Photo by @jasonhoma.nyc
Thanks to Seinfeld and Suzanne Vega, Tom’s Restaurant may forever hold the title of the most famous greasy spoon above 96th Street, but a few blocks south, Broadway Restaurant amassed hoards of loyal customers over the years. And now, the establishment has sadly shut its doors for good.
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Located at 2664 Broadway between 101st and 102nd streets, the unassuming diner’s doors are now bolted shut — bearing a sign that reads, “After 43 years of being a part of the Upper West Side community, the time has come for us to say… Goodbye. To our staff and patrons, who have now become our friends and family, it has been a privilege and a pleasure sharing all these years with you. Thank you for the memories. We will miss you all.”
Though Yelpers often complained of gruff service (it’s New York… whaddya want?) and uneven eats (not to mention a B rating from the health department), Broadway Restaurant offered up everything one should expect from an old school eatery. Was the menu overflowing with artisanal avocado toast and almond milk lattes? Absolutely not, but you could order signature staples like a “Yankee omelette” (packed with pastrami, tomatoes, mushrooms and cheese), corn beef hash and a “milkshake with an egg,” which is, unsurprisingly, a milkshake with an egg.
Broadway Restaurant’s convenient proximity to the 96th Street express station made it a mainstay for locals and visitors alike — and it was especially beloved by Columbia University students, who often dined there on weekend mornings (specifically when the line for Absolute Bagels was too long).
In a city slammed with inflation-impacted cost of living, Broadway Restaurant was a go-to for grub that wouldn’t break the bank. Though we were unable to confirm the reason for the closure (the phone number doesn’t appear to be in service), we can only imagine rising rents played a part in its shutdown.
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This is the latest in a string of longtime diner demises, including Carnegie Hill’s iconic 3 Guys Restaurant and Lexington Avenue’s Neil’s Coffee Shop, which shuttered back in March — owing $1 million in back rent.
The Upper West Side will miss you too, Broadway Restaurant.
Tough news. The breakfasts and cheeseburger deluxe were *always* on point.
We were customers for years. They were complete homophobes. I don’r care how good your prices are. Bub bye
Love the old school vibe but never loved the food. Hope someone buys it and keeps the interior the same but seriously upgrades the food – like Thai Diner:
The writer didn’t do their homework. They should have mentioned that Broadway diner was completely gutted by a fire a few years ago and rebuilt to look axactly as it had been. Breakfasts, like cheese omelet with bacon and hash browns, were terrific. The rest of the menu was lousy
A true pillar of original UWS. A landmark. It was never about the food. 100% vibe.
I still miss the diner that was on 96th between Bway and Amsterdam and the other one on the corner of 97th and Columbus.
Me too. Can’t remember the names, but they were great.
“A” rating, new building owner would not renew lease and or communicate with him or his niece. Not homophobes, great food, never got sick. TERESA AND MANNY TREATED MY FIANCEE LIKE FAMILY. We are two women. This was by far and away my favorite go to place that had free refills, and let us linger at a booth. Owner will be in through Friday, then he goes back to Greece. He wants to return, find another space and reopen again. Yes, they survived a death, a fire and COVID, but not this landlord.
The writer also did not do their research regarding the fact that it was Tom’s Diner on Broadway and 112th Street that Suzanne Vega sang about and Seinfeld and gang ate at in the TV series!!! Major mistake! Please give credit where credit is due!
Sorry! I misposted because I misread! As you were! Sorry again!
Broadway Diner owners are terrible people who once told us we were there too long WHILE we were only 10 minutes into eating our food! Another time they told us we need to pay and get up, because people “might” come in and they will need to have a table for them! WHAT?! There was no one waiting and there were one or two other booths tables available! This was the last time we ever went there! Perhaps their closing is due to economics, but from my perspective, Karma is a very real thing! And their bathrooms were atrocious!
I always wanted to like this place because it did have a great old-school vibe, but the food was pretty terrible. I think I went there maybe three times in my 20+ years in the neighborhood…I was never tempted to become a more frequent customer.
My daughter 3yrs in the 80s used to say hi to everybody sittingby the window. Every Easter Sunday after church we’d go there for breakfast with my family of 6. We are going to miss it