Grand Central Oyster Bar
“I ordered blue point oysters and my girl got the clam chowder because she doesn't eat oysters.”
“We ate in the Saloon and the service was great, the reccomended wines went perfectly with our east coast selections.”
“Great selection of oysters, I like mixing them up east coast & west coast (unlike my rappers), a dozen or so & nice draft beer, can't go wrong.”
Grand Central Oyster Bar
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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Good food, interesting location… drinks at the bar are also worth exploring. Try the seafood, some of the freshest and most well handled I've had in NYC.
Head to the back bar for a little more privacy and access to the very knowledgeable bar staff.
Stopped in for a beer and a quick bite while waling around Midtown. We sat at the larger bar and received very good service from the counter person. I went with a Alagash draft and my friend opted for the blood orange cosmo which our server kindly provided and extra side cup of cocktail since 'it was Friday'.
We split a dozen east coast oysters which were all very good, the issue being that there were shell fragments in many of them which marred the experience. I particularly liked the Wellfleet's which were briny and quite tasty.
We also split fried oyster and oysters Rockefeller. The fried oysters had a crunchy coating and a moist interior and came with what seemed to be premade sauce. The Rockefeller was a bit sloppily plated but had a nice flavor. Not the best I have had but certainly not the worst.
The décor is obviously amazing with the vaulted ceilings and tiled walls. The food was not as great as the ambiance and for the price could have been better.
When in Grand Central….definitely a must see but it's not a wow experience.
Located in the lower level of the iconic Grand central station, the famous oyster bar is definitely a tourist trap, but I would recommend checking it out during happy hour which I believe is like 4-7pm. This way you can get a drink, some oysters on the cheap and still be able to take in the hype.
There is a seating section and a bar/lounge section. Since it's always busy I was lucky to find an empty table in the bar section. I ordered a variety of oysters – they run about $2-4 a piece. The good thing is that there are lots of varieties to choose from – from Maine, PEI, BC, etc. You will definitely taste flavour differences depending on the region.
I ordered about 6 oysters (they brought 7 and of course charged me for the extra…lol) and a drink. With tax/tip the bill was $34 (US). Expensive…but it's NYC and a touristy place…so get used to it.
They oysters themselves were ok – some were a bit gritty so not cleaned fully. They came with 2 sauces – a "spicy" sauce and another kinda forgettable sauce and the requisite lemon wedge. A least they came on a plate of ice to help keep them cold.
The buzz and excitement in this place however gives you that I'm somewhere special feeling. It's always busy and well…just puts you in a good mood.
Definitely come here, sit at the bar, order a few oysters, get a drink and just people watch. Nothing is better in NYC than happy hour 🙂
I had the most fantastic time here!!!
When you walk in, the place is huge and there are tons of seating options: in the main dining area, off to the right there is another seating area and in between there are various oyster bar areas to sit, as well.
Since I wanted to be as close to the action and take as much in as possible, I choose the oyster bar area that's just to the right.
The oyster-pro employee behind the counter didn't have the best or happiest personality but I didn't let his attitude ruin my fun 🙂
Since I don't know oysters by name, I asked him, the expert, to choose for me. Great decision! They were ALL so good! He paired them in two's for each of his choices. Then, I went in for another half dozen. It was glorious!!!
Next time I'm in NY I'd be up for this place again.
Such a foodie happy time I had.
I've heard so much about Grand Central Oyster Bar. This NYC landmark has been around for 60 years. I'm glad that I actually visited the place!
I went with a really good friend. First off, I love that GCOB is a separate restaurant under Grand Central. They have their own closed off restaurant. Less noise and more secluded.
Secondly, I love the dark wooden bar and stools. Made me feel like I was in Cheers. But not.
Thirdly, I love the raw bar selection. So many wonderful varieties of bivalves! So excited to try more!
The menu has a vast selection of raw oysters and wines. So much so, that my friend found it overwhelming. I gladly found a dry white wine (Alsace) and told the waiter that my friend preferred Malpeques (from PEI) and I wanted Belon Wild (Maine).
Our waiter told us he doesn't like Malpeques and they were out of Belon Wild. So we let him pick. He got us 2 Cape May Salts (NJ), 2 Island Creeks (Mass), and 2 GigaCup select (Washington). I loved the clean plump sweetness of the Cape May Salts (surprise! It's from Jersey!) and the mild brininess and huge size of the Gigacups. The Island Creek tasted like dirty water and sand. Not a fan. I needed some of that Alsace to wash out the flavor.
My major problem was with how the oysters were not cleaned well. The dirt and oyster shell pieces on the meat of the oyster made it hard for us to completely enjoy the oysters. I saw my friend spitting up dirt and sand 3-4 times for 3 oysters. I also found sand and oyster shell in the oyster juice.
But I hope to come back another day to taste a clean delicious oyster.
Walking in I felt like I was transported 60 years, reminded me of that Mad Men scene where Don and Roger keep knocking back Oyster Platters, there was a great sense of American nostalgia, it's a cool feeling that can't be emulated anymore but it's evoked here
I sat at the bar and started with a creamy New England Clam Chowder ($7). Little overpriced but very delicious, after you sprinkle the oyster crackers it's pure textural indulgence with the creamy/crunch combo. I liked that this chowder had beans in there too (coulda had a V8)
I know absolutely NOTHING about oysters, so the bartender kindly gave me a quick geography lesson and how different regions correlates to brininess. That guy was awesome! (5/24/16) He kindly selected 3 oysters that represented 3 unique styles; when it came out, he went into detail about each one. I really enjoyed that he informed me about 'regional' differences as opposed to 'specific' oyster species because obviously the oysters here rotate (change) everyday.
1. Beavertail (RI) – As he informed me, "local oysters are not as briny." He was right. Of the first three, this semi-local oyster was not as briny and I enjoyed a simple, clean oyster flavor without a heavy aftertaste.
2. Kumamoto (OR) – Oregon packs a punch! This was a very small but meaty oyster. TON OF FLAVOR. But there was a slight funk on the back end.
3. Wellfleet (MA) – Did not like this one. Extremely briny and really gunky aftertaste. But I'm very glad I got to taste the extreme end of the spectrum.
His choices really educated me on the different styles. After I slurped those, I felt brave to order on my own.
4. Peconic Gold (Long Island, NY) – Very tiny oyster. Not as briny, but I was looking for a bit more punch and wow
5. Yaquina (OR) – WHOA, this one was HUGEEEE (see the picture). This one was meaty, juicy, flavorful, and not too briny. The lemon juice and cocktail sauce seemed to really elevate this specific variety!
I think I prefer Oregon oysters as of now but I gotta come back and make sure 😉
Price-wise on the oysters depends on region and supply vs. demand (I think?) – on this day the cheapest oyster was $2.50, the most expensive $3.95
Note:
This spot seems very touristy; as I tried to get in, I had to fight through small patches of people looking at the menu by the entrance, peering inside, taking group photos, and then a few groups with cameras around their necks cautiously walking in… Even at 11:45am, this place was already half-packed!! I would recommend getting there early if you have a big group
I really enjoyed my visit here. will definitely come back soon 🙂
This place is awesome. It's located right behind the echo chamber next to, but not within, the dining court. You'll see stained glass on the outside that spell out "Oyster." When you walk in, you will see sit down dining to your left and bar and diner-style dining to your right.
We opted for the diner style dining which was more than adequate. Marvel at the coolness of the subway station ceilings and lights that have a nautical motif.
I missed happy hour unfortunately so paid full price for the oysters. They run about $3-4 per oyster but they are incredibly fresh and good. I got a mix but they have a lot of variety.
Next I tried the New England clam chowder. It was good but not amazing. The potatoes were a bit too soft and the clams weren't chewy enough. It's reasonably priced for the portion you get. They have many other seafood options here but those will run you about $40+ so just depends on what you're looking for.
Friends, do not take this 5-star review too seriously. I am only reviewing the Dutch Herring Festival, which happens 2 weeks every June, and I am only reviewing one dish, the Dutch herring filet ($7). Apart from that, I stopped coming to this restaurant years ago. The food was hit or miss, but the prices were always sky high. The service was dismissive and sometimes non-existent. Once I sat down and waited to order but a waiter never came over. I left and never returned. That was years ago. Read some reviews; maybe it's better now–probably not. The Guastavino interior is still impressive, but you can't eat tiles.
Then every June comes the Dutch herring festival, which is quite another matter. The Oyster Bar flies in the new herring every day from Holland. This is street food available from carts on every corner in Holland. They even have a cart in the center of the Oyster Bar, as well as a couple of dishes made with the herring on the menu. The filets are delicious, somewhere between raw and briny, tasting fresh and of the ocean from which they came. I would avoid the herring salads and just eat the filets. They garnish them with egg, onion and chives. They do not offer a sandwich with the filets on a soft roll with pickles and onions, like they do in Holland, which is a mistake, but you can buy the herring to go and make your own. Considering the cost of airfare to Amsterdam, the Oyster Bar is a viable alternative, but only in mid-June, when the new herring is served. Get some!