UWS @ PJ Clarke's

Although not a chain, PJ Clarke's has a few locations around the city to be accessible from most neighborhoods in Manhattan.  The location off of Broadway is across the street from Lincoln Center so while it does get it's fair share of pre-theater diners, the atmosphere still remains fairly laid back and casual.  For a restaurant with a jukebox it isn't really the most affordable of places, and it has tend to receive it's fair share of bad reviews.  This location is also missing the historic charm of it's predecessor on the east side.

I prefer sitting at the bar of the restaurant because I have direct access to draft beer and the bartenders always seem to have the scoop on the oysters (not to mention it avoids the bad table service that everyone complains about).  PJ's clientele turnover insures that the oysters are always fresh.  Oyster prices aren't as expensive as Pearl or Mary's Fish Camp but are slightly more than Grand Central Oyster Bar.  PJ's keeps a handful of varieties on hand that tend to be the usual suspects, i.e., Wellfleet, Kumamoto, etc.  You can also go the cooked shellfish route with Oyster Rockefeller and Clams Casino. 

This time around I decided to try their Maine Lobster BLT sandwich for $18.70.  PJ's twist on the standard BLT sandwich adds lobster to the mix, providing a rich addition to this old classic.  Be warned, the idea of adding lobster to this sandwich is great in theory but the bacon overpowers the lobster leaving you to wonder if you're even eating lobster at all.  I found myself removing almost all of the bacon to be able to taste the lobster.  Just a bit of bacon remaining, the sandwich then became much more enjoyable for a lobster lover like myself - adding a bit of saltiness cut through the richness of the lobster meat quite nicely.  The drawback wasn't so bad as I then had bacon on the side to eat and let's be honest, who doesn't love to eat smoked thick cut bacon?  If you order this I recommend asking for the bacon on the side so you can easily add it to the sandwich to your taste.

At some point I'll need to return to try the Crab Cake and Crispy Ipswitch Clams sandwiches.  As a side note, I've had a few non-fish related dishes at this locale and the quality was really lacking.  In other words, don't come here unless you want fish.  Unless you're eating the sliders as those are tasty as well.

PJ Clarke's Lincoln Square
44 West 63rd Street
New York, NY 10023
(212) 957-9700
www.pjclarkes.com

Yelp Profile
New York Magazine Profile [3rd Avenue Location]
Citysearch Profile [3rd Avenue Location]