Grand Central Oyster Bar - a NYC Staple

Located: 89 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017 in the lower level of Grand Central

I finally made it to the Grand Central Oyster Bar. I always viewed it as a place people went in and out of for a quick oyster before running to the train. It definitely was much more than that! People were coming into Grand Central just to go here!

I went for the happy hour special which was $1.25 blue point oysters and $1 Clams at the Lounge portion of the restaurant. The blue points were large and definitely of great quality. They looked so amazing when they arrived at our table that I forgot to take a picture! :(
I was extremely satisfied. The Tito's Martini on the happy hour menu was also a very generous portion. I have to admit, I felt buzzed after one martini!

For the meal, I ordered my favorite food, The Lobster Roll. When I asked the waitress if it was the creamy or buttery type, she did advise me that is was the cold creamy(mayo) version. I normally prefer the buttery type, so I was a little nervous to order, but she assured me it was not overly creamy and that the pieces were chunky versus in lobster salad form. She was right!

Lobster Roll with Sweet Potato Chips and Coleslaw

 

The Lobster was cold with very light mayo, if any at all. It was like eating huge, cold, refreshing chunks of lobster on a nice toasted bun. It was perfection. The fresh, homemade sweet potato chips that came with it were also extremely delicious, along with the creamy coleslaw.

My dining partner enjoyed the Pan Fried Maryland Jumbo Soft Shell Crabs that were served with aspargus and potatoes. The Soft Shell Crabs were pan fried in a delicious garlic herb butter...so divine! It was definitely different than the cayenne seasoned version of soft shell crabs I am used to. 

Pan Fried Maryland Jumbo Soft Shell Crabs

On the side, we shared Kale Sprout Lollipops. This was a combination of kale and brussel sprout bulbs. They had some garlic flavor and were cooked to perfection. A delightful way to make sure we both had our greens for the day! 

Kale Sprout Lollipops

All in all, I would definitely recommend Grand Central Oyster Bar for happy hour or dinner. They have a large menu that is different every day, and great happy hour specials. Also, it looks like it would be great for a group dinner, as they have an area with counter service style tables that is in the shape of an open rectangle so everyone can see each other in the rectangle. 

Enjoy!