I am a lucky lady. I have been to many of the best steakhouses in NYC. And yet, my heart belongs to Keens.
I wrote about them quickly at the very beginning of this blog, but I somehow managed to not dedicate an entire post to my favorite steakhouse. I must rectify that immediately.
Keens is located on 36th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues and has been in that location since 1885.
The most memorable part of Keens, besides the food, is the pipe collection that adorns the walls and nearly every inch of the ceiling. (You can see them in the picture below, if you look hard enough, lined up all along the ceiling)
The pipes are specifically churchwarden pipes, which were too fragile to carry around, so people would join the Pipe Club and leave their pipe at Keens to enjoy their next time around.
It’s also has a historical footnote in women’s history:
“In 1905 Lillie Langtry, actress and paramour of King Edward of England, took Keens to court for having denied her access to its gentlemen-only premises. She won her case, swept into Keens in her feathered boa and proceeded to order one of our famous mutton chops.” (Source)
Keens is famous for their mutton, which I had never had before I went to Keens.
And right behind the bar is Miss Keens. She both seems to be looking over the place and luring you in.
While the main dining room is fantastic (especially for a business meal), their Pub Menu is very reasonably priced for a steakhouse and has some absolutely fantastic dishes.
My alltime favorite is the Prime Rib Hash. This is one of those meals that I can have again and again. It’s like a giant potato latke with pieces of prime rib in it, topped with a fried egg. The whole thing just combines so perfectly. Magic in your mouth.
And the creamed spinach is always spot on. Not too dry and not too wet. Just perfect.
We also had the pub-sized mutton chop. It’s a huge serving, even though it’s called “pub-sized” and even though Mike and I split all this, we couldn’t finish everything. Not even close.
And on every table is some housemade mint jelly. I don’t love mint jelly, but something about this one is quite good, especially with that mutton.
I absolutely love Keens and recommend it to just about everyone who asks for either a great steak house or a great meal near midtown. Everyone that has gone has agreed… Keens never disappoints.
Total Nom Points: 8.5 out of 10
