Keens Steakhouse

"Founded in 1885 by Albert Keen, a notable theater personality, this classic Midtown chophouse has two floors, each with its own warren of rooms. The pub room adjacent to the downstairs bar has a fireplace, where diners can choose between the regular menu and a more casual pub menu. Though you can ask for a reservation near the fireplace, it’s not guaranteed — so get there early, late, or at an odd hour." - Eater Staff

"We could, and have, argued about the best steakhouses in New York until it turned into an episode of Family Feud. Emotional attachments to lore, legacy, or particularly idiosyncratic servers usually have a lot to do with it. Keens has a storied history of its own—this former pipe club in Midtown has been around for more than 130 years, and hosted everyone from Einstein to Babe Ruth—but we’re especially attached to the mutton chop, served with crisp bits of fat and a jar of mint jelly. With 40,000 antique pipes on the ceiling (and the playbill Lincoln was holding when he got shot, allegedly), it essentially doubles as a museum, where the main attraction is still the meat on your plate. Their best cut is the porterhouse, which is dry-aged, and funkier than most." - molly fitzpatrick, willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah, neha talreja

"At Keens, you’ll get a burger that would pair nicely with a few puffs from one of the 40,000 pipes on the ceiling. It has a thick hunk of meat with that uniquely beefy funk you get when a burger is made with steak trimmings, and enough juice in it to dye the bottom bun pink. Add the optional aged cheddar to the decadent, nicely charred patty on a toasted bun with a thick slice of tomato. The burger is only listed on their pub menu, but you can order it no matter where you’re seated (just ask). " - will hartman, bryan kim, neha talreja, willa moore, kenny yang

"We could, and have, argued about the best steakhouses in New York until it turned into an episode of Family Feud. Emotional attachments to lore, legacy, or particularly idiosyncratic servers usually have a lot to do with it. Keens has a storied history of its own—this former pipe club in Midtown has been around for more than 130 years, and hosted everyone from Einstein to Babe Ruth—but we’re especially attached to the mutton chop, served with crisp bits of fat and a jar of mint jelly. With 40,000 antique pipes on the ceiling (and the playbill Lincoln was holding when he got shot, allegedly), it essentially doubles as a museum, where the main attraction is still the meat on your plate. Their best cut is the porterhouse, which is dry-aged, and funkier than most." - bryan kim, neha talreja, willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah

"The Dish: Mutton Chop Depending on who you ask, the best piece of meat at Keens Steakhouse isn't a steak at all. It isn't even beef. Like the remarkable artifacts on display all over the Midtown restaurant, including the playbill Lincoln was supposedly holding when he got shot, this protein is a holdover from a different time. Mutton, the meat of adult sheep, was a lot more common when Keens opened in 1885 than it is today. Their mutton chop is 26 majestic ounces of year-old lamb saddle—a thing of fatty, flavorful beauty—served with sautéed escarole. You could order the more reasonably sized "Taste of Mutton," but where's the drama in that?" - bryan kim, sonal shah, willa moore, will hartman, molly fitzpatrick, neha talreja