John Doe Reviews

We visited John Does for food and drinks several times during our recent family trip to NYC. We had the most authentic bar and food experience that we anticipated prior to arriving. The staff go out of their way to make you feel welcome and nothing is too much trouble. It seems to be a healthy mix of locals who meet up after work to socialise and tourists who want to immerse themselves into NYC bar/restaurant culture. They also have GF options for Coeliac customers with a dedicated fryer. A special mention to Josh who moved heaven and earth to accommodate my GF daughter who didn't happen to be well on one visit ( nothing to do with food, she was 'wiped' from not eating or drinking all day when sightseeing). Josh handled it amazingly and so we kept returning to John Does, because he made us feel so welcome.

My colleague and I each had a very good experience - our second time there (first wa a couple of months ago just after the change in ownership - restaurant type from LuLu's). I had the wild salmon with Israeli cous cous daily special and it was excellent - service was friendly and efficient

My wife and I found this place by accident while looking for a place for a pre-dinner drink. A comfortable place with very friendly service. Although there are TV's tuned to sports it is not a sports bar with a bunch of rowdies. There were about as many women as men and we were able to have a conversation without shouting. All in all, an oasis of a bar in lower 5th Avenue.

Inexperienced service staff. No accountability from management. They charge us $100 in extra drinks that weren’t ours.

Cocktails were enjoyable and tasted good. We had the chicken nachos and potato skins. Very plain and bland. No peppers or jalapeños etc. on the nachos, just chicken and cheese. Disappointed with the food.

Great bar great food added bonus is the staff. If you get the chance to call in ask for Donal. It's like home from home. Just outside the bar is a great opportunity for a picture of the empire estate building.

Popped in to John Doe after walking along Madison Avenue wanting some food and drink. John Doe is an American Irish sports bar with a warm and welcoming persona and friendly attentive staff. I wasn't overly hungry so ordered some sliders (3x small cheeseburgers) and a plate of buffalo wings in hot sauce. It was happy hour between 6pm and 8pm and the drinks are reduced, I want to say half price but don't quote me. I ordered a dark and stormy cocktail, and followed it (after a second) with a Moscow Mule, both were spot on and hit the spot. The waitress was attentive without being 'in your face', friendly and very helpful. Seemed to be a place for after works drinks for Cisco sales people judging by the conversations at the bar. Overall, non pretentious, warm, welcoming and relaxing, I'd go back and I'd recommend as somewhere to go for a laid back and chilled drink and bite to eat.

Watched a WC match there. Standard pub but very nice / good waitress (from Ireland) & very good Guinness!!! So, smiling Irish eve's, one Irish accent (behind the bar) & good Guinness - no wonder we stayed for a while after the match!!

A solid bar experience. Stepped in for lunch and had a burger and a couple of beers -- one beer came free for sitting at the bar. There's a good range of whiskies, some interesting Irish ones, a solid Scotish range, and some interesting American whiskies. They also have a big selection of craft beers from the north east and further afield, if that's your thing. I had both the John Doe Lager and the John Doe Ale, but I'm think these are just beer d'jour rather than being brewed there. I certainly had the stuffed up head afterwards that mass-produced preservative loaded beer tends to give me. Service staff were friendly and chatty, the burger was just right, the music eclecti, and it's a pub. If you're in the area and want to grab some food and a beer, it's worth it.

My friend and I were wandering my new neighborhood looking for a good watering hole and pub food. We walked by "John Doe" and thought, "hmm, interesting." After waiting more than 5 minutes for a server to come up to seat us, we were seated at a cozy enough table for two toward the back (which we requested). We ordered a glass of Riojo and a glass of Sauv Blanc. They weren't great, but what you would expect from a divey bar such as this. We ordered the Bavarian Pretzel appetizer. We eventually got it, with the mustard and beer cheese. It was HUGE. And good enough for a soft pretzel like you'd get at a carnival or movie theater. But after waiting a while and checking out the surroundings, we decided to go somewhere else for dinner. This is where it gets icky. After asking for the check, the server came over and took our napkins and silverware, which were still neatly folded and stacked (NOT wrapped). I was like "we are still eating the pretzel..." but then it got worse. I saw her take our flat napkins and silverware and put them in a place setting at the table next to us. I audibly yelled "EW!" and saw her pick them back up and put the napkin IN A DRAWER at the server station along with the silverware. I said to my friend, "How did she know I didn't use that fork? So gross." We left the rest of the pretzel and our two glasses of wine (one full, one half full) and darted out of there we were so grossed out. It was the first time in 10 years (10 years!) I have not left a tip. Horrible service, health violation? Never go there. Never ever go there.

Service was excellent. Drinks were a bit pricey but worth it. There was definitely booze in my New Fashioned. Husband said his beer was excellent. What brought us in we're the $1 oysters. They are fresh and clean but basically bland in flavor. Acceptable and only good. We just finished a New England feast of oysters during our travels so that could be why we weren't totally impressed with the oysters. But seriously there was nothing wrong with them - just basic. The surprise was the order or Brussels sprouts. They were delicious - Cooked properly, bacon, and balsamic, made them special. That's all we had so we were happy.

Great bar for a relaxing glass of chardonnay with 1st class oysters for just 1 dollar each. Great value for money and recommend it.

John Doe's food selection is decent. The fish & chips was alright and they completely forgot about the chicken in the pasta. They have a great selection of American craft beers though, and that's ultimately what I wanted. You'll pay about $7 per beer, and you'll have a guaranteed great time.

We stopped here for pre-theater dinner and watched the place fill up. It seems like an after work go to spot. Good selection of beers, decent food

Best bar in NYC and best bar owner in NYC - we are very fussy women who were completely charmed by the amazing Donna. Go here - you won’t regret it 👍👍👍

Popped in for a short break whilst sightseeing and immediately the staff were on hand to ask if we wanted to order food or have a drink Service was great, I ordered a white wine which came in a little carafe Chatted to bar staff about our break and although we didn’t eat the food looked good

We went for the $1 oysters, and they were everything!!!! The sizes of them were excellent for the price! The vibe is chill, and I would def return for dinner!

Stopped for a quick drink and light lunch. The wings were the biggest I've seen in a while, and very tasty. The flatbreads are good as well.

Have been here several times for drinks and happy hour snacks with co-workers. They have a great deal on oysters (I believe it's $1 each). Nothing crazy, but a good spot!

A really fun, friendly bar. Excellent value happy hours (including some food). Brilliant cocktails too.

Great selection of Food and Craft Beers (20 on tap). Centrally located on fifth ave, close to shopping and short walk to MSG.

Ordered the taco Tuesday the were amazing but the whole experience was let down by the rude staff. They were not friendly at all. Would of gone back if they service was friendlier.

We stumbled across this place for lunch on the last day of our trip! What a fantastic find! Quick service with a smile and lovely food! Good atmosphere too!

Was so lucky to walk past this beautiful bar and go in. Delicious food, beautifully decorated, attentive staff and lovely atmosphere.

We went there twice during our staying in N.Y. The place is friendly, service very good, the food we ordered was nice as well. You can enjoy some cool live music some evenings.

After walking my feet of all day, came here for some rest bite. If I lived in NYC, this would be one of my locals! Great service, great drinks and good food.

Stopped here for lunch. It wasn't busy - 3 tables occupied. Food was ok but not special. What stood out was the service. Slow and inattentive. Staff spend most of the time in personal conversations amongst each other.

If you want to go to a great place on Fifth Avenue that isn’t swanky and expensive but reminds you of a homey bar with exposed brick and dark lighting and great bar food including one dollar oysters all day every day - go to John Doe’s. This is exactly how you afford a trip to New York City. The curry sauce is wonderful, and the bargains are throughout the menu. Two hour long full lunch, with four strong drinks for under $75 !! Deal fir Manhattan.

I've been to John Doe 4-5 times and except for this last visit would have rated it between good and very good BUT the last visit was appalling. Both of us are non meat eaters so we each ordered the Jane Doe veggie burger. Instead 2 regular ( meat) burgers were delivered- strike 1; then the veggie burgers that "replaced" them was little more than an uncooked reddish mush ( note, I've have the Jane Doe at least twice before)- strike 2; I commented to the waiter about how unappetizing that day's version of the Jane Doe was ( my colleague concurred - we each had only one bite of the mush) and the waiter seemed baffled rather than make any real attempt to remedy the gaff(s). This experience was terrible ; others ok to very good (recall a salmon wrap as being particularly good) - so, at best, it's inconsistent

My husband and I stopped in here with the innocent intention of getting a couple of drinks. But, one of the other wily patrons had to order the chili nachos. The nachos looked too incredible not to order. The guacamole side that came with the nachos is wholly-mole delicious! Hands down, the best guacamole I've ever tasted, and I'm a big fan of the guacamole. My husband and I had to laugh that we've traveled all over the southern United States and Mexico to find the best chili nachos in New York City. John Doe offers a brunch deal that includes unlimited alcoholic beverages for two hours. Unfortunately, I'm drunk after one adult beverage, stupid after two, and sleeping after three. My husband wasn't interested in the brunch deal, either, as beer isn't an option. I opted for water and my husband opted for a couple -- four -- light beers. We sat in the fabulous outdoor seating area until the heat drew us inside. The atmosphere is laid back. The prices are typical for New York City. By that I mean the prices are unreasonable for anywhere but New York City . . . I definitely recommend the five star chili nachos.

Good food very tasty from a small menu very well presented , good deals of the day menu .. great location ,ckean and friendly atmosphere, good back ground music n beer. Very friendly staff that good we went back twice in four days. Well worth a visit.

As our hotel was close to Fifth avenue we decided to go into this restaurant on the day we arrived. Not a very good first impression of New York cuisine. We shared a platter and it consisted of battered or breadcrumbed food. All obviously frozen not fresh. We certainly did not go back again. Fortunately other places we visited were a slight improvement but overall we found the food a bit disappointing unless you like fast food.

In NYC for a city break and stumbled across this bar. The welcome was great and a beer turned to a bar meal. Disappointed that we only had time for 3 visits. Emma & Oiscian were fantastic and made our last day special.

We loved our experience at John Doe! We got the Brunch deal which was $35 for 2 people. This included an entree for each person and an hour and a half of unlimited mimosa’s, bloody mary’s, and 2 types of beer. Incredible deal in NY! Our entrees were delicious and the drinks were cold:). Our server was Emma and she was so delightful! We will definitely visit John Doe again on our next trip to NY! We would HIGHLY recommend this establishment. Thanks John Doe!

Had a small wedding reception In the pub on 5th of March. The staff were amazing couldn't do enough for us. Food was amazing and they were more than accommodating of our kids 4yrs and 2yrs. Would highly recommend to anyone who is in new York to check it out.

Amazing little find, our favourite pub of our stay in NYC this holiday season. Happy hour from 11am until 8pm is brilliant, really reasonably priced and good quality drinks. Had both bar snacks and a meal here too, again great value and really lovely food. Service was excellent too.

Very good place the beers at a very good price on Fifth Avenue, stunning views of the Empire State and Veronica a charm makes you feel at home

Called in for a drink after walking round New York as it was the first bar we’d seen for a while,well wish we hadn’t,most unwelcoming we visited whilst here

Just returned from NYC - found this bar/ eating place day before we were due to leave - gutted - fantastic friendly staff = we were made to feel really welcome - good luck with everything - will be recommending to our colleagues who visit the city wish e were there now missing you xxxxx

We first went here for drinks and had such a warm welcome we decided to go back for lunch and found it so welcoming and very reasonably priced for the quality of food. It is always busy and has a really fun atmosphere. Definitely give it a try it’s a little gem of a place. Staff are all so friendly and helpful.

After a lot of walking we came across this bar. Great happy hour prices (11-8), glass of wine for $6, couldn’t quite believe we were on 5th Avenue. Staff very friendly and good atmosphere. We didn’t have food but it looked lovely.

We came here as wanted a relaxed meal before flying back the next day- it's one of the most reasonably priced places in NYC. Service great, not busy (around 18.30pm). We shared the sharing platter (lovely breaded jalapeños and buffalo wings!), 2 burgers (done to our liking), 2beers, ginger ale/coffees and a dessert came to 102 dollars without tip. Would definitely go again.

Visited with my family at lunchtime. Lovely relaxed vibe and beautifully decorated for Christmas. Food was excellent. The goats cheese orange and almond salad delicious. Nice mix of families, couples, business people all enjoying a relaxed lunch in the city.

Arrived to New York late in the evening and found this wonderful place to eat and have a cocktail the waitresses were funny attentive and I loved the Irish accent of the one. They treated us first class and the food was awesome we had wings and chicken sandwich went there 3 times on my trip!

Enjoy $1 oysters and a great beer menu. Food is just ok but the outside seating on Fifth Avenue makes for a fun spot on a warm evening.

John Doe is certainly an improvement over the last place that was there, but there are a few things that need tweaking. We came in for cocktails and a snack after work. The place is clean and pleasant with a rustic decor. We sat at the bar at 5:15, literally all alone. They do have a happy our. The bartender was friendly and informative and suggested their house lager. It was flat so I sent mine back and ordered the house scotch with water. This was excellent. I then ordered oysters - $1 each, min. 6 and they were great. We were there until 7pm, almost two hours and as the evening progressed the service got worse. It took way too long to get another drink and even with additional bartenders staring at my empty glass, I had to ask for another drink. My friend and I were having pleasant enough conversation, not really watching the clock, and it was time for that last drink, my 4th scotch and water. When the bill came there were 3 drinks on happy hour and my 4th scotch was at regular price. First, any one of three bartenders should have told us happy hour was about to end. Next, this is New York, a buy back of the 4th drink is not uncommon. I might go back, I might not.

We had the burger and the calamari Friti. They were both good. Service was slow. They also serve breakfast. Not expensive

We wished we had found this wee gem earlier and it would have been our local. Not far from our hotel we enjoyed lunch and dinner here and popped in for a few drinks several times. Food was great value for money and drinks were a bargain for New York during happy hour. The staff were some of the best we came across as am afraid our experience of New York was exceptionally rude people. Lovely people is what made this bar stand out for us and we would recommend you seek it out if in the area.

Didn't look much from the outside but warm and welcoming, inside with a very attentive barman, who was very polite and competent. Good range of menu choices.

A great find for oysters lovers. Enjoy $1.00 oysters and a choice of over 40 different beers! The home made veggie burger was excellent. Don't miss this new bar and bistro.

The wind was whipping, and it was so chilly when we ducked into John Doe and realized we had a hit! The atmosphere was welcoming and the service was great! Then the food arrived and it was literally the best lunch we had in the city during our visit. The turkey club sandwich was actual CARVED turkey, not deli meat! The salad was fresh and the soup and buffalo sandwich was the best we’ve had in a while. Thank you John Doe for a great experience!!!!

We shared the chicken wings and calamari., with fries and onion rings. The wings were off the chart. I would highly recommend the Cajun tequila flavour. The beer was good and the staff polite. We sat outside, but if you are a looking for a bar to watch the big game, this would be the place for you.

Excellent bar and food staff are brilliant and very friendly would highly recommend :) try the craft beers

Sounded lively so I took a chance and walked in. Sat at the bar. Ordered the Jane Doe salad with Chicken. Food came but no chicken. Mentioned to the bartender - he told me I didn’t order it. Okay. When he brought the check, he said next time you come order the salad with chicken if that’s what you want. It doesn’t automatically come with that. I am not a rookie when it comes to ordering food. It was very condescending! I will not be back.

We stopped in here for happy one day after work after walking by. It's a good bar with decent prices. The bartenders are all fantastic! The food is better than average and priced appropriately.

We stopped for a quick drink one Sunday after to find a little gem in New York. Chicken wings to die for, and bar staff who are friendly, helpful and genuinely seem to care if your having a nice time. Would highly recommend.

We visited theJohn Doe bar and kitchen last weekduring a 4 day visit to New York. What a great place! Great atmosphere, great service, very good food and a Happy Hour that runs from 11am - 8pm everyday!! They offer $1 oysters all day, everyday and they are excellent - amongst the best I have had anywhere. Highly recommended.

This is a great stop for a bite or drink if you're strolling 5th Ave to shop or sightsee. Long bar and wooden tables. Menu has daily specials, like taco Tuesday. I had a delish John Doe burger on a brioche with truffle fries. A bit noisy for conversation, but friendly. Separate drink menu. Across the street from Marble Collegiate Church.

Decent bar with good service and reasonably priced drinks. Didn’t eat here. Atmosphere was also buzzy. Enjoyed our visits when staying nearby

The food was good, service was not. Stopped in around 6pm on a Saturday, and the server was just so unpleasant we almost left before receiving our food and drinks. She was not friendly in the least, and made us feel like we were inconveniencing her just by being there. We ordered a kid's meal for our daughter, and decided we'd just share an order of potato skins instead of having a full meal each. Watching her, it appeared that it was not just us she resented, as she pasted the fake smile on for a second or two to greet incoming people, but right away that smile would switch to rolling eyes. Really, not what one would expect of someone who is relying on tips. Maybe she was having a bad day? The food was really good though, but I can't give a better review because I expect better quality service.

A nice enough bar that is unique by having some tables outside on the pavement - in the busy area this is a great spot to relax with a drink and watch the world go by. The service is proactive and the prices are sensible, so I’ll be returning!

Stumbled across this little gem of a place by accident. was so pleased we did the food was very good and filling, after eating we joined the other customers at the bar for general chit chat, was made to feel very welcome by the barman Don who recommended a few drinks to try. He also recommended places to visit and means of transport to get there and costs of how much to expect to pay. He is very informative of the areas and was very helpful. Hubby enjoyed the chat about football the banter about red and blue (manchester teams). All in all we had such a good time we returned the following evening to eat, drink and to thank him for his lovely hospitality and to say our farewells.It was nice to feel we belonged as new york is a massive city and can feel a bit intimidating at times. Thank you Don

We had not planned on having dinner at John Doe, but we're very happy that things turned out the way they did. Originally, we had planned on dinner at a nearby restaurant but were turned off by their 2 hour wait. We did a quick search to see what was nearby and John Doe came up. We compared John Doe with the steakhouse next door and quickly chose John Doe based on the menus. We had drinks and apps... Brussel sprouts, truffle fries and beef sliders. All were excellent, but the Brussel sprouts were exceptional! I'd go back just for them! Service got a little slow once they started to get busier, and we had to ask for the check, but this didn't take away from the experience. The inside is small, decorated with cherry blossom branches. Music was nice. They did have outdoor seating that would have been nice if it was not sprinkling outside. We were very happy witth our last minute find.

Although not overtly this is an Irish bar serving good hearty Irish and local fare. Reasonably priced, good portion sizes tasty hot food on what was a freezing cold day. There was great service from the very friendly staff. The only down side was the beer quality, our first draft beers may have been sitting in the line but I would suggest maybe drinking what the locals drink or opt for bottles although our second round of beers were good.

We happened to walk past this place and saw the happy hour sign and we were so there. We sat in the bar area and Sineed? came over with our menus. My husband ordered a New Fashioned, bourbon, amaretto and simple syrup infused with strawberries and basil and I ordered a Rosemary's baby, a luscious drink with rosemary syrup, gin, lemon juice, lavendar bitters and rose buds. Both drinks ran $8.00 on happy hour. My husband ordered 6 oysters at $1.00 each and he enjoyed them. We then ordered a Catcher in the Rye, rye, orange bitters, grand mariner, aperol, green chartreuse & orange zest and a Impeach T, rum, spiced rum, malibu, peached infused iced tea and honey simple syrup (8.00 each on happy hour). We then ordered the truffle fries (8.00). They had really great flavor. We had a nice time, a very nice waitress, I really loved this place and it had a great happy hour. I would easily go back again.

We discovered this wonderful bar on a short break to New York. Just around the corner from our hotel, it became our local stop off for a drink after a day’s sightseeing. Great bar, great choice of Sri is, bar snacks and meals - and such welcoming staff!

Six of us from Australia visited this bar 18th October. Staff were wonderful very attentive for drinks and food . Great atmosphere as staged for Halloween. Enjoyed the food and were surprised at how long happy hour goes for! Two of us also went back for happy hour the next night as the others had flown out.

Irish Pub. Good pub grub. Outdoor seating available. Great service from staff. Able to see the Empire State Building while eating outdoors. Great people watching view. Our pup not got a water bowl, she got doggie treats. Thank you!

Booked on line, very close to our hotel Great welcome by the team. We took advantage of happy hour , nice drinks and great value for NYC Food was good, large portions. Just what we need Friendly atmosphere Would recommend

This was a great place to sit down outside in the sun and watch life on 5th Avenue go by. You also get a great view of the Empire State Building. We had a light snack - oysters and fried potatoes. A refreshing stop in a busy city.

Had a great night. The bartender took care of us. The drinks were strong and came fast. Wish we had more time to spend there. We felt like we were regulars there after just a couple if drinks.

We wanted some pub style food and this was a good choice. They have burgers, wings, etc and even gluten free pasta. We enjoyed the French onion soup, fries and Mac and cheese. There was a private event going on in the bar area, so it was busy and loud. We enjoyed this place very much.

Stumbled across this place when looking for a rest. Decent pub, but old school Irish bar. Nothing special but the atmosphere was decent

Called in whilst passing and sat outside. Very helpful and friendly waitresses. We took advantage of Happy hour and ordered a nice chilled glass of pinot grigio. Great choice of bar snacks. We had fish tacos and Asian Brussel sprouts which were surprisingly good. Busy place and I can understand why!! Would highly recommend

Such a cozy spot with great food! My daughter and I stumbled on this place while visiting NYC - we had a delicious lunch here with potato skins, French onion soup and flatbread - everything was really tasty, including the craft beers! Wait staff also very friendly and holiday decor made it so welcoming! The one odd thing was the daytime soap on the tv!