choices- nicely done. We had our lobster bibs for a good long while, waiting the crustaceans to reach the table. We must have made quite the picture.
They would be better served to hire more waiters and less managers. Our server looked worse for wear by the end of the night. Looks like he was being hounded by some of the many mangement suits situated about the perimiter like FBI at a Presidental address. This did not add to the ambiance and we chose not to stay for dessert and coffee. Check please!
One of the best seafood restaurant's ever. Ate there a few time while staying at the Empire Hotel. Ty who is the head bartender recommended his favorites and my friend and I ordered it all! The scallop ravioli is to die for and probably one of the best tasting foods I've ever had.
Must go to whether you are staying at the hotel or not. It's amazing and pretty inexpensive for the quality of the food and atmosphere.
This restaurant is beautiful!! What a great job the designer did melding what you would expect to be a traditional chowder house and a modern restaurant. Being raised on Cape Cod and living in NYC and it's cool restaurants (yes, I lived in them), I was in absolute heaven here. Oh, and love the bubbles coming up the staircase!
Yeah, so the chowder's not going to make me happy, but I knew that going in. Chowder outside of New England is like pizza on the West Coast: No matter how hard they try, they just can't get it right. If you must - after all, it is the Chowder House -- go for the special chowder, which is a seafood chowder on 'roids. Even if you don't love their chowda, there is so much seafood in here that it's more like a pile of fish with a splash of chowder as a sauce.
The lobster, on the other hand, was one of the best lobsters I have ever had. They take the meat out, hollow out the body, then put the meat in there with butter on top then grill it. The butter melts, pools in the bottom of the shell and then burns. The result is an unexpectedly amazing smoky flavor in the meat.
Desserts and Apps were good, as was the service.
Hit and miss. Mostly miss.
Hit. Drinks were reasonably priced and contained a fair amount of alcohol.
Miss. They were not served until prompted, halfway through our soups.
Total miss. Clam chowders contained virtually no clams, and were served luke warm. Should have sent them back.
Semi-hit. My Dining Partner, a scallop maven, thought the Sea Scallops were plump and fresh. Maybe so, but they were definately overcooked.
If this is supposed to be a chowder house, serve decent chowder. If a seafood house, get a chef who knows how to cook seafood. Potential patrons - you have been warned. But don't worry, this place won't be around too long.
Despite all the negative reviews, I decided to give this place a shot. I wasn't sure what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised. The ambiance is elegantly nautical themed.
I would probably put clam chowder in my top 3 favorite foods, but have yet to find anything in NYC that will qualify as my go to spot for excellent chowder. My hopes weren't high, but I figured there was a chance the place with "chowder" in the name could fit the bill.
I went with the chowder sampler which was a small but sufficient sample of each of their three chowders - NE clam, Manhattan crab, and sweet corn. Each was unique and each was definitely tasty and enjoyable, but none of them were 5-star chowders. The hunt continues...
As for the entrees, I got the tuna steak frites which was quite good. Beware, the seasoning on the fries definitely has a kick.
Prices are pretty reasonable for the neighborhood and the decor. The tuna didn't blow me away, but it's a great spot if you're going to Lincoln Center. The environment is casually upscale and the service was definitely up to par.
I really enjoyed Ed's - even though we were about half (a third??) of the average patron's age and the atmosphere was a bit more upscale than I was expecting from what I'd read about the place. The decor is great, especially the glowing bar. we each had some chowder which came in a pretty decent size portion - the New England clam chowder had a bacony salty taste and plenty of chunky veggies. Since I wasn't super hungry but wanted to try something else too, I opted for the scallop ravioli in white wine sauce, which were phenomenal. There are only 3 so it's definitely an appetizer portion, but the scallops were perfectly cooked and the light saffron taste in the sauce complemented them very nicely. The wine list is on the short side but pretty well rounded and nicely divided up. I would definitely go back for some cocktails and the raw bar.
Since my boyfriend had bought tickets to see Bill Maher at Lincoln Center at 7pm, we had made dinner reservations at 5pm. We arrive and they tell us that their main dining room doesnt open until 5:30. It would have been nice to know that over the phone even though it took 3 calls to make reservations (the first 2 calls just kept ringing).
I had picked this place based on a friend's suggestion but wont be going back because they were rude once we got there even after their error.
First off, the food here is so reasonably priced for the quality. People always are talking about how expensive it is to eat in NYC, but compared to SF, Ed's Chowder House is actually a little cheaper (and it's prepared better than most of the more expensive eateries).
We walked in 20-25 minutes before closing time (which is 11:30pm), and the waitress was very friendly, and didn't make us feel as if we were inconveniencing them by coming in so late, as I've experienced in the past at restaurants. Then, she says the chef wanted to send us each a glass of champagne. That was great! I nibbled on the bread from the bread basket- it made me realize how bad pre-dinner breads are. I had to force myself to stop eating the variety of breads. My girlfriend who is gluten free and doesn't usually miss bread, was salivating over the breads because she could smell how delicious they were.
We had an appetizer of golden and red beets with walnuts and goat cheese- this was really good- light and refreshing.
Then, she brings out lobster rolls, something we didn't order, again, on the chef. These were delicious!
We had oysters, all reasonably priced at $2.75 each...
And the chef added a couple of giant prawns on the house.
By the time we got our meals, we were already pretty full. However, we continued to stuff ourselves with our dinners, because they were so delicious. They offer entrees both with specific seasonings, and sides or offer the entree's a la carte or prepared however you like. And let me tell you, the sauces and seasonings are not there to cover up poorly prepared seafood. From now on I'm going to be comparing the salmon I eat to the salmon my fiance' had at Ed's- it was perfectly crisp on the outside, and moist and delicious on the inside. She ordered this a la carte Now I realize I've never had salmon cooked to such perfection, and being in SF, I eat seafood quite a bit. My lobster was wonderful. Before my dish came, I told my fiance' how I always order lobster for some reason hoping it's better, and it always disappoints me. This lobster was perfect. It didn't have that rubbery texture I've experienced quite a bit, and that dirty taste. It was succulent, and soft. Delicious- exactly what I always hoped it would taste like.
We both could feel ourselves getting sick because we continued to stuff our mouthes long after we were full.
For some reason we said yes to dessert too. We thought we were being conservative ordering one creme brulee' to share....It ended up being triple the size we are used to. It was delicious. But we finally reached our limit, and had to roll out of there sick from overindulgence.
Kudos to the excellent waitress and chef who didn't treat us like we were being annoying by still being there long after closing, and thank you for all the free dishes! (I believe the chef's name was Jeremy or Jason- very friendly guy). This place is as good as it gets- even without all the kind treatment, the food was really executed well.
So my sweetheart and I got out of a lovely black and white double feature at Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center on a Sunday afternoon and were looking for a spot to grab a bite. The menu revealed that the chowder was $9-15, but we figured, what the hell, it's a restaurant specializing in chowder, it must be off the charts good. The decor inside was that of a high end hotel lobby, very nice if somewhat sterile...but what's most important is that the chowder was disastrous. I had the regular clam chowder, my sweetheart had the Manhattan clam (read: the red kind). One bite and he said: "How weird. This tastes like Campbell's Soup." I tasted mine and said: "I didn't know clams could be so...chewy." Mine also tasted unmistakably like bacon flavor. Not like bacon--but like a synthetic-tasting bacon flavor. We ate the chowder quickly and asked for the check, wanting to put the whole thing behind us. Our server could tell we were a little underwhelmed and admitted that the kitchen staff was new and that they were "working out the kinks". I'd like to say that I'll return to give them another chance, but the truth is that the next time I'm craving chowder I'm going straight to Grand Central.
We walked in on a Saturday night without a reservation around 6pm and were seated in the bar area. The bread basket was delicious. I ordered the spicy vegetable salad, which was also delicious. My friend ordered the crabcakes which were breaded perfectly and you could actually taste the crab, which was great. I ordered the chowder sampler, and enjoyed the corn chowder and the manhattan chowder, but unfortunately the standard New England chowder was watery, tasteless and the clams in it were so chewy I was unable to eat them.
Then the bill came, and the items on the menu were reasonably priced, but our waitress misunderstood what my friend ordered, even though she pointed to the crabcakes from the bar menu, we were charged for the entree price, which was twice as much. We discussed this with her, and unfortunately she acted like it was our fault, not hers, that she heard us say crabcakes, and not crabcake, which in her mind differentiates between the two items, even though my friend pointed to the bar menu when ordering. So that was extremely frustrating, but I left her a 20% tip and a note, describing that she SHOULD CLARIFY with her patrons what they want, especially when there is such a large price discrepancy between the two items.
I most likely will not return to this restaurant because of her unpleasant attitude. So beware if you order in the bar on a Saturday night, you might end up with different items than what you ordered.
this is my favorite new restaurant. chowder is the best in the whole world. i had special chowder with huge chunks of lobster, clams, scallop... soup has undertone of smoke bacon. oh my god, it was fantastic. even the bread basket was good. i usually don't eat much of bread, but i enjoyed them with good butter.
raw bar is great, too. oyster selection is limited, but the quality is superb.
i had scallop as main course, and they were cooked perfectly. a friend had salmon, and he loved it, as well.
didn't have room for desert, but everybody in the restaurant seems to enjoy them...
service was friendly and attentive (even the busboys).
it's getting chilly out, so go eat chowder here.
fabulous bread basket, amazing chowders (try the sampler platter), and the purest crab cake (no fillers!). my husband thought the lobster roll was a bit too lemony, but the delish blueberry cobbler made up for it. make reservations and don't look too sloppy (it's a pretty nice place).
So I start by saying this is a Chowder House and the chowder itself, while good, could be better. HOWEVER, we have gone now 4 times, live in the neighborhood, and usually sit at the bar. Sat in the restaurant once, and while its alright, I like this place for the bar food and the atmosphere. Walter is an excellent bartender. The fish and chips are amazing. Get them - $17 bucks. The salmon app, i know you are thinking smoked salmon, big deal, but it is awesome and extremely fresh. the scallop ravioli, great. even the la frieda burger, while small, and probably overpriced at $18, was good. Oyster selection is all east cost and from lots of small places you have never heard of, and we eat lots of oysters. get the bread basket with - jalapeno corn bread - yum. For dessert simple - kahlua cream filled donuts with chocolate and hazelnut dipping sauces (as if the kahlua cream filling is not enough). Welcomed addition to the neighborhood and probably one of the best China Grill Mgmt restaurants in NYC and I am not a fan of Chodorow...
