Knickerbocker Bar & Grill
“Its will definitely be back again and will definitely be getting the T-Bone.”
“In the meantime, get out of my way and let me in so I can enjoy great live jazz and one of the best T-Bones you can get around here…”
“For appetizers try the caviar pie.”
Knickerbocker Bar & Grill
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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This was a borderline 2.5 star meal. I feel like steakhouses are generally either close to five stars, or a real disappointment. This experience was certainly the latter.
Bullet style
– our table seemed very crowded next to other tables
– our waitress was very clearly doing the 'fake friendly' thing, as opposed to the 'genuinely nice person' thing, and a few times went for the up sell as she went around the table
– the steak was good, not great
Knickerbocker: Aristocracy Of Old New York
The Knickerbocker family are descendants from the original Netherlands settlers of America. Renowned Dutch surname synonymous for the contribution to the building of America. This restaurant is named after the Knickerbocker family.
A traditional conservative atmospheric setting of oak wood and dark dim lighting. Grand piano in the middle of the restaurant where whiskey and other hard liquor masks the prominent piano's surface. Jack Kerouac, an American Beat poet and novelist often dinned here when he reside in Queens, NY with fellow American Beat poets Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burrough. Other notable Knickerbocker Bar patrons through the years were: Norman Mailer, George Plimpton, Truman Capote, Gore Vidal, and Frank McCourt. Journalist writers of "The Beats", "Village Voice", "The New Yorker Magazine", "Paris Review", "The Atlantic" all gather here at Knickerbocker Bar for libations during their off-hours well into the late evening. Lunch and dinner menus are extensive and offer lots of food options in steak, pasta, seafood, salads, and chicken. Party of two on a hot humid September Sunday afternoon lunch comprises of:
For Her:
Cobb salad $15.75 – abundant and light to eat my fill
For Him:
Knickerbocker 9 oz. "House Blend" burger $15.75 – very juicy and quality meat with charred grill lines with fresh strong Bermuda onions. Solid with substantial substance.
Sparkling water $6.00
No alcohol libations for either of us
Service is attentive and efficient. Restroom facility is clean of old fashion black and white floor pentagon tiles. Here lies patrons to sit in stillness lounging for hours with a double old fashion filled with whiskey or gin in the company of good friends like o' times. No business card is available but only a extensive takeout menu. No, not the NBA Knicks the pitiful New York basketball team. This is Knickerbocker.
Great restaurant for a classic New York meal and dining experience. The live music really put a nice touch on the evening and the service was good.
Onto the food…T-bone for two was a huge portion and perfectly done. Also, each person gets two sides along with the steak. The burger is HUGE but delicious along with the homemade fries. Someone else in our group ordered the skirt steak and that was a great choice as well. All the meat is perfectly cooked.
For appetizers try the caviar pie. Really tasty and very different but a huge portion. They also had a short rib ravioli special which was very good (3 pieces.)
Come with an appetite because you'll need the room!
2.5 stars…
I came here with a group of 8 people for a friend's bachelor party weekend. We had a reservation and were seated shortly after arriving on a busy Saturday evening. I'm not sure if it was because the average age of our group was about 25 while both our waiter and the average age of the diners here was closer to 50 but the service we received was poor enough for me to drop them down a star. We were offered no bread basket, was not told of the days specials, were never checked on during our meal, and were not offered a dessert menu. One of us ordered the chocolate souffle at the beginning of the meal (which needs to be done for time purposes) and that eventually came out about an hour later and we all tasted that but that was it. Eventually (when we were all done with our meals) I noticed all the tables around us had a basket of bread so one of the group asked the waiter for bread and he brought it to us, that was the best decision of the night because the corn bread in the basket was phenominal, definitely the best thing I ate here.
The menu is mostly a mix of American dishes and they do have a good selection of steaks available. Prices are pretty high here but are reasonable compared to most dedicated steak houses (this is no steak house though). Most entrees are $22-30 (even the burger is $18), steaks are $29-45 (1 side included). A couple of guys at the table ordered skirt steak and it was the most pathetic looking gray colored portion of steak I've ever seen. The filet mignon was definitely a better, though pricier, choice. I got the ribs. The portion was great and it fell off the bones but it was swimming in a sauce that masked most of the flavor and something was off about it, not surprising from a place not known for their BBQ skills.
For a starter I had the french onion soup which wasn't bad and the aforementioned chocolate souflee was rich and done properly. The portion was definitely big enough for a couple people.
In conclusion, if you don't mind the hit or miss service, the hit or miss food, and the prices, then by all means Knickerbocker is a great higher end casual restaurant to check out if you're in the area or need a place that takes reservations that's large enough to accomodate a big group.
Great atmosphere – they serve Pepsi here too !!
Excellent music (and it looks like they have live music at night).
Good choices in the menu, had the "Blended Burger". I am a connoisseur of beef, almost as sacred to me as eastern religious figures, you have to be very careful not to mess up my meat.
Anyway – blended burger with bacon was insanely good, downright outta this world. AND fresh cut French fries !!!!
Will definitely be back, wish I was here for dinner, looks like a great place for ambiance.
Another good choice in New York City !
*** Brunch review, Good service ***
Came here with a group of friends for brunch primarily for its location (near Union Square). I wasn't that impressed by the food. But if you're looking for a not so packed brunch meal, this place is standard.
The Knickerbocker is the standard-bearer for all things good of the ghosts of many Christmases past. While the dining rom can use to be spruced-up a bit everything else was a welcome experience. First rate service and one of the best steaks I've had in a long while–I had the T-bone for one. I accompanied the steak with the sauted spinach, the sauted mushrooms and lipitor. I skipped dessert and I can't wait to return.
Overall, food was about a 4, but I'd say slight decrease for service. I'd prefer STK for steak, but I'd come here instead if I was going with my grandparents.
Came here on a Saturday night around 9:30 with a party of three and had no problem getting a table. It's a little annoying that you're charged $3.50 per person automatically after 9:45 because a band goes on. Overall, atmosphere was just slightly elegant (but you can easily go in jeans) and the crowd was older.
They give you cornbread at the table, which is always a plus. I also started with the beet salad, which was totally delicious. For my entree, the scallops, which I'd say were decent. They came with some strange corn puree thing, which I didn't think was tasty at all. The two other people with me split the 48 oz. T-bone steak and it looked amazing.
Our waitress was fairly snooty and clearly acted aggravated, which did bring down the experience a bit especially considering that it was an expensive meal.