Pershing Square is centrally located under the bridge on forty-second street. Its high ceilings, proximity to Grand Central, and spacious open bar and restaurant area give Pershing Square a starting advantage over other restaurants that have languished over time in the neighborhood, yet defiantly refuse to shut down. Spending as I did over eight years working in the area, Pershing Square has been a regular hangout for business breakfasts and, unfortunately, several lunches and dinners as well. And I am on the fence with respect to the rating. _________ / / | / / | | \__/_/ | / ) ( / =\ /= / )==== ( / / \ / Four-star | | / Two-star breakfast / \ / lunch and dinner \ / / / \__ __ / / / ( ( / / ) ) / / ) ) / / (_( / /__________ / | | The highlight of the breakfast menu surely has to be the buttermilk pancakes with fresh blueberries. One of the best you can have in the city. I have tried the mueslix and belgian waffles on occasion and found neither to be extraordinary. The brioche french toast, I am told, is quite filling. The morning crowd is typically well behaved, and the setting is conducive to conversation. For about $20, you can have a hearty breakfast and easily skip lunch should you not have the time to indulge. Lunch and dinner at Pershing Square on the other hand are consistently disappointing. The crowd gets unruly, the restaurant could get busy, and the food is mediocre -- the salads do not taste that fresh, and the entrees such as the three-bean vegetarian chili, the penne pasta, and the rigatoni, are all moderately tasty, at best. All said, I think Pershing Square averages out to a three-star experience. Now if I was only exposed to their breakfast, or if the service was uniformly good, I would have given them the benefit of the doubt. But alas, that was not meant to be. In restaurants, as with people, more familiarity has the risk of breeding contempt. read more

It's the restaurant under the famous Grand Central station bridge. I've never come in before because I assumed anything around Grand Central is a tourist trap. And in essence, it kind of was. The front is a cafe-like atmosphere with an area to order and pick up various food items and desserts. It's cute, and you can look out the front directly toward grand Central. I opted for the restaurant portion in the back because it looked nicer and I wanted some real food. It was pretty empty on a Thursday night. The menu was pretty big, and the prices were...touristy. Service was good. I ended up getting a chicken pot pie, which was quite good actually! I thoroughly enjoyed it, as did I the chocolate ganache cake and carrot cake. I wouldn't say they were the best I've ever had, but they were certainly well-made and well-portioned. The primary reason for the 3 stars was the price markup of approximately 20-30% compared to other similar establishments. However, it wasn't outrageous. This place is also open a lot later than many of the places offering desserts in this area. read more

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Had a brunch meeting here today. The minute we sit down we waited over 20 minutes before we were assistance. Once the menus had been dropped our eyes were wide with disbelief that pancakes (usually never more than 8 bucks) were $17 !! Like who the hell paid $17 for pancakes?. And once we saw them coming to tables we knew it wasn't worth the money. We ordered food and when it came it was incorrect. (Which took an extra 20 minutes to fix). Our waters were never refilled our waters until we were about to leave. And the waiter messed up our tickets. When we asked to speak to a manager we waited over 15 minutes and no one came. We ended up paying the bill and leaving. My advice would be to not go to this place at all for any kind of brunch or breakfast. There are so many other cheaper and a lot better quality places in the city. read more

Food, service & ambiance was wonderful. Steak and salmon cooked to perfection! Will definitely have to come back and try the chicken pot pie

This place was always on my radar as this restaurant's interior and exterior has been featured in so many movies and the location of it is right across from grand central, underneath that roadway bridge which was so prominently featured on Marvel's the Avengers. The place gives me a casual French bistro vibe. Overall, their food was adequate. The service was nice. I feel that it gives a more businessy/touristy atmosphere but the food is fine if looking for a restaurant near grand central with a bit of history to it. I got the NY Strip steak, cooked medium rare. The steak was cooked well, soft to the cut, moist and full of flavor. The mashed potatoes was plentiful and delicious as well. read more

My specialty this summer is chocolate martinis. It's a difficult job, but somebody's got to do it. Better than Brooklyn's Chocolate Room, just below Azya's Wine Bar, Pershing Square's version is in the middle as no-frills, quick, and straight-forward. There's no pretense in this martini. A friendly, divy atmosphere from business suit clientele make this a cool and interesting space. The bartenders are knowledgable, approachable, and all class. Friendly and respectful, too. The chcoclate martini is actually chocolatey with the right amount of cream and enough alcohol to make it worth it. If you have to hop on the MetroNorth and you miss your train, No worries. This is the place to be. Grab a drink and get there happy. read more

Pershing Square - American Near Me - New York, New York

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Looooove this place for breakfast! Has such an old New York feel & I've never had anything short of a pleasant experience with amazing food. 12/10, definitely recommend. read more

I was meeting a friend for lunch and she suggested Pershing Square because it was close to her office. I have walked past this restaurant several times and never ventured in. The restaurant is super big and spacious. It also has a really big bar - never a bad thing. I was seated very quickly and given water and a roll. We had: - Lobster Roll - very good - Kale Salad - very tasty The waiter made sure that our water glass never ran low. The food was good as was the service. I would definitely come back for lunch. read more

Wow I don't typically write bad reviews but this place was right across from our hotel so we thought we'd give it a try. The service was horrible, the food Inedible and they pulled the umbrellas off the tables as people we were still eating. read more

I was surprised that the service and food was so good because of the location near Grand Central station. I assumed it would be a tourist trap with plastic eggs. I was pleasantly surprised that the staff was attentive, the food service was fast and the meal was delicious. I enjoyed a flavorful egg white omelette stuffed full of veggies and my wife loved the steal cut oatmeal. The freshly squeezed OJ is a must as well. Fear not tired traveler, the Pershing Square Cafe is not only convenient but delicious. read more

Pershing Square - Large space that is great for groups of all sizes. - American Near Me - New York, New York

Expect a little Long Island attitude from the hostess, especially if you make any seating requests. The organic chicken tenders were a serious surprise - they arrived on tiny wooden sticks (very lollipop-like) and were breaded perfectly. The sauces to dip these tasty chicken bites into were less memorable. Not sure what sort of occasion would bring me back to Pershing Square, but it's a decent spot if you find yourself nearby desperately needing to rest your tired dogs and get a drink or a snack. read more

First up, take this review with a grain of salt. We came in the morning of our flight back to KC from NYC after a night of celebrating a little too much - so some of this review is heavily influenced by how we were feel before we came in. The location was amazing - a couple of blocks from our hotel and close to Grand Central Station. We were seated immediately after we walked in and then things started to not go so well. We ended up waiting 10 minutes before we even got water. Once we got our waters things finally got much better. I ordered the lox bagel and my boyfriend had a fairly standard breakfast (eggs, sausage, potatoes). Overall not bad, but honestly for the price everything was just...ok. Not sure if we'll be back but it'll depend on when we are in NYC next read more

Came here for breakfast before a day of sightseeing. First day we tried the queue was out the door! Decent coffee and I enjoyed my pancakes. Ideally located for grand central. read more

Pershing Square - Chocolate chip pancakes - American Near Me - New York, New York

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Located right across from grand central! The food is yummy and reasonably priced. :) I got their pancakes with fruit and fresh squeezed OJ. We sat at a booth which was cozy. The service was great. The waiter was helpful and even offered if we needed help getting around. :) read more

Pershing Square - American Near Me - New York, New York

I've eaten at Pershing Square several times now, despite the ouchy pricing and tourist-spot condemnation. The location is very central, and breakfast is just wonderful. It fills up fast, so definitely show up early or get a reservation. The atmosphere is also a little ritzy, so be warned. They brew a pretty decent cup of earl grey, and it comes in a cute little teapot. I freakin' love teapots. As for food - my first time here was for brunch, and I stupidly ordered a very average Waldorf salad. The reason I keep going back is that our table shared orders of warm, savory corned beef hash and whole wheat blueberry pancakes that were out of this world! Pershing Square boasts the best pancakes in the city, and while I cannot verify that claim, as I haven't sampled any other contenders, they have to be up there. I've tried both whole wheat and buttermilk, both banana and blueberry, and they're all melt-in-your-mouth buttery and fluffy with the perfect amount of fruit mixed in and on top. Order a side of whipped cream and you'll hurt your head when you slam it on the ceiling of heaven. This isn't really an everyday casual breakfast place, and don't bother with lunch, but you have to try these pancakes. read more

The brunch in this historical spot is pretty solid. Lots of space, and I love the decor. Prices are high given the location, but I'm not sure you could find a better brunch in this area. The spot takes reservations, too, making it a good spot for groups. Brunch menu is standard, but you'll find something you like. They do all their dishes well, and they keep the coffee cups filled. Home fries were good. Omeletes were big! read more

I've walked by the place a multitude of times as i travel through Grand Central quite often. I was meeting friends for drinks and food, so we decided to stop in a give it a shot. Huge mistake. First off, my friends got here before me and it took about 30 mins to come by and take their drink orders. Once i showed up, they never stopped over at all. I had to wait until they came over to give my friends a refill in order to get a drink myself, and they were out of all the beers I wanted. On top of that we ordered chicken tender skewers, which were pretty standard and nothing to write home about. Again they never came by to check on us. When they finally come back, we asked for them to bring us a menu so we could order some more food. Of course, they never brought. (I mean really how hard is it to grab a menu and take it to a table...) Water was never brought to the table either. Prices were OK, but honestly not worth the food and service. Obviously my friends and I could've been more demanding, but we were comfortable enough just enjoying each other's company and making the group decision to never return. read more

Large and with attractive atmosphere, I visited Pershing Square for the first time today. Service was very attentive and our meal was served rather quickly upon placing the order. I selected the Mediterranean salad and asked to substitute goat cheese instead of the Feta. Along with the cheese, the salad contained red onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, Kalamata olives and grilled chicken. I asked for dressing on the side. Overall, I was satisfied and enjoyed my salad. read more

My husband and I came after reading the reviews for the French toast. He got that and I got the waffle and added bananas. It was so yum! The house salad was decent. And the iced coffee was delicious too. Service was decent/slow paced and the inside was cute too. read more

Pricey but the camomile tea is good. You can also choose between regular & pure cane sugar at your table, which I thought was a nice touch (the first I've seen at any restaurant). No problems to complain about. Space can be at a bit of a premium but they do have that nice cushioned bench right outside the entrance to the restaurant in an enclosure so you can wait for your other guests without having to linger inside the restaurant or stand outside and freeze too death. Bravo for that! It's another thing I wish more restaurants would do. read more

Excellent food, breakfast, brunch options served into late day, in a historic vibe place, and to top it off service, servers went far and beyond, attentive and cozy atmosphere read more

Very nice NY style place. Had the eggs with Ham and toast and hash browns.. Came with coffee (unlimited) and orange juice $20. Staff was nice and helpful. Service was fast. read more

Pershing Square - American Near Me - New York, New York

Honestly, if it weren't for the unreasonably high prices for the equivalent of diner food, Pershing Square is surprisingly pretty good! A tourist trap for sure, but good! I had a lunch meeting at 1:30 pm on a Thursday and the place was very busy...and way way way larger than I ever thought it would be. We were seated instantly and the service was great. I had the chicken and vegetable soup and it was good but not at all worth $9. You can go around the corner to Hale and Hearty and get a bigger portion for less of a price tag. Whatever, I wasn't paying. I also got to sample the massive piece of chocolate ganache cake and it was good too, and very rich-tasting. The menu isn't as big as a diner menu but it offers some hearty classics like pot pies, chili, soups, and breakfast dishes served throughout the day. But like I said, it's a tourist trap! Let them dine here and pay an arm and a leg for semi-good food, New Yorkers...go to Grand Central Market for overpriced noshes. read more

My friend Maria and I went into the Pershing Square Cafe for dinner last week and we had an amazing experience! Everything seemed to run so smoothly, from the lovely host getting us a booth at the back, to the service from our waiter, so leaving - no hitches at all! The restaurant is huge, and can seat a lot of people, but on this particular night it was absolutely deserted, so we got a nice booth in the back. Our waiter brought out our drinks pretty quickly and we ordered - Maria had the mussels in a white wine sauce and I had the duck breast on a bed of wilted kale with a mushroom risotto. The food was absolutely incredible, and the service alongside the food was great! For desserts I had the strawberry cheesecake and Maria had something chocolatey but I can't actually remember what! The dessert portions were just the right size after eating the main courses - anymore and you wouldn't be able to finish them. An amazing restaurant that I don't feel was as busy as it should've been. I'd definitely recommend here to anyone! read more

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Definitely a tourist trap. I went there to have breakfast with a friend. The place gets really packed as it's perfectly located across Grand Central. I ordered scrambled eggs and drank a glass of coffee and ended up paying +$27 bill. I thought it's ridiculous how expensive the place is compared to the quality of the food and service. The waiters were definitely not friendly and the food was very bland (just your basic scrambled eggs). Would not go there again and wouldn't advise anyone else to. read more

Great dinner if you're near the grand central station. We came here on a Thursday night and there was no wait time. We had timely service & great food. Would definitely recommend if you are looking for something close by and affordable. The Long Island duck two ways was the shining star. If your stuck on what to order go out on a limb and splurge, you won't regret it! read more

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This is officially my new 'we need a sit-down venue near GC before catching the train' go-to spot. I came for a brunch and felt completely removed from the chaos of 42nd street. While I bet this place is a madhouse during the week, it was pretty quiet with low traffic on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. The food was seemingly generic brunch/lunch fare (I only experienced the omelet), but, surprisingly, priced fairly (given the opportunity to charge desperate commuters an arm and a leg). The convenience and charm of this little diner has won me over. I will be back! read more

My friend wanted to go here for breakfast because she'd seen this restaurant in some movie (yep, we were tourists...luckily not wearing I Heart NYC shirts and fanny packs). It was also close to our hotel, making it is a great option for breakfast (went twice). Pershing Square was really busy when we got in, and we were a little confused about whether or not we had to wait for a table or if we could seat ourselves. We waited, but then found out later we could have seated ourselves. The first morning I had the Farm Fresh Eggs which came with eggs, bacon, toast, and home fries. For $12 there was a good amount of food...enough that I couldn't finish it all. The next day we went back for breakfast I had the poached eggs over quinoa and lentils. This was delicious. definitely a great twist on a tradition breakfast. I loved the earthy taste of the lentils mixed with the savoury flavour of the tarragon, and I'm pretty convinced adding a poached egg on top of anything will make it better. It's just magic. The drinks were okay (orange juice one day, and coffee the next), but the food was really good particularly for the prices charged. Both times our waitstaff was friendly and helpful, and everything came out really quickly, and was hot and fresh. You can't really ask for a better start to your day than that. read more

Anyone who is giving this place a 4 or a 5 isn't from NYC. It is basic in the extreme. I have been here a few times and every time I walk out thinking, why did I go there and I finally learnt my lesson last week. For drinks, there are better in the area, for food it is meh. If you are looking for a combo it isn't bad but it isn't setup well near the bar. The only reason it gets a run is because it is so close to our office. I know it is in movies but it really sucks. Outside the value of that I wouldn't go. Better places everywhere. Food 2.5/5 Service 3/5 Ambiance 4/5 Price 2/5 read more

Very busy but food came out fast we have a gluten free diner with us and she asked for the eggs Benedict without the English muffin and if they would put it inside a split avocado no problem the eggs poached perfectly and seely look like a crate dish area fairly reasonable priced read more

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The Oyster Bar was closed on Sunday so we ended up here. Restaurant is across from Grand Central Station at 42nd St and Park. We were promptly seated. Food was Good, drinks were cold. Perfectly fine place on short notice. No follow up from M after meal was served. Another beer would have been nice. read more

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Thus place can be exceptionally busy so be prepared to wait. The Q moves quickly and once seated you can enjoy a very fine breakfast indeed. The hash was certainly worth the wait. Nice street view if seated along the booths at the window. read more

I work near Perhsing Square and I've been there before but it was on a very sleepy morning so I don't really remember much about it. Last night I decided to give it another shot, and I must confess that its decor is part of what enticed me to give it a try. The restaurant is located across the street from Grand Central station, underneath a bridge. It's tucked away almost out of sight, but its red store front and glowing sign manage to attract your eye easily. When you walk in there's an old waiting area with a long bench. The first section inside has a take-out counter with coffee and baked goods. Across from that is a seating area that looks more tuned to lunch and breakfast with smaller tables than the rear section. Towards the back is the "Buzz Bar" (I LOVE that name) and several large, comfortable booths with beautiful wood exteriors. The ceiling is designed with metal arches and curved inverted domes that seem to be intended to serve as smaller versions of similar designs inside Grand Central station itself. It was in this beautiful seating area that my girlfriend and I sat. Service was prompt and professional. I know that seems like an odd choice of words, but it's accurate. There was nothing "wrong" with the service per se. Everyone smiled, every dish came super quick and when we asked for an extra biscuit they gladly obliged, but there was a distinct lack of "small talk" that I'm so used to encountering in restaurants. I was eating healthy so I ordered their beet and goat cheese salad. My girlfriend ordered the arugula salad and our side was a dish of sautee asparagus and baby carrots. For salads the prices were a bit much (mine was about $12), but that's part of the price of eating in the area in a nice establishment. It was super tasty. We both agreed that the vinagrette has some sort of addictive substance in it because we were using our dinner rolls to sop it up. Yum! The beets that came with my salad were *beautiful*, with one red, another orange, the four discs of beets formed a spectrum of beautiful color. On top was the most awesome part, a huge disc of goat cheese that had been browned on top. HEAVEN! The side of vegetables were fantastic too. Super tender, tasty and the carrots even had a bit of the top still on, which I generally don't eat. Here they were so tender I didn't mind. My only minor reservation was the size of the greens on the salads. For the same price, my beloved Schippers gives you twice the amount of greens and chicken. Now, I didn't expect the chicken, but a half handful more of greens would have been nice. Overall, the salads here were fantastic, I loved the ambiance and the service was quick. I wouldn't call this a "good deal", but the quality of the ingredients cannot be denied. I wanted to give this four stars, but the slightly off putting service and the relatively small portions knocked one star off. read more

Good service & my food arrived so quickly! I will come back for breakfast again!!! Our waiter was very nice read more

Not sure why I've never reviewed this place before, especially since I ate here last year with the same exact people. Anyway, Our party was divided in half with one table right behind the other. 9 people isn't always easy to accomodate, but it wasn't bad. The waiter was extremely friendly and helpful. My stepmom and I planned on having The New Yorker, because we thought it would be more cost effective that our originally planned orders, but the waiter pointed out a mort cost effective method to our order! ** AWESOME** I ended up ordering the Soft Boiled Egg.. I love that the waiter, asked if I had a preference for how long I wanted my egg cooked. They promote the 3 minutes soft boil on the menu, however a 5 minute soft boil is the perfect soft boil everytime; so I asked for 5 minutes. My eggs came in a cute egg holder, still in the SHELL! I wasn't a fan of having to shell my own eggs, since you can get some on your place and then your digging around your plate for random pieces of shell. I did however learn that my Dad is good at deshelling his eggs and has a little method! LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Service was pretty good... Food good.. We pretty much eat here once every January during the Squash Tournament of Champions. read more

Pershing Square - Soft Boiled Eggs with Bacon, Homefries and Toast. - American Near Me - New York, New York

I was here for breakfast, which was essentially a business meeting, and the person I was meeting with - suggested this place. It has an upscale diner like feel to it, and I actually liked that a lot. At 8am on a Wednesday morning, this place was packed! You can usually see CEOs and high flying partners from consulting firms here at that time. And breakfast is the one meal, you need to make a reservation for, or you'll never get a table. The service was great and very efficient. Somehow, even with the place totally packed - they bring out your food very quickly. The servers were also very polite. The food was excellent. My companion got the eggs and I got the French toast. Everything was just right, portions wise, and very flavorful. The coffee was excellent! I'm definitely going to come back here. read more

Just for some salad and quick drinks Place was nice, service was good and fast. Manu had some interesting choices but hopefully one day ill have more time to sit and try read more

Pershing Square - American Near Me - New York, New York

Dank, dismal & disappointing. Unwelcoming staff and underwhelming appetizer and bar service. I needed to spend an hour while I waited on an Apple repair but I wish it had been anywhere else. Bartender indifferent (or deaf), popcorn shrimp drowned in sickly sweet spicy duck sauce. Bar surface sticky and Pinot Grigio high at $12.50 (not a Happy Hour selection tho I specifically asked what was on offer). Spend your money elsewhere. read more

I ordered the banana pancake,tasted really good!!,sweet and soft. The coffee wasn't that nice though. Price wise I wouldn't really recommend it, I ate with my friend who ordered Three Omelettes menu and our check came almost 40usd. Too expensive for a breakfast. Location and the place is actually very nice with American diner atmosphere. Service wasn't not good as we've requested a couple of times for water with no ice, and it just never came..just a simple favor and we definitely asked nicely read more

Pershing Square - banana pancakes with maple syrup,super yummy - American Near Me - New York, New York

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I love Pershing Square (PS). They do some things very well like the shrimpcargo ( shrimp in an escargot try served with breading, butter and herbs). They also have an excellent Tuna nicoise and the burgers bring you to a Parisian brasserie. Its the business persons go to place for business breakfast but reservations are a must otherwise you will be relegated to purgatory in the form of a very long line. The staff are a hit/miss proposition. Some a great while others are clueless perhaps thinking about what went wrong at the last audition rather than serving the patron. IN spring through fall they close the side street and have European-esque outdoor seating! read more