Regulars are interesting to listen to. Place is kind of divey but the people watching makes you laugh. Bartender has a heavy ass hand, be careful if you are weak, he will put you to sleep. Food is overpriced and menu kind of sucks to be honest, it Needs updated this is not 1950 anymore.
Clifford D. Mallory
Authentic NYC in a way the movies could not produce. Excellent no nonsense service and early modern ocean liner menu items that would be a challenge to find elsewhere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steak, Broiled Half Spring Chicken, Cheeseburger
Andreas Waldburg-Wolfegg
The real deal. Delicious cocktails, perfect menu, attentive and delightful staff. The place for a good night out.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: 16oz Prime Sirloin Steak with Mashed Potatoes and Creamed Spinach
Spencer K.
The chase: Excellent old-school cozy neighborhood chop house, with red leather booths and a classic bar that serves artfully mixed classic cocktails. Donohue's is a portal to the past, a comfortable neighborhood joint, what used to be called a red booth steak and chop house. Though I had not been here in over 20 years (has it really been that long?), Donohue's has always been my touchstone for the classic red booth atmosphere and cuisine. "The Daily Grill" chain scratched this itch from time to time, as did Beverly Hill's "Grill in the Alley," but last night I decided to go crosstown and go back to the mothership. Though it is true that one cannot go back home again, one can certainly go back to the same neighborhood. The drinks were exemplars of the archetype. My beautiful dining companion had a gin martini (not a fake vodka version), and I had a Manhattan (made with bourbon, not rye... yeah, I'm a hypocrite); both drinks were beyond excellent, dare I say sublime? These are not heavy pours, they are balanced and not overpowering, allowing your tastebuds to do their work. We eschewed appetizers. I had the London Broil. My companion the hamburger. The hamburger with cheese (American) -- excellent! Ordered medium, each bite was better than the last. Even the bun was great. The london broil: it was London Broil, the poor man's cut, what used to be served as the steak at IHOP (it's true). The mushroom gravy was a bit heavy handed, but you get what you order and it was a good example of the presentation and serving of such a dish. The creamed spinach was excellent and did not rely on bacon bits to do any of the lifting. Service was friendly and appropriately non-intrusive. The bar still had the Christmas lights up in mis February... which I love. I think dark bars need to have Christmas lights up all year. The snowmen in the window... the jury is out. The not so great: The bread was below par, the quality of a pedestrian soft-crusted store-bought baguette. The butter, however, was a good temperature for spreading without being melted. That said, I was hoping for a grilled sourdough. The baked potato was nice and soft on the inside, but so was the skin and I prefer a crunch thicker skin. The menu is pretty thin and prices are high. You can't go home again, but you can go back to Donohue's to get a solid drink, the burger and the creamed spinach. Maybe the salmon. I'll report back.
Brad M.
This is a very cool spot. The food is good and it feels like your own country club. It is a nice place to drink and the burger is great!
Will Manidis
will be there in 300 years, it crushes, the food is what you’d expect — perfect
Sherwin Safir
Old school cool! Red tablecloths, black leather booths, active senior citizens & camaraderie, wholesome food, attentive servers, excellent vibe! Highlights were chilled gin martini glass, large pork chop with applesauce, homemade carrot cake, and apple pie were delicious! We must protect this establishment at all costs! We learned about it from an elderly acquaintance and we will be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Diedre G.
Met my son for dinner last night. I had been to Donahue's before, where I sat up at the bar and had a hamburger. My hamburger was great so I had a good memory of the restaurant but last night's dinner really disappointed. The fries were terrible...really bad. I think we got the end of a batch. I had eggplant roulade. It was bland. Maybe that was too fancy a dish to order at a place like Donahue's but I make it at home all the time and it just needed a little tweaking to be good. My son said his chili was not good. I think it was bland as well. Perhaps we should have stuck to the basics but fries and chili are pretty basic. Granted, we are serious foodies but so are most New Yorkers. I love the RETRO atmosphere at Donahue's but with many wonderful restaurants in Manhattan going out of business in recent years, restaurants cannot afford to rest on their laurels and offer passable fare. Last but not least, service was good, so to end on a positive note, Donahue's gets thumbs up for atmosphere and service but the food could use improvement.
Faith P.
Absolute love everything about it including a mega authentic vibe from Maureen the owner and all who support her.
Bill H.
One obnoxious hostess, she is waitress and manager!! What a rude person, trying to take orders with an attitude, she couldn't get to the 15? tables and host at the same time.. what a surprise !! Attitude plus! Paid drink bill and got the hell out of the so called steakhouse!! Lol..
Old school restaurant. Simple menu done well! We had a cheeseburger that came perfectly medium rare and the swiss cheese was so hot it dripped down the sides. The scrod was great! Nice and moist. It included two sides. So we took a salad and broccoli. Both were great. Loved the old style decor. Bathrooms were clean. Service was great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dave S.
Old NY style restaurant. Obvious neighborhood favorite. Good Martinis and London broil - had the mushroom sauce on the side and did not love that, but the meat itself was very flavorful and tender, so it didn't need the sauce at all. Loved the creamed spinach and baked potato sides. Had a very attentive waiter. Feels like you are in an episode of Madmen.
Sean Lopez
Cozy place to watch the Knicks and eat steak. Dimitri is one of the best bartenders in the city.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: 16oz Prime Sirloin Steak with Mashed Potatoes and Creamed Spinach
Michael R.
Old world charm and great food...you will never be disappointed.........good food what else can I say.
Christopher B.
Cheery service of non-fussy, classic fare. Perfect antidote to NYC's precious scene. Terrific burger, steak, and pub food. Bracing cocktail game with heavy pours. Makes you feel happy.
Regulars are interesting to listen to. Place is kind of divey but the people watching makes you laugh. Bartender has a heavy ass hand, be careful if you are weak, he will put you to sleep. Food is overpriced and menu kind of sucks to be honest, it Needs updated this is not 1950 anymore.
Authentic NYC in a way the movies could not produce. Excellent no nonsense service and early modern ocean liner menu items that would be a challenge to find elsewhere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steak, Broiled Half Spring Chicken, Cheeseburger
The real deal. Delicious cocktails, perfect menu, attentive and delightful staff. The place for a good night out.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: 16oz Prime Sirloin Steak with Mashed Potatoes and Creamed Spinach
The chase: Excellent old-school cozy neighborhood chop house, with red leather booths and a classic bar that serves artfully mixed classic cocktails. Donohue's is a portal to the past, a comfortable neighborhood joint, what used to be called a red booth steak and chop house. Though I had not been here in over 20 years (has it really been that long?), Donohue's has always been my touchstone for the classic red booth atmosphere and cuisine. "The Daily Grill" chain scratched this itch from time to time, as did Beverly Hill's "Grill in the Alley," but last night I decided to go crosstown and go back to the mothership. Though it is true that one cannot go back home again, one can certainly go back to the same neighborhood. The drinks were exemplars of the archetype. My beautiful dining companion had a gin martini (not a fake vodka version), and I had a Manhattan (made with bourbon, not rye... yeah, I'm a hypocrite); both drinks were beyond excellent, dare I say sublime? These are not heavy pours, they are balanced and not overpowering, allowing your tastebuds to do their work. We eschewed appetizers. I had the London Broil. My companion the hamburger. The hamburger with cheese (American) -- excellent! Ordered medium, each bite was better than the last. Even the bun was great. The london broil: it was London Broil, the poor man's cut, what used to be served as the steak at IHOP (it's true). The mushroom gravy was a bit heavy handed, but you get what you order and it was a good example of the presentation and serving of such a dish. The creamed spinach was excellent and did not rely on bacon bits to do any of the lifting. Service was friendly and appropriately non-intrusive. The bar still had the Christmas lights up in mis February... which I love. I think dark bars need to have Christmas lights up all year. The snowmen in the window... the jury is out. The not so great: The bread was below par, the quality of a pedestrian soft-crusted store-bought baguette. The butter, however, was a good temperature for spreading without being melted. That said, I was hoping for a grilled sourdough. The baked potato was nice and soft on the inside, but so was the skin and I prefer a crunch thicker skin. The menu is pretty thin and prices are high. You can't go home again, but you can go back to Donohue's to get a solid drink, the burger and the creamed spinach. Maybe the salmon. I'll report back.
This is a very cool spot. The food is good and it feels like your own country club. It is a nice place to drink and the burger is great!
will be there in 300 years, it crushes, the food is what you’d expect — perfect
Old school cool! Red tablecloths, black leather booths, active senior citizens & camaraderie, wholesome food, attentive servers, excellent vibe! Highlights were chilled gin martini glass, large pork chop with applesauce, homemade carrot cake, and apple pie were delicious! We must protect this establishment at all costs! We learned about it from an elderly acquaintance and we will be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Met my son for dinner last night. I had been to Donahue's before, where I sat up at the bar and had a hamburger. My hamburger was great so I had a good memory of the restaurant but last night's dinner really disappointed. The fries were terrible...really bad. I think we got the end of a batch. I had eggplant roulade. It was bland. Maybe that was too fancy a dish to order at a place like Donahue's but I make it at home all the time and it just needed a little tweaking to be good. My son said his chili was not good. I think it was bland as well. Perhaps we should have stuck to the basics but fries and chili are pretty basic. Granted, we are serious foodies but so are most New Yorkers. I love the RETRO atmosphere at Donahue's but with many wonderful restaurants in Manhattan going out of business in recent years, restaurants cannot afford to rest on their laurels and offer passable fare. Last but not least, service was good, so to end on a positive note, Donahue's gets thumbs up for atmosphere and service but the food could use improvement.
Absolute love everything about it including a mega authentic vibe from Maureen the owner and all who support her.
One obnoxious hostess, she is waitress and manager!! What a rude person, trying to take orders with an attitude, she couldn't get to the 15? tables and host at the same time.. what a surprise !! Attitude plus! Paid drink bill and got the hell out of the so called steakhouse!! Lol..
Restaurantji Recommends
Old school restaurant. Simple menu done well! We had a cheeseburger that came perfectly medium rare and the swiss cheese was so hot it dripped down the sides. The scrod was great! Nice and moist. It included two sides. So we took a salad and broccoli. Both were great. Loved the old style decor. Bathrooms were clean. Service was great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Old NY style restaurant. Obvious neighborhood favorite. Good Martinis and London broil - had the mushroom sauce on the side and did not love that, but the meat itself was very flavorful and tender, so it didn't need the sauce at all. Loved the creamed spinach and baked potato sides. Had a very attentive waiter. Feels like you are in an episode of Madmen.
Cozy place to watch the Knicks and eat steak. Dimitri is one of the best bartenders in the city.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: 16oz Prime Sirloin Steak with Mashed Potatoes and Creamed Spinach
Old world charm and great food...you will never be disappointed.........good food what else can I say.
Cheery service of non-fussy, classic fare. Perfect antidote to NYC's precious scene. Terrific burger, steak, and pub food. Bracing cocktail game with heavy pours. Makes you feel happy.