Benny John's Bar and Grill Reviews

My rating is 1 star.. if I could give zero stars I would. My husband and I went in for a quick bite to eat and just made it in time for happy hour (told by staff at door we made it in time). By the time our server got to us …10 minutes later(!)… we were told they no longer honored the happy hour menu. My husband then ordered a drink which never came.. never was even made as we were sitting next to the bar and watched other orders being filled before ours. Clearly our business was not valued so we got up and left. It’s unfortunate because this establishment from the street looked inviting and festive. Clearly that is not how they treated us. We were dismissed as customers.

We went to this restaurant after a whole day of walking and sight seeing. We went in as it was advertised as “happy hour”. We were taken straight to the back of the restaurant. Within minutes we were brought bottled spring water (when we asked for tap water)! They also bought bread rolls (that we hadn’t ordered)! When we were given the menu we realised it was not the happy hour menu, so asked if we could have that. We were asked to move to the front of the restaurant (on the street)! They also tried to give us the bread again ! Once we ordered, the food brought to us was awful, tasteless chicken skewers which were cold. The worst part of the experience was they kept looking at us like we were dirt on the bottom of their shoe! The manager was called over also, despite the fact that we were not doing anything wrong, other than asking for the happy hour menu. They continued to make us really uncomfortable, so we paid the bill (no tip)! We have eaten in lots of restaurants during our time in New York and tipped well elsewhere but felt they treated us in the most horrendous manner! One bit of advice guys! Don’t judge a book by its cover!

Comfortable setting and good food. The happy hour menu at the bar is a great deal. A little pricier in the dining room. Friendly service.

Excellent food, service and service. Absolute recommendation. Perfect portions, abundant but without the American excess that is appreciated. No complaints can be made, just leave happy

We picked this place out of the blue. There were 6 of us, 4 adults and 2 children. Its was an early dinner at about 3:30 pm. We ordered fried calamari which was good. One of us ordered lobster risotto. The risotto was hard. One ordered a Rock Burger medium. It came out well done. One ordered a filet which was very good. I ordered coconut shrimp. When it arrived long after everyone elses meal I tried to cut the shrimp and it would not cut. It was like rubber. Then when I finally got a knife through it I saw it was raw. The waiter came over and apologized and took the meal back to the chef. Awhile later they brought my meal back and the coconut was burnt. I refused the meal. They had used the same shrimp and placed it back in the oven. I lost my appetite. Also there was no dipping sauce for the shrimp. 4 jumbo shrimp, $38 and first it was raw and then it was burnt. Needless to say I did not eat dinner. Our waiter Christian was very apologetic but it was not his fault. They need a new chef. I will not be eating there again and I suggest all other diners select a different restaurant unless they get a better chef. The waiter did bring us some yummy lemoncello formour trouble.

After shopping and strolling along Fifth Avenue, we came to this restaurant, drawn by the word “grill” in its name. It was also a convenient place to wait while the kids went to Rockefeller Center to take a look at the skating rink. We were greeted with a warm welcome, and later we realized that the owner himself, Mr. Mirso, took part in choosing our table as well as recommending the steak. To start, we had the beef tartare, and it was simply perfect—almost calling for a good red wine. We chose a Francis Coppola Cabernet Sauvignon, and then even had another one later with the porterhouse steak. The great atmosphere, excellent food, and beautifully paired wine probably also contributed to some extra shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue right next door—but that’s a story for another review… Definitely a recommendation for this part of New York, and of course, we’ll be back!

Very bad experience. Ridiculously overpriced for little quantity and absolutely average quality. You get better for less money around.

I ate with my family in this nice restaurant. Kindness, elegance and food at the top. I reccomend this restaurant at everyone! The beef was exellent!!!

We had a really nice family meal on a recent trip to NYC. The server was very attentive and food was very good. Surprised to read some negative review as our experience was great

Stumbled into here after a rainy cycling tour of Central Park. What a find!? We were looked after by Manuel and were soon warm, fed and relaxed. Not cheap but we’re on holiday!

Very welcoming host and hostess. My daughter and I wanted a quick bite and didn’t have a reservation but they sat us right away. Server was wonderful, food was fantastic! Beet salad and Benny burger for me and the coconut shrimp for my daughter. Would dine here again!

Had brunch here, on a whim. Food quality was excellent - we had carpaccio, then my wife had a Greek omelet and I had the rigatoni,and we finished with carrot cake and chocolate mousse cake. I would definitely return!

A frequent diner at their sister restaurant, Tudor City Steakhouse, I was not disappointed with excellent service, delicious food (OYSTERS ROCKEFELLER, GRILLED SESAME ENCRUSTED TUNA & TRUFFLE CREAMED CORN) and fine wine selection. I highly recommend this centrally located welcome addition to midtown restaurants.

The service at my visit was welcoming, personalized and attentive. I appreciated the recommendations and also the patience to allow me time to look through the menu and make my choices, as well as the frequent checking back on how the meal was and on my enjoyment or needs. The presentations of beverages, salad, entree, etc., were nicely done. Simon, the bar keeper, is quite personable and empathetic. And the meal was extra good to my tastes. The mixed greens salad was surprisingly delightful, New York strip steak was well prepared, and the New York Cheesecake was wonderfully delectable! Full disclosure: I did have the benefit of using discounts provided by Hilton Grand Vacations for my stay at Club Central next to the restaurant.

I rarely go into NYC, but we occasionally go in for a show or to see Rockefeller Center at Christmas time. On 12/28/2024 we did both. So, I picked this restaurant because it was within walking distance of Rockefeller Center. The atmosphere of the restaurant seemed nice when we walked in. We were 1/2 hour earlier for our reservation, but they were able to accommodate us immediately. There were 7 of us. My 4 daughters, my son-in-law, my wife, and me. The meals were pricey and the Google reviews were 4.8 out of 5, so I expected a good meal. We got our drinks and appetizers relatively quickly. Most of the main courses came out in a reasonable amount of time. My son-in-law's burger was supposed to be medium rare, but it came out well done. He sent it back and took them 10 minutes to bring the right order. My steak didn't come out until 1/2 hour after my son-in-law's burger. Not only that it came out cut up because they needed to cook it quickly and it came out medium rare. I had ordered medium well. I ate the little bits that were cooked, but I thought they would have compted me my entree since they obviously forgot about my meal, the guy who is paying the bill. When I went to look at the check at the end of the night, the meal was not compted, plus they automatically put on a 20% gratuity and the bonus was if you paid by credit or debit card they tack on another 4%. They also said they were out of the dessert I wanted. This was at 7 pm. Also, the bathrooms. There are 2 toilets for everyone and a common sink in between the 2 toilets. One was locked with no one in it the whole time we were there. As the night went on a line was forming into the dining room. The poor people had to sit near that must have been none too happy. I finally knocked on the door of the locked toilet and nobody answered. I let the waiter know that there was nobody in one of them and then they finally opened that toilet. I would avoid this place if you have large groups. It seems that they took better care of the smaller tables. I'll never go back.

Lovely looking restaurant. Lady who greeted us at the door friendly as was our waiter. Overall I've given 3 stars as I didn't think the meal was worth the $263. My friend had Calamari to start. Salmon for main, with steak fries. Mushrooms & asparagus. I had, French onion soup, filet migeon, with jacket potato. Drinks ordered old fashioned, glass of prosecco and a glass of wine. Side dish of mushrooms was far too big, as was the calamari. The soup was bland. Steak was cooked well. Food wise, I would give it 3/5, price wise 2/5.

Restaurant on 48th Street, a short distance from Rockefeller Center. I recommend the burger, very good. Friendly and helpful staff.

Very friendly and fantastic food. Wine was fabulous and kids loved the burgers and mashed potatoes.well worth a trip…..

Bourbon-Glazed carrots were amazing but everything else was average and overpriced. Service was slow. Had one of the waitresses sneeze on me while I was waiting for the bathroom (only 2 for the entire restaurant). Tip options while paying were 20%, 25% and 30% and a small button for “other.” While I was I have seen it overseas, I was very surprised to see a 4% credit card fee added to the bill. I will not be going back.

This is obviously a new venture as staff were still getting to know how things work. Having said that all staff were attentive and helpful. Food was good and for NYC the prices were average. Our only regret was we found this restaurant on our last day so could not return.

We were so very fortunate to find this place! This was our 1st trip to New York City and the restaurant was next door to our hotel. We were drawn the first evening not only by convenience, but by the ambiance from the street. It was so very inviting and welcoming. The outside seating area was lovely and the live music softly playing outside under the lights felt magical. The staff were all WONDERFUL (very attentive and friendly), service was 1ST CLASS and the food beyond EXCELLENT. My Husband said it was the best Salmon he had EVER had! We were so drawn to this place that we went all 3 nights we spent in NYC. With 100's of choices in the area, and us being lovers of delicious food and great service, for us to CHOOSE to dine here all 3 nights of our trip, speaks volumes! Do yourself a favor and locate this place and go see for yourself. You will NOT be disappointed! Truly, one of the highlights of our trip. THANK YOU all at BennyJohn's for letting us be a little part of your "family" for a few evenings. Reagan and Alderik

Overrated joke of a restaurant. We decided to try here for a special treat as we were visiting NY for the weekend. Looking at the Google reviews being good and the fact that it was a stones throw away from our hotel we chose here. Our 3rd visit to NY so have been to other much more superior steak restaurants in the city before after we'd been here we wished we hadn't bothered and saved a lot of money. The only plus point was our waitress who was lovely. We ordered starters of which were mediocre, french onion soup bland and the Canadian bacon which was a slab of a bacon and that's it, no garnish! We then had two fillet mignon with a side of steak fries (giant potato wedges) and a Bennie John burger. Our steaks came out looking like a bad cut of fillet with sinewy parts. Our side didn't arrive so we asked straight away but had to wait for the stroppy male chef/waiter to bring them, by then had eaten half the sinewy steak. My burger was so unbelievably dull with fatty greasy brown refried chips that I did say that I wasn't happy at the time so they bought another bowl out that didn't look much better. We were never asked at any point if our food was ok. At the end we did mention we were not happy overall and so our female waitress asked the manager to come over. This is where we nearly fell if our chairs with such disgusting customer service. We explained that we weren't after money off but mearly wanted to express our thoughts. He returned with an aggressive attitude blaming the waitress for not checking on us and no matter what we said regarding the bad food he just wasn't interested. He then mentioned that he could ask the authorities to come, at that point we just in shock of him even suggesting that said don't bother, we'll just pay and leave. All in all if you have a bad meal don't complain because you won't get far, expect a large bill and be gutted you even bothered. So sad, ruined our day and took a big chunk of our feelings for NY away.

Had a great experience. Our waitress Alexis was full of personality and made our dining experience very enjoyable. I had the special for the month which included a Filet, this steak was cooked to perfection and just melted in my mouth. My wife enjoyed the penne and our friends tried the chicken marsala that they also enjoyed. It was expensive, but then again we didn't hit a restaurant in the area that wasn't. I would highly recommend trying I don't think you will be disappointed.

We come to New York a few times a year most now for shows. We are owners in Hilton next door and struggle with finding an excellent hotel which is convenient. Search no more as we found it. Benny Johns is a true hidden gem. The service was impeccable and we developed a friendship with the owner. The food was excellent as they concentrate on the food items they do well. We also visited the next day for lunch which was a separate menu and excellent. This will be our first reservation on our next trip to New York. Thank you for an outstanding dining experience. John & Margo

The staff were really friendly and accommodating. We ordered the chicken Milanese and steak fillet, both were amazing. Deserts were fabulous, tirimasu and crème brûlée both 10/10. Best meal and experience on a 6 day trip to NY, thoroughly recommend!

Was overwhelmed with attention and beautiful food. So delicious and great wine. Perfect! A great find on a Friday night in New York

Our favorite out of the mainstream restaurants. Dennis now the owner and Marco is the manger. Both are great and the menu is great. Will always return when we are in New York

A sensational dining experience! The steaks were absolutely delicious and huge! Service was excellent and I would recommend this restaurant to anyone - a must to visit in New York!

Friendly efficient but for the price there could be a little put on the plate, everything is to be taken in addition... 20€ a glass of wine... a little too expensive anyway

The Happy Hour Cabernet was delightful! Stormy Range@ Spain. Excellent service. Happy hour guest treated as equitably as a dinner guest. Great place for a quiet evening out.

What an awful experience. We'd gone to this place for some light food and drinks. The waiter immediately took us to the restaurant area and delivered bottle water and two bread baskets without even asking. When I said we only wanted some small plates/light bites his attitude changed immediately! He showed us to another area and then proceeded to bring over the water and bread, which we asked him to take away. We ordered skewers and sliders, which were cold when they arrived. But we didn't complain - we wanted to get out of there! Our waiter stood to one side looking over at us constantly and the manager came to him 6 or 7 times and kept looking at us condescendingly. They tried to charge us for the water and bread but eventually took both off the bill. We have never felt so unwelcome anywhere in our travels. What rude, obnoxious staff! Definitely not recommended!!

I can’t say how good the service or the food was. It was great. Our hotel recommended and they did not lead us wrong. George was the best

We kept it simple: glass of Bordeaux, beet salad, bone in ribeye steak, sautéed broccoli, topped off with raspberry and chocolate sorbet. Perfectly prepared and served, lovely and pleasant evening!