It's on 1 of my list. Each entry below is what I wrote about it there, with my verdict on that list, the fullest first.
- Subway6, E, F to Lexington Av/53 St, 2 min
- Address915 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10022
- From my guide, updated September 2026.
Come early. Seriously. The crowds hit hard by noon.
There’s currently three P.J. Clarke’s locations in Manhattan, but the oldest locale (which dates back to 1884), is on Third Avenue on the Upper East Side. Celebrating more than 140 years in business, there’s no denying that the saloon-turned-restaurant has weathered many storms over the years.
P.J. Clarke’s went through two owners before an Irish immigrant named Paddy J. Clarke joined the crew as a bartender. A decade later, Clarke bought the joint and renamed it (after himself, to boot).
Clarke kept the saloon afloat during the prohibition era by selling bathtub gin and smuggling Canadian scotch for patrons. The historic restaurant thrived and became a regular spot for celebrities like Johnny Mercer and Frank Sinatra in the post-prohibition era as well.
P.J. Clarke’s started being seen as an NYC institution around the 1950s when Nat King Cole dubbed the restaurant’s cheeseburger “the Cadillac of burgers.” Deserving of the accolades inherent to the oldest restaurants in New York City, this spot is a favorite among locals for burgers to this day.