P.J. Clarke's

Is P.J.Clarke%26#39;s a bar/pub, or is it more like a sport%26#39;s bar/restaurant? In other words, if I go there with my husband and our 3 preteen and teen boys will people wonder what we are doing there? It seems like a cool place to visit. Should we save it for our next trip back without kids?

If it is not family-friendly, can you recommend another place to grab a bite to eat and have a beer. We will be in the area of St. Patrick%26#39;s Cathedral, the UN, and GCT.

Let me know when I go over the quota for asking too many questions.

P.J. Clarke's

There%26#39;s a bar in the front, a casual dining room in the back and a proper restaurant upstairs. I don%26#39;t think it would be a problem with the boys to sit in the back, but others who%26#39;ve been there recently have had mixed reviews on the food.

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Why not stop at Junior%26#39;s in Grand Central station? Their burgers are good and they%26#39;re known for their cheesecake.

P.J. Clarke's

NyWhiz is right on about the atmosphere of PJ Clarkes.

We were staying in a hotel close to PJ Clarke%26#39;s last year and we asked the concierge for a great place to get a burger and see the yankee game. He suggested PJ Clarkes saying that the burgers were ';out of this world';. Since we had heard of it before but never been there, we decided to try it.

Well I dont know if this guy had ever actually eaten there because the food was unexceptional and pricey for what we got. The hambuger was plain and came on a grocery store bun, nothing special or delicious. I had a chicken sandwich that was greasy on the bottom to the point that the bottom of the bun was soaked through. Plus I think you had to pay extra for french fries (if I remember correctly)

There was a tv up in the corner near our table but not what I would call a place to ';watch the game'; when someone asks for a recommendation. We left at a loss to explain why people talk about or recommend this place.

As you can tell, I would not recommend PJ Clarkes, there is so much good food in the city, there is no need to spend your money here. I cant give you a recommendation for the area but if you are willing to go downtown, Corner Bistro has much superior burgers with a similar atmosphere and a cheaper price.

I used to be a fan of the burgers at P.J.%26#39;s but then they switched from English muffins to regular buns... and something got lost in translation.

I%26#39;ve crossed P.J%26#39;s off of my possible restaurant choices. I%26#39;ll check into your other suggestions. Thanks for taking the time to help.

The waiter at P.J. Clarke%26#39;s told us that their burgers were ';the best in the city.'; I wouldn%26#39;t call him a liar, but let%26#39;s just say we must have very different tastes!

If you are a burger / tavern fan, wander a little farther uptown to JG Melon%26#39;s.