Frankie & Johnnie’s Steakhouse

I came here for the restaurant week deal (Winter 2016) during lunch time and I can definitely say I left very satisfied. I had the Soup of the Day, Medallions of Filet Mignon, and Ice cream.
The soup was a very huge portion and tasty, but I did not finish it because I knew I would not have been able to finish my steak! The Filet Mignon was absolutely delicious, it was served on top of mashed potatoes which I absolutely love. I had my steak on the medium rare side and it was cooked perfectly, it was very tender and each bite was exquisite. I also was able to try the Pan Seared Salmon and it was absolutely delicious. Can’t go wrong with either one for the price of restaurant week. –however I think the way they cook the steak might be a either hit or miss because another party member ordered the filet mignon the same exact way as me and it was cooked too well done.

We arrived at 6:15 and told our waitress that we had to get to an 8:00 show. Our bread arrived long before our water. Our salads were not the ones we asked for. The steaks arrived at 7:30 without steak knives. Two of the 3 sides were correct. There was not time to enjoy the meal before we had to leave. We did take the food and gave it to a homeless person on our way to the theater. I did taste the filet and it was delicious but I was so aggravated with the neglectful service that I had to write.

A near trainwreck!
I have frequented their former restaurant (which is now closed on W. 45^th St. for years and was never disappointed). It was cozy, had professional experienced waiters, great service, and made you want to return to the «old New York» quality steak house.
Well they have now moved to restaurant row in the former B. Smiths location and have increased greatly in size with a balcony and lost all of the charm of the original restaurant.
My friend who made the reservation the night before last said all bookings on Open Table were full. She decide to call the restaurant and they took her reservation and promised her her open table points which I am sure she will never see.
I arrived at 7:30 prompt and was greeted by a hostess in a «Charo» like dress that was way to tight for her age and her accent was almost unintelligible. I gave my name, my friends married name, my friends maiden name and there were no reservations. (This made me think they went to the other Frankie and Johnnies in the West 30s by accident but that was not the case).
The hostess swiveled the screen around for me to see that she had no reservations in any of the names I gave her. I asked her is anyone was waiting on someone, she said no.
After waiting 15 minutes after calling my friends and textiing them, there were waiting at the back of the restaurant!!! What a trainwreck at the host/​hostess station. It turns out «Charo» was the coat check girl as the person who was supposed to work the front was not there last night.
I was really annoyed and asked for the Manager, and asked him, no demanded a round of drinks which he complied.
Well, then it was time to order dinner., 2 of us ordered steaks, my friends steak was full of fat, my steak was okay but nothing to write home about. The creamed spinach was truly the only
good item on the table. My other friend ordered pork chops, the waiter came back a few minutes later to tell her they ran out. This was at 7:50 p.m. on a weeknight!
Anyway, already annoyed with my entrance to this restaurant, the fair service at best, the mishap trying to find my friends and the lack of ambience to what was one of my former favorite restaurant and knowing that we would be shelling out nearly $ 100 per person (before the drinks were written off), I was not at all pleased.
The waiter kept apologizing telling us that they have only been open a week… Sorry, lame excuse for a restaurant that has been open for several decades.
One of the finals straws came when I ordered decaf and would like Splenda with it. The waiter asked me if Splenda is blue or pink! That’s it, I told her it was yellow!
Perhaps they need more growing time, but I don’t want to be a part of the process.
Just, STAY AWAY AND AVOID, unless you enjoy paying high prices, mediocre service and non descript ambience. It’s truly sad to see a fine NY institution heading in the wrong direction.
PS– Something I have never seen on a menu before… In addiiton to a sharing charge, if you don’t order a main course, there was something like a surcharge on top of the price of the appetizer.
They are doing everything they can to steer business away, perhaps the can sail away into oblivion past the Husdson River!

I cannot ever go to this establishment again. Period. I wish I could give a negative star, and get back every penny I ever spent in either location.
The reason might be unusual on Unilocal,but the fact is, THESE ARE NOT NICE PEOPLE. I saw the owner call a woman a «sl*t, b! tch, & who@re» on Saturday night, Dec 26^th. This was immediately before he physically cornered her, and screamed, «You’re a f*cking b1tch! You better watch your back in the street». (Yes, that actually happened in public where people could see & hear the disgrace.)This poor woman was the bar manager at the Strand Hotel across from F&J’s. She was about 25, and very polite to this man and his party. In fact, the entire staff was super chill about the whole thing. I could not believe the tolerance. But, they likely have lots of practice with drunken a-​holes.
If this sounds insane… Let me just tell you, it was worse than anything you are imagining.
The F&J owner (or someone in the party) reserved the roof until midnight for a birthday party. I know because I tried to go up and enjoy the rooftop, and was told it was an exclusive party till 12. I figured I’d go back up after it ended. That’s when I happened upon the disgusting multiple tantrums that took place. I could not help but take an interest and watch. It was some «Real Housewives» style animal behavior.
Apparently the owner had a party for his cousins birthday. When the clock struck midnight the staff began to open the rooftop and changed the Greek party music back to the regular playlist. This was apparently too much for this man, and the birthday guy to handle.
He also screamed «this is f#cking b#llshit!» At the very professional gentleman working the lobby desk. Followed by «You’re f#cking fired, assh@le!» And then something about his best friend «John Louisi’s going to kill you people». I assume that’s who told him they’d get a free extra-​hour of open bar to themselves without reserving the space or paying?
Anyway, the guy trying to fire someone else’s employees was spectacular. The highlight of the debacle for sure. (Maybe next time don’t cheap-​out and just reserve an extra hour of exclusive time. Cheapskate.)
And for the record…
I will never go to Frankie and Johnnies again, because these are simply AWFUL human beings based on the way these men treated the staff. It was particularly disturbing to watch men in their 40’s — 60’s screaming and towering in the face of a polite young woman.
The irony is this…
Guess who originally sent me to F&J’s to begin with… The staff of the Strand.
I’ll bet that never happens again. Awful, terrible, human-​beings.

I enjoyed my meal here. In fact, our group six was well accommodated and all enjoyed our dinner. The seating area was a bit small for six — so they pulled another table together for us and it was more than adequate. We started with soup — I had a french onion soup which was pretty good. The main course was a fillet and it was cooked to perfection.
The service was on the spot the whole meal.

Food was delicious. A very busy restaurant but the service was amazing. Able to eat a nice dinner with time to spare to get to our show. Definitely order a steak. They were cooked to perfection.

Worst steakhouse! We sat downstairs and the waitress who was serving us was so rude. Took over 30 minute to come over and acknowledge us. Took even longer to take our order. I had to stop her twice to ask for bread. She brought bread no butter and stormed always before I could ask for butter. Meal was the worst. The chicken was disgusting. Potatoes were bland. Never once came to refill our meal. For $ 100 I suggest you try so many other places in the area. Bad food. Bad service. Definitely DO NOT recommend.

Summary: over-​priced; mediocre service.
My mom and I came here for dinner before a show. Upstairs is very crowded (to the point that I heard a hostess tell a customer she had to take off her coat because there was no room for it upstairs) but we were seated downstairs since we didn’t have a reservation, and there was more than enough room.
We ordered the jumbo shrimp cocktail as an appetizer (4 large shrimps), which was pretty good! But we got the appetizer and bread at the same time, and our meals came out about 3 minutes later. Way too fast! We felt very rushed and there wasn’t enough room on the table for the food so we had to put the bread on the empty table beside us. Despite saying we still wanted it, she came back a minute later and took it away.
The steak was tasty, but overcooked. Judging by how many people have said that, you’d think they’d catch on by now! Mashed potatoes were excellent, but the creamed spinach was vibrant green and did not match quality for price.
Dessert: we ordered a chocolate mousse cake and a raspberry cheesecake. Mom loved the mousse cake! But I had a SEVERE allergic reaction to the cheesecake!!! I told the waitress about my allergy ahead of time and she said there were no nuts in it, but warned about «may contain» (she did not check with the kitchen, just said that right away). I’ve never reacted from that in my life so I ordered it. Despite telling the waitress I was reacting to the cake, she insisted it did not have nuts. I obviously can’t say either way with absolute certainty, but based off the size of my reaction I STRONGLY believe I was served nuts. They did not charge us for the dessert, but it did not make up for the mistake. Will not be returning!

Came here after a Broadway show and had a great steak dinner. Filet Mignon medium rare was not overly seasoned, it didn’t need any steak sauce, the outside was lightly charred and crunchy, the inside was pink but not underdone, there was little to no fat and the juices were contained so there was never a dry bite. This is a traditional steakhouse, not really elegant or superficial and can be a little loud for a first date. The servers are very professional and reminded me of french butlers. The sides ($ 10 – 12 each) are huge for a midtown steakhouse. The spinach side is good for at least 3 people. My lady had the Salmon which was fresh, the perfect size and didn’t taste fishy. I had a great experience here. We had 2 big salads (Caesar), 3 sides (mushrooms, spinach, asparagus all delicious), the steak and salmon and the bill was $ 175 with tip (no alcohol).

Mario! Great old school server and a true professional. We had a group of 7 and Mario took excellent care of us. Recommendations were perfect all around. I had the T Bone and the table split several sides. Steaks were excellent cuts that were prepared perfectly.
We have been coming here for several years. Saw that they set moving to a new location soon — hope they don’t forget the charm that makes this a fun spot.

Holy shit! Can I say shit on Unilocal?If not censor me!
This place was…
Top notch.
Let’s talk service. We were treated by Danny the head waiter. A Romanian master of service. He explained dishes and recommend accordingly and with the utmost politeness and knowledge. My glass of wine was never once left empty. Yes that helps in increasing the tab but it does improve the overall level of experience. And let me tell you my i am experiencing a very high level of «experience» right now! Lol
The place, as it turns out, was owned as the residence of drew berry mores father. Our upstairs dinning room had a giant fireplace. It was so nice. I highly recommend requesting a table upstairs.
I ordered the sirloin. Massive does not describe it. I expected a 4oz steak and instead I received a side of buffalo or a Woolley Mammoth, I still can’t decide. Either way it was excellent
Sides– fries and mushrooms and onions. Super good. I mean, I know I keep saying good but what other word is there for yummy?!
Dessert was the moose cake. A white and black chocolate cake that had a beautiful chocolate ganache on top. I must admit I avoided the mint garnish. So I can’t speak to the quality of the mint leaves! Lol
All in all this was the best steakhouse I have visited!
Happy eating!

A great classic long time restaurant with a limited but perfect steak menu. Try any steak with about 2 or 3 sides and you have a perfect, satisfying steak dinner that would please any of your pickiest carnivores! The best!!!
I like my steaks fairly done so I order the petite filet butterflied so it is cooked to perfection. (I know, I know not the way to eat a steak, but I love it!)

Went to dinner with friends while visiting the city. Appetizers in the bar — steak tips and toast. Fantastic flavor and perfect temp. Bartender prompt and friendly. Dinner in the dining room upstairs — nice vibe. Not too loud, but not deadly silent. Servers very knowledgeable about the menu and wine list. Servers always there when you wanted them but didn’t hover. We had chopped salad and rib eye. Rib eye flavor was amazing — just great steak. Bone in — so expect it to be marbled and big. Good thing we shared… Dessert was molten chocolate cake for me — piping hot with ice cream. Delish. My husband had key lime pie. Not spectacular, says my husband, but good.
Would we go back? Definitely.

So my daughter, her godmother and godbrother and myself were out for a pre– show dinner. They had flown in from Cali to see Al Pacino’s play. My friend decided to treat us to dinner.
We were seated almost immediately. It was a bit uncomfortable as one patron, w his wife or lady friend just kind of glared at us. Nonetheless, we remained. Then there was sticker shock because the least expensive steak was around $ 45– and that was a la carte. Everyone else ordered a sirloin and I got a ribeye. They were gorgeous and charred to perfection. My Caesar salad was delicious, tho a little heavy on dressing. Additionally, it had anchovies. Yum! We all enjoyed our dinner, the ambience and our very attentive waiter. He was great. I will return here again– no matter how hard I’m stared at!!!

Had a wonderful (albeit expensive) steak dinner here on a brisk fall evening. Upon entering, you are greeted by a staircase leading up to what feels to be a trip back to the 1920’s. I love how they kept to the original speakeasy feel, with the dim lighting and rich wood tones.
The steaks were exceptional. I had a ginormous ribeye cooked to perfection exactly as ordered. From the perfectly charred shell to the infused butter lending the perfect amount of herbs and seasoning. This was a steak to really take your time to enjoy.
The atmosphere was intimate. The noise level ranged from quiet to average. The restaurant was somewhat empty on our last visit so we had some space to ourselves. However, it can become quite crowded during peak Broadway show times. Regardless of how busy they are though, the charm is always there.
Be prepared to spend about $ 80 to $ 150 per person with drinks, sides, tip, etc.

If you want good service, look for Mario. He’s seriously the sweetest.
My old boss first brought me here. Was never a steak kinda gal but after F&J’s, I can’t wait until I go back. Brought my relatives from out of town (from Texas!) and they LOVED the steak. You never need any steak sauce because it’s perfect the way it is.
To sum it up, 2 words: quality meat.

3.5 stars?! Give me a break!!! Restaurant has been here nearly 90 years, no way that happens with a 3.5 star steakhouse. First time my dad brought me here Wagner was mayor of NYC, hasn’t changed since, and for me that’s a good thing!
My guess is the 1 stars are mostly cost related and, to be fair, F&J ain’t cheap but if you want great lamb chops, veal chops and every kind of steak done perfectly, forget about the $ 50 price and just enjoy!!!
Other heroes: potato pancakes side, coconut and orange sorbet desserts.

I love this spot! — I’ve only been here once, today, for a late lunch at 2pm on a Thursday. Being an office worker in this area is at times a test of patience; due to a tendency for rushed and poor service and food.
Frankie and Johnnie’s fixes this. I went out with 2 coworkers, and we got a seat upstairs in the otherwise completely empty dining room. It was nice and quiet and with an open window, allowing for a fresh breeze. Simply awesome and something you never see around Midtown.
The beer selection was mostly the rather bland and low quality Anheuser-​Busch selection, but with a Big Daddy Speakeasy IPA being on the list — a good and solid go-​to beer if in doubt about what to order when going out.
We all went for the prix fixe, and all had a salad and a petit filet mignon; salad was good and unexpectedly large and the steak had a good crust — maybe not perfectly rare, as ordered, but still delicious and something that I just want to suck up since it otherwise was just a plain great experience.
Our waitress was simply awesome, she asked questions and yet provoked us ever so slightly; the same level you would expect from your local diner. Simply refreshing in this part of town!
The price of the meal was certainly okay, food quality was good, and service was superb. I’ll def. be back on any non-​matinée day! :)

The décor is old and shabby. The many pictures that line the walls are clearly forgotten as many are crooked and dusty. Although the waiting staff wore suits it appeared that a memeber of the kitchen staff was assisting with serving in his full kitchen attire.
The bread was stale amd tasteless. I ordered the larger fillet mignon, which was charred to a crisp on the outside but it was cooked to medium well internally as I had requested. The chip style fries were not well seasoned and overcooked. The mushroom on my plate did not even serve well as a decoration it looked much like a forgotten dirty shoe and tasted similarly. If the price was half it may warrant a two star review however at this price I am hesitant to give it one star.
I’d give this one a miss.

Great dinner late last night after a show. Picked for location and going by other Unilocal reviews. This place was fantastic. Once we got upstairs it was cozy and did not disappoint. Only about a dozen tables so the service was spot on. The sirloin was fantastic. Tasty and cooked perfectly. Prime rib was really good too. Both steaks were huge.
The potato pancakes with applesauce were fantastic. Garlic mashed were just average.
Would highly recommend this place either before or after a show. Location was perfect.