Bad Luck of the Draw: Grand Central Oyster Bar, Manhattan

Bad Luck of the Draw: Grand Central Oyster Bar, Manhattan

It’s possible to have a wonderful experience at a purportedly lousy restaurant and a dismal meal at a much beloved restaurant. This principle I take for granted and, lately, have had demonstrated for me.

For my last night of a recent stay with my daughter, Lydia, in New York, we went to the Grand Central Oyster Bar, lauded by many whose opinions I accept almost without qualification. As no one has yet devoted a thread to this place, I figured I might as well start one, even if it is on a sour note (and please, I welcome contrary data points, which I’m guessing will be abundant).

I really wanted to – and thought I would – like this place. Cavernous, old school, located in a train station and a century old, it seemed like this oyster bar had to be good, right?

Upon arriving, the general manager moved us directly to the back, right next to the servers’ station, which I could have accepted had not he explained, as he lead us into the bowels, that it was “much cooler in the back.” Then we got to the back, and he repeated “It’s cooler back here. Can you feel it” I responded, reluctantly, “I suppose I could be convinced of that,” though I felt absolutely no difference, though the manager’s stare after that last comment of mine may have dropped the ambient temperature by a few degrees. He was bullshitting me about the desirability of an undesirable seat, and we both knew it.

Lydia does not like oysters, but frequently she will try one or two just in case she might, by chance, have a change of taste. I suggested she order kumamotos, as these seemed like good beginner’s model oysters (frequently small, not too squishy). Turns out, they were out of kumamotos, so the waiter suggested malpeques, which he said were kind of like kumamotos. He also offered to pick out a half dozen other ones for me, and I said Fine.



Lydia did not like the malpeque. I ate one, and I have to admit, the taste seemed a bit off. Could be just me I thought. I asked our waiter for more bread: I really needed something to get the nasty taste of that first malpeque off my tongue.

No bread was forthcoming. I’d evidently made a mistake asking our waiter: bread-bringing seemed to be the province of one of the other servers. The Saloon area was, in fact, staffed by only three men: server, water man, bread man.

The oysters looked good, and contained not a bit of either shell shrapnel nor liquor – in fact, they didn’t contain much of anything. The oysters seemed somewhat deflated, lifeless, basically a substandard selection that had maybe sat around a little longer than they should have. I ended up not eating the last malpeque, as the last two I tasted were so vile, and when the server asked if I wanted the remaining one, I confessed we didn’t like it, to which he huarmphed and took it away.



Oysters Rockefeller were pretty good, with simple though light sauce, neither best nor worst I’ve had. Middling.

Lydia’s scallops were good, but overall I’d have to give the Grand Central Oyster a just-passing grade.

Evil Ronnie told me, in an Instagram or maybe FB comment, that I should get the oyster pan roast, and I would have done that if I’d gotten the comment in time for ordering.

It’s very possible we just hit this place on a bad night or under a bad sign. I believe in the veracity of my friends who say they’ve had good meals at this 100 year old place, but I probably wouldn’t return again for at least another century.

Grand Central Oyster Bar
89 E 42nd St New York, NY 10017
(212) 490-6650

I've had terrible experiences at Grand Central for fresh oysters. Their prepared dishes are a little better. The pan roast is fine.

For good oysters in NYC (at an exorbitant price) go to the John Dory oyster bar at the Ace Hotel in midtown. Seriously expensive tho. Mermaid Inn (W. and E. Village locations) is also a good option.

I love Pearl Oyster Bar, though haven't been in years.

Pearl Oyster Bar
www.pearloysterbar.com/‎
18 Cornelia St New York, NY 10014
(212) 691-8211

Grand Central Oyster Bar. James Beard wrote lovingly about it. I grew up going to raw bars in the Tidewater, Virginia area, so when I visit NYC, it's natural for me to want to sit right at the oyster bar, and nowhere else. I've eaten there maybe 10 or so times over the years, and I never visit Manhattan without eating there. Never sat anywhere but at the oyster bar itself. Never ordered anything other than raw shellfish and various pan roast and stew dishes (oyster, oyster and clam, etc...) with the exception of once, enjoying an order of the new summer herring fillets from Holland, served raw, with chopped onion and capers. I enjoy chatting with the shuckers to find out what's freshest and really good. Once, out of all those visits, my pan roast was cooked a few seconds longer than I would have liked, but I've never been served a bad oyster or clam. Best of all, is watching the guys prepare the various stews and pan roasts a la minute, in the mini steam jacket kettles. My meal at Grand Central almost always begins with 2 or 3 dozen and oysters and clams. (Where else in the world, can one get Quahogs served on the half shell? Heaven.)

Dave, it sounds like you got the "tourist treatment" from top to bottom. Too bad.

I've always had great service at Grand Central. The raw oysters (we have sampled many many varieties) were on par with what you might find at a neighborhood mariscos spot in Chicago - in other words, as soon as you've eaten them, you're ordering shots of hard booze to make sure you don't get sick. Seriously - Grand Central, never again.

I used to eat there regularly when I commuted out of Grand Central, but that was back in the 70's and 80's. Whenever I visit Manhattan, I try to stop there just for the nostalgia. But none of that nostalgia was ever related to the table service. Counter service was even worse. Along the way, I adopted what seemed to be the insiders' strategy, suggested upthread: pan roast at the small oyster bar. Let me add to that "at lunchtime." Dinnertime, for some reason, things could be a bit off in general, as if the staff and the oysters were already worn out from lunch.

Somehow, though, David, your account of the interaction with the host makes me a little wistful for the brusque New Yorkers that I lived with for 10 years. The cabbie's typical question to a smiling me: "You're not from here are you?"

You're not the first, as GCOB is a subject of (some) derision on Chowhound. Your experience sounds typical.

The pros are the atmosphere and huge list of fresh oysters, as well as the oyster pan roast.

Avoid most of the fried/cooked dishes and to make sure you sit at the bar (probably due to the service issues you experienced).

Best more for a drink and a snack than a full meal.

I've heard rumors that they pre-shuck some of the oysters, though I've never witnessed it myself. It wouldn't surprise me if you had received pre-shucked oysters. I'm hestitant to eat there again after a friend reported she got some "tinny" fresh oysters a year or so ago. It's still a decent enough place to meet for drinks.

Try Balthazar, Blue Ribbon, Lafayette, Momofuku Ssam, Montmartre, Aquagrill, Upstate, Mermaid Oyster Bar (different menu from their other locations which are "Mermaid Inn"), Pearl Oyster Bar, etc.

Ditto on middling experience at GCOB. We didn't get the tourist table, but we definitely got indifferent service. But the place was busy and that didn't bother me. The food was not as bad as David's, but nothing that would get me running back. I don't remember everything that we had. Oysters were fine. Oyster pan roast was not very good.

A couple trips ago, I went to John Dory to meet friends for a pre-game dinner. Now there, my friends, was an oyster pan roast. Sweet jimminy, that was good.

I also thought that it was pretty reasonably priced for oysters, small plates, and drinks - but we were not eating a full meal.

Josephine wrote:Somehow, though, David, your account of the interaction with the host makes me a little wistful for the brusque New Yorkers that I lived with for 10 years. The cabbie's typical question to a smiling me: "You're not from here are you?"

I'm working on an oyster piece for Sun-Times and so I came back to review this post...and remembered I wanted to respond to your comment, Josephine.

New Yorkers can, indeed, be brusque, and it's been fun watching my daughter Lydia, for some years a Brooklynite, become a kind of strong (if not hardened) resident of the Imperial City, giving cab drivers shit if they try to overcharge (and scaring them straight), getting in shouting matches with anti-gay activists in Union Square, and generally being a New Yorker.

That said, my interactions with New Yorkers, specifically Manhattanites, going back to the 70s, have been uniformly positive. It's almost as though living so close together, they've developed the ability to get along with others. But you shouldn't try to f*ck with them. Unless they try to do the same, as our host did to me.

That said, I will give GCOB another chance someday, taking into account the wisdom expressed here (sitting at the bar, getting the pan roast, etc.).

http://eater.com/archives/2013/12/02/ea ... -roast.php

Evil Ronnie wrote:http://eater.com/archives/2013/12/02/eater-elements-grand-central-oyster-bar-pan-roast.php

Evil, if I ever go to the GCOB again, I'll get the pan roast, for sure.

Evil Ronnie wrote:Best of all, is watching the guys prepare the various stews and pan roasts a la minute, in the mini steam jacket kettles.

Going through some old photos, I came across these shots from Grand Central Oyster Bar. Lousy photos but you can see a finished oyster pan roast being tipped out of one of the four ancient steam kettles (also note the pitcher of half-and-half, Worcestershire and chili sauce used for the pan roast). Excellent theater.





I thoroughly enjoyed my pan roast and thought it made a nearly perfect meal—together with a robust Brooklyn pint—for a blustery March afternoon. I'm sorry to hear of the bad experiences here, though I can't say I'm shocked. Still, I'd head back to my seat at the bar for another oyster pan roast without any hesitation.

Grand Central Oyster Bar
89 E 42nd St
New York NY
212-490-6650
http://www.oysterbarny.com/