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Categories: Bars, Steakhouses, Burgers [Edit]
Neighborhood: Greenwich Village8th St-Broadway (R, W)
Astor Place (6)
Union Square (4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, W)
"This place hardly needs another five star review for you all to head there... but here it goes. Yummy food. Nice Atmosphere. Great Service.…" read more »
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+1 star for the Al Hirschfeld portraits on the wall and another +1 for the superb jazz musicians.
The servers were attentive, although the place was a bit crowded and our waiter had a difficult time getting to our table without being stopped.
The food was good too - I enjoyed the organic chicken, while my buddy chowed down on the burger. Although the place looks like a traditional steakhouse, the steaks just didn't look as appetizing as some other places out there... (like the Strip House, which is just a couple blocks away).
If this place doesn't appear in a Woody Allen movie from the 70s, it should. It's got that Al Hirschfeld, NY-when-it-was-real vibe.
I was partial to our waitress. She was bigboned and Teutonic -- exactly the kind of person you want slinging a delicious t-bone or chocolate souffle at your face.
Go on the early side. We had a 5 pm seating and they seemed pretty slow by Manhattan standards. Perhaps they were running on Williamsburg time?
GOOD FOOD, MEDIOCRE WAITER
The ambiance is very nice, and "old school New York". I like the leather booths and the Al Hirschfeld drawings and vintage posters on the wall.
It was my parents 31st anniversary and I felt that the waitress was nonchalant. She didn't seem to care whether or not we were enjoying our dining experience. So it was a little bit of a bummer to have such a down and out/nonchalant/careless waitress.
Part of eating out at a restaurant is being treated a certain way, making the customers enjoy the dining experience. It's not just be served, eat and leave, as if we were at McDonald's.
Gallagher's in Times Square far out does this place in terms of wait staff and customer service.
It's possible other waiters are friendlier but this one needs to be re-trained in basic customer service.
If you are going strictly for the food/atmosphere, It's very good. I would give it more stars, but I am critical about service that's why I give it 2.
No frills t-bone steak. Relatively expensive and GIANT PORTIONS! Unlike most Americans I don't actually want giant portions. I want small portions so I can more easily not get fat or not waste food. I guess I can't fault them for that.
It was good but not so much that I would go out of my way to go back.
UNFRIENDLY SERVICE RUINED AN ALREADY DISAPPOINTING MEAL.
My boyfriend had read excellent reviews about this place and decided to take me there for my birthday. This is not the place for a special night out, the atmosphere is old and stodgy . Our waitress was unfriendly ( If I didn't know any better I would say she has a problem serving minorities ). When we asked her to store our bags while we ate dinner she placed our bags next to the bathroom on top of a dirty mop. The kitchen may have been having an off day, but everything we ordered from the stale bread, the tasteless salmon croquettes, to the chewy T bone steak was bland.
When I mentioned to the waitress that we were a bit disappointed with the quality of our meal she shrugged her shoulders and said " everyone else here likes it, so that's too bad for you". She then proceeded to go to the other wait staff and literally pointed at our table while gossiping
If you like flavorful food and good service stay away. BEWARE OF LESS THAN FRIENDLY SERVICE.
This place might be an institution but it missed the mark. If you are looking for decent steak and good service there are plenty of other great establishments in NYC to visit.
Stepping inside the Knickerbocker Bar & Grill is like being magically transported...to Midtown, or, perhaps, Times Square -- right in the heart of Greenwich Village!! Service is a joke, and were there rocks in my oysters (I am confused?)?
I went to Knickerbocker without reading any reviews or knowing anything about it. I walked in and the host had his back to me reading the paper. That is probably the worst way to walk into a resturant of any caliber. We were seated promptly but then agian it is a Monday night at 8:30. From there we were seated only to wait close to 10 minutes before a waitress came over. She was lovely... When ever I saw her. We were not ready so another 5-10 minutes passed by before she came back. She took my order and even repeated it back to me. I ordered the bacon cheeseburger. I asked for it to be rare to medium rare. This is not a particularly difficult thing to achieve and yet after 20 minutes or so my burger came out medium well. The funny thing is that my friends chicken came out underdone. Shouldn't it be the other way around? It would have been ok if our waitress came and asked us more the once how things were. The we could have fixed the situation. She checked on us about 30 seconds after the food came out. I had not even taken a bite of my burger. I didn't see her again until we asked the busboy for the check. When she came back with the check I told her that I was not happy. I'm not much of a complainer so I was very soft with my complaint. None the less, she made no effort to address the issue other then to tell me that "this almost never happens". I was less the pleased about this. Above everything else, my glass of water was not refilled once.
I will not be going back here.
Came in for the "bar" not the "grill." Disappointing. House wine was $8.50 / glass and unpotable. A budlight was $7.50. Old, dated place.
Just the facts:
what I ate::: T-bone for two (it was shared) / mashed potatoes / creamed spinach / crab cakes.
what i thought: :: Steak was delicious, juicy, flavorful, cooked to perfection / mashed potatoes were delicious, creamy , flavorful / creamed spinach had good flavor, it was very rich, tasted good but could have been better.
crab cakes: Delicious ! a little on the oily side but absolutely delicious !
Overall impression::: Nice looking restaurant ( mature and understated with a relaxed & friendly atmosphere. I went Based on the many positive reviews, The food definitly lived up to expectations.
overall verdict:::: I will dine there again.
This is for all the NYC steak houses who employ live jazz as a fixture and not as a centerpiece. Worst offender so far is this ugly, aging eatery that, as a friend put it, reminds one of an Olive Garden. I witnessed top-notch jazz talent hurry through their set, so as to release themsleves from their tight corner near the loud Yankee fans and move on to the free meal. Wikipedia lists this place as a "NYC jazz club", but that statement makes me think of the song by the 1960's band of the same name: "Lies"! But if you like red meat, and believe the world around you is just background to your cruddy little movie of a life, then get yourself here.
Walked past this place a thousand times and finally went in on a Thursday evening. I bet this place is packed on Thursdays around 7pm, but perhaps the recession slowed things down, though as we left (8pm), it was becoming more full. Regardless, the ambiance was nice.
Excellent food! Very nice waitress we had. Good wine by the glass and beers on tap.
It's a good find for that area. Professional or casual attire, which is nice after work.
Clean bathrooms too!
It's one of my favorite steakhouses! I go there quite often, steaks are always great, the portions are huge and Knickerbocker's is cheaper than other steakhouses in the city. I also like the ambiance, though I wish it was a larger space or had fewer tables - it's is cramped. Go for a booth!
This is a great place to go for dessert while listening to Junior Mance. Take a date and get the chocolate souffle for 2 with a nice glass of port!
For such a fancy restaurant they need a better selection of dessert wines. Besides the port there is only 1 late-harvest riesling. Add a stronger dessert wine selection and earn that 5th star!
I had the opportunity to enjoy libations with some good friends here while listening to another friend bang on the keys in a Jazz trio. It was a charming night, made ever better by the contrast between the warm interior and the damp and cold night outside.
The warm tones of the grill's interior matched the congenial mood within as glass met glass in resounding ringing, heard just over the sound of live music.
Beyond the port and wine, we also sampled some desserts which were consumed with gusto. The dark chocolate cake with white icing evidently met its demise without me ever learning its name.
We never had the chance to try the steaks, which were evidently well considered. Perhaps next time?
I LOVE the t-bone here. Their decor is classic steakhouse but it's also a lot less stuffy than the other "good" steakhouses in the city in that they actually have TVs with sports on and the clientele is more casual (at least that's my observation). The waitstaff is always friendly but they seem to always be pushing the more expensive items (understandably). Their appetizers are awesome - esp the french onion soup and crab cakes.
I loathe to get anything but steak at a steakhouse but the short ribs and tuna here are also decadent!!! All in all, an excellent steakhouse option and easier to get a reservation on short notice than other places.
A nice place for a quiet business discussion in the neighborhood. A good option if you want a quiet classy place to enjoy a meal.
Food - 4
Service - 4
Price - $$$
Atomsphere - 3.5
This place is at it's best as a steakhouse, and I'd be cautious ordering anything else. The burger(s) are quite good but overpriced for what they are, as are the baby back ribs. I ordered the "special" one evening, calves' liver and onions. It was NOT calves liver. It was beef liver, and chewy as an old shoe. When I complained, all I got was a "Sorry you didn't like it. Can I get you some desert?".
The famous Knickerbocker Bar & Grill jumps out at you, even if you were not originally planning on stopping in. The large corner building with the floor to ceiling panes of glass make you feel like you are entering a French bistro, but you're not. Once inside you do feel what they are all about, kind of.
Three of us went early for lunch. We were lucky enough to secure a window table, since it was before the lunch crowd was due to arrive.
I had the crab cake sandwich which was well seasoned and flaked full of crab meat, not too many lumps though, darn. My husband had a cheeseburger and he enjoyed it, the fries were good and crispy. My mother had onion soup and a green house salad and she enjoyed both.
I think we missed out by not reading up about it before we went. It did not impress me enough to want to return, but after reading the reviews on Yelp, I am more informed and need to revisit them.
I loved this place. Totally a warm and inviting steakhouse. live music..bar. nice wait staff. And hello ? they had the most awesome halloween decorations i have ever seen in a restaurant. They had this huge crafted tree. it had hundreds of hand made fall leaves that looked like ghosts. it was really impressive. I must say too that the wine recommendation by our server was dead on.
We ordered the truffle fries and they were to die for. I had the black Angus fillet Mignon. it had the most savory dark gravy...best i have ever tasted. I lost my mind. all three of us absolutely cleaned our plates. And even after that i had my eye on the huge platters of meat that were flying by me.
this place ruled. i will definitely revisit next time I'm in the city.
I've been to this place a couple of times. Food is pretty good, a little overpriced and they charge you for things like "Grilled onion instead of raw onion" and "salad instead of french fries". The meat loaf is very good and the portions is large. Had the ceaser salad, didn't like that the anchovies were simply tossed in rather than mashed into the dressing. Wish the soda's were larger and not served in rocks glasses.
As one of Washington Irving's greatest fans, I always rejoice in seeing or going to one of the places named after his famous alter ego: Diedrich Knickerbocker.... and I've always passed this spot by, always wondering, always busy going somewhere or something; I finally got to try it and here's my experience:
The flare of the place is a mixture of old New York (they had a piano, which surface was replete with scotch bottles, spirits and glassware as decoration) and chain-like family restaurant (Applebees gets a facelift), and the crowds were all old timers, students with the 'rents, and a few couples here and there....
Audrey J. and I were craving some MEAT; so we decided to go the lazy route and ordered the same; Surf & Turf, hers medium-rare, mine well done. We ordered some Tuna Tartar Tacos out of curiosity, which turned out to be exactly that; Taco tortillas with ahi tuna and guacamole.... the tuna was fine, but not great. As for the Surf & Turf, I was pretty happy with my steak, but I didn't like the cumbersome presentation of the lobster, which made it hard to extract it out of the shell. Another thing, Audrey's medium-rare was much better than my well-done.
One star less BECAUSE, the waitress was a little bit careless in her patronizing tone; I understand you don't tend to youngsters on a daily basis, but don't expect everyone to want to drink alcohol on a Monday.
So four stars because: it's nice, it's STEAK, it's affordable, and it's Knickerbocker.
The Knick is a nice place . . .not really the sort of joint I tend to go to, but one night as I passed by it became the rebirth of something great. I had stopped drinking bourbon after an unfortunate incident involving violent vomiting. But as I walked by and saw the classy old folks listening to Jazz, I knew it was time.
I walked in and sidled up to the bar. In my ratty t-shirt and army helmet, I did not resemble the other patrons but they paid me little mind. "What will you have, sir?" the bartender asked me.
"Maker's. Neat." And with that I was back.
I love meat. But i've never had a steak bring tears to my eyes until I had a dry aged shell steak at this fabulously old hollywood style restaurant full of old (non-hollywood style) farts.
I appreciated that my sugar daddy, Chad B, and I weren't the least bit snubbed by the staff for our east village peirced perve look that more than noticeably contrasted with the geriatric scenesters at this fine establishment. Cheers to you, you professional career waiters!
At a bare minimum of $50/head, go if you need a steak and fries (with gorgonzola chunks and truffle oil!) with a side of jazzy ambiance TO DIE FOR. But try not to be like the other patrons and actually die at the table.
My friend and I were wandering around this area at about 11 and he said, "Ohh, that place has really good churros," and our tummies were growling and it was SO fucking hot outside, so we ducked in.
The atmosphere is weird. The place-settings make me think it's semi-fancy, but everything else points to "casual," so who knows. We were definitely the youngest people there, but I didn't feel out of place.
I ordered the macaroni and cheese sans bacon and it was delicious. The cheesy sauce and the noodles and the peas and the crunchy whatever-it-is on the top: mmm! My eating partner had the lobster bisque and it, too, was delicious.
Our waiter was friendly and personable and funny. He checked in with us several times and when we asked him about the pie of the day, he told us that it was "Apple-Blueberry made by a sassy woman named Rosemary who has a mouth on her," and I laughed and laughed. It was cute. To add to the pleasure: the pie was DELICIOUS and scrumptious and everything else.
I will definitely go back!
I just remember having the best dinner date to date at Knickerbocker's about three years ago. It was one of those inexplicably charming and strangely perfect evening. I recall the fantastic food (my memory does not serve me well enough to recall exactly what i had), great ambiance, and flawless service. I also think they might have played my all time favorite crooners - which probably added to the great night.
Ahh... it's one of those soft, tender memories I like to revisit on stressful and/or dull days.
Went here with the boyf, upon his suggestion. The reason: my love for french onion soup, and apparently Knickerbocker had one of the best he's had in the city. Okay.
So we get there, and it's a nice, casual, lots of dark wood kinda place. The bar seems the type you'd find your grandpa drinking whiskey at. There was a jazzy feel to the place, probably because they play jazz music after a certain hour. The menu was pretty complete. Had something for everyone, I felt like. But alas, where was my beloved french onion soup?! No where to be found. In a panic, as I had been craving it all day, I beckoned the waitress and bombarded her with my query. She quickly calmed my fears, and told me it was not on the menu, but they did in fact make it there. Phew.
Along with the soup, I ordered a salad, blanking on the name, but I do remember it having an oil truffle dressing that was amazing and smooth. My more adventurous boyfriend had beef with mango sauce, which was also very delicious.
How I feel about this place is that it is a safe bet. Nothing too crazy, just a good meal in a pretty laid back atmosphere. However, it was a little on the pricey side, but I wouldn't say it was over priced.
Oh, and the french onion soup, you're wondering? It really WAS good. Probably the best I've had in the city, but I've also found that it isn't all that easy to find good soup in New York. Good job, boyfriend.
This is place to be when you want to gorge yourself on steak and potatoes and cocktails!
We went for dinner on a saturday night -- specifically to see Valerie Capers play (go if you haven't seen her!) and with a reservation for 6 people including a "regular and famous" person with us, Steve at the door was just as friendly as usual -- note my sarcasm!! Don't take it personally -- he's always like that!
There was a large party behind us--10+ people and it wasn't a problem -- noise, space, etc.
They pack the place and keep the service moving but the food never disappoints.
I've been there for a romantic dinner. It was not too fancy but has old school atmosphere. I loved the duck entree. It was almost rare inside and crispy outside. The sauce was perfect(little bit fruity sweet). I also had their famous T-bone steak and that was okay. They have a great wine specialist, so you will never get the wrong wine with your juicy steak. Cream spinach was the second best after Peter Lugar if you know what I'm saying.
Not one to be typecast by the TGI Friday / Applebee chains with its family bar menu items, KnickerBocker sets its own style with great food, solid ambiance, and decent service.
The burgers here are to die for, perfectly cooked with just the right amount of flavor in the meat. If their steaks are anything like their burgers (and from what I read they're superior!) then they've got it right. I am not the biggest fan of meat loaf and I've had leftovers from this place with their garlic mash which was just fabulous. Another recommended item is their lobster bisque which comes with its own lobster tail.
The food itself is 5 star quality, but the service is what keeps this place from getting my 5 star vote. My last experience was marred by our lackadaisical dinner waiter Julian, who reminded me why I prefer takeout or lunch here over dinner. As previously mentioned, the prices are the deal breaker for some folks here. While it is somewhat pricey, its hardly expensive compared to Manhattan's finest steakhouses.
This is my place with my parents. I've been coming here since I was a little girl (it's in their old building). Huge fan of the bistro menu - and the live jazz in the evenings. Some places are just a total comfort zone...sense memory, and this place is for me!
Dinner ($50+) (single visit)
Food: 5
Service: 5
Decor: 4
Other: 4
My cousin brought me here to get some steak. It was good, but all in all, there was too much food for the two of us to finish. (Usually, that's not a bad thing, but my cousin kept goading me on to eat more. And I, being a sucker for steak, ate until I was about to be sick.) We got the T-bone steak, and it was the first time I'd seen it delivered to the table pre-sliced. Apparently, that's not an uncommon thing, but like I said, it was the first time I'd seen it.
I only give out five stars for places that I've visited more than once, but otherwise, this place would probably get that rating.
Factoid: apparently, my cousin told me that there is a scene in the Mel Gibson movie, "Payback," that was filmed here.
BEST T-Bone in NYC. Also great creamed spinach. You can't go wrong for the price.
Notes: Be sure to order your chocolate souffle at the start of your meal, as it takes 45min to prepare.
This is a really nice place to eat. Gorgeous leather booths and dark wood everywhere, classy but not overdone and you don't have to be dressed up to feel comfortable. The waitstaff is knowledgeable and friendly and the food is delicious. Everything I have tried I have loved, big fan of the lobster mashed potatoes and the rib eye steak. The caviar pie is awesome and so are the rock shrimp (skip the lobster bisque - totally not worth it at all). I just kind of stumbled upon this place and now I can't be in the area without dragging whoever is with me in for dinner, including my 10 year old son, whom they welcomed with open arms I might add... on a Friday night no less!
There are a few restaurants in the city that are quintessential New York...this is one them. Or maybe I should say quintessential Greenwich Village. I think the food is amazing. But in all honesty, I can't really say because the only thing I have ever ordered is the T-Bone. It comes with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach..they are included in the price....amazing value and huge portions. If you can't tell, I love this place. After 9 PM they have live Jazz. The ambiance is really warm and comfortable. All around amazing place.
I took the advice of yelpers and had the french onion soup. It was divine!
Main course: burger and fries -- also delicious.
My fellows diners shared smoked salmon nachos and lamb flatbread appetizers. Both were surprisingly tastey.
The ambiance is really nice in this dark, woody, old school restaurant.
The waitstaff was extremely helpful and friendly.
There's free live jazz on the weekends.
Oh, and they make a strong drink as well.
What's not to love?
My fiancee and I have passed this place a bunch of times and we finally decided to give it a try. To be honest it wasn't what we expected because of the bar you see out front we were expecting typical bar food and atmosphere. After going in I immediately realized that it's more a steakhouse then bar. We were planning on cheap bar style food and weren't expecting it to be full on restaurant. We pressed on after seeing the menu prices. Now before you think is a bad review it's not! The food here was incredible. The braised ribs I had were flavorful and came right off the bone. My fiancee's chicken was incredible as well. We had a wonderful meal and I'll definitely come back again EXCEPT this time I will wear pants not shorts.
good decent burger
nothing is awesome, but it is a solid burger
overall ranking: B
Plenty of empty tables available, and they turned my Mother and me away...on Christmas!
....in the pouring rain....
Then suggested we go up the block to some place called Jack's that wasn't even open. It took 15 years for me to finally try this supposed "neighborhood place" and figured Christmas was a good time, since most everything else was close. Next time I won't bother.
What a really good, affordable steakhouse! It was recommended by a friend, and we weren't disappointed. Steaks cooked perfectly, good service, and really interesting people watching!
Knickerbocker is in my building, so its a great spot to go when we're feeling lazy or if its too late for anything else. The good is generally good, there is something for everyone on the long menu. It is nice to know that everything will taste the same every time I return. The menu is almost never changed, and I could come back in 50 years and still enjoy the delicious Beet salad. I've tried beet salad at every other restaurant that i've been to, and have yet to find one as good as Knickerbocker's. The steaks are delicious, and the corn bread is very yummy. Also good for brunch and lunch. Take out is also good, delivery is only available if you live in the immediate neighborhood and can convince whomever answers the phone to send the food to you.
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