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What customers say about Grand Central Oyster Bar
Recent reviews
Great location and old brasserie atmosphere, excellent oysters but the rest of the menu was very disappointing eg steamed mussels were absolute crap.
Always come here every time we are in the city. Oyster Heaven! Amazing and delicious food, great service, and a wonderful experience.
Reply from Grand Central Oyster Bar
2026.11.02
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a rating, Stephen! We look forward to the opportunity to serve you better in the future.
Grand Central Oyster Bar
Grand Central Oyster Bar
Reply from Grand Central Oyster Bar
2026.11.02
Thank you for choosing us and leaving a five-star rating, Anesha. We hope to welcome you back soon.
Grand Central Oyster Bar
Grand Central Oyster Bar
Reply from Grand Central Oyster Bar
2026.11.01
Thank you for taking the time to leave a five-star rating, Germaine. We look forward to welcoming you again soon.
Grand Central Oyster Bar
Grand Central Oyster Bar
Reply from Grand Central Oyster Bar
2026.11.01
Thank you for your five-star rating, Carina. We look forward to serving you again soon.
Grand Central Oyster Bar
Grand Central Oyster Bar
I stop in every single time I visit NYC.
Where else can you experience the 30s and 40s?
Great menu.
It pains me to say this about one of my favorite places on earth, I was disappointed in my option this time. Overcooked and fishy tasting.
Reply from Grand Central Oyster Bar
2019.11.03
Richard, thanks for traveling back in time with us every time you're in NYC! I can't wait to welcome you back the next time you're in the area. -Jessie Velez, Manager
Reply from Grand Central Oyster Bar
2026.10.31
Your five-star rating made our day, Angela. We look forward to welcoming you again soon.
Grand Central Oyster Bar
Grand Central Oyster Bar
Every time I visit New York this is one of the go to places.
They oysters are simply amazing such a wide variety and cocktails are always on point.
Clam chowder and onion rings are a must.
Reply from Grand Central Oyster Bar
2026.10.29
Thank you for your kind words about our oysters, cocktails, and classic dishes, Jed. Our team takes great pride in delivering a memorable experience, and we look forward to welcoming you back.
Grand Central Oyster Bar
Grand Central Oyster Bar
Excellent oysters!!!
Reply from Grand Central Oyster Bar
2026.10.26
We're pleased that you enjoyed our oysters, Mary! We've prided ourselves on serving quality seafood to our guests. We look forward to your next visit.
Grand Central Oyster Bar
Grand Central Oyster Bar
large variety of fresh oysters at an iconic oyster bar. delicious
Reply from Grand Central Oyster Bar
2026.10.25
We're happy you enjoyed our fresh oysters, Paul. We take great pride in serving delicious seafood in our unique setting. We look forward to welcoming you back for more soon.
Grand Central Oyster Bar
Grand Central Oyster Bar
If you have a chance to dine anywhere in GCT, it has to be here. This place is iconic. Highly recommend coming through in the fall and winter months when it’s the best time to enjoy a nice hot bowl of chowder. The chowder here is truly delicious!
This place gets busy, so be prepared to wait. The diner style feels historic but timeless. We didn’t wait too long for a table for 3, but we also came a bit ahead of the lunch rush time.
Stop in. Enjoy a bowl. And warm up!
Reply from Grand Central Oyster Bar
2026.10.25
We're pleased you enjoyed your visit, Lauren! Our chowder is a favorite, particularly in colder months. It's great to know you appreciated the classic ambiance of our diner-style setup. We always aim for minimal wait times for our guests, and we're glad this was your experience. We can't wait to welcome you back soon.
Grand Central Oyster Bar
Grand Central Oyster Bar
Oh my god this place.
First: the ambience is one-of-a-kind. There's a really eclectic mix of people in the different areas and the vaulted ceilings add a really nice touch. You can sit at a table or just drop into a seat at the counters or the oyster bar.
Second: the food. I had the combination pan-roast which is actually almost a whole-seafood stew or soup. A bunch of different fresh seafood is roasted in a pan with broth and some sweet chili oil. The end result of that is... well I don't really know how to describe it except to say that it's the best seafood meal I've ever had in my life and I live in Alaska where we are (apparently undeservedly) proud of our seafood. It was amazing. Every bite just bloomed with flavor in your mouth. There were generous amounts of scallops, lobster, oysters and other stuff and the broth it was in was rich and just amazing with a little heat and just a *touch* of sweetness. These east-coasters are onto something here, and I like it. For an appetizer we had a lobster cocktail and shrimp cocktail and both were wonderful AND generously portioned. My partner had some grilled scallops that were excellent as well, but not quite as excellent as the pan-roast. The two guys sitting next to us as lobster rolls and they were HUGE and looked great. We were physically unable to eat a dessert here so I don't know anything about that, but it's probably great too. Actually I don't think you should get dessert here ever. If you still have room in you for more food at the end of the meal YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG.
Last: Service. Our counter-person was on her A-game when we were here. Our drinks were always topped up without us asking and she was friendly and ready to take our order as soon as we set down our menus. We felt well cared for but never rushed. Just like a restaurant patron should.
I have to say in a city known for it's amazing food this place stands out. During my trip to NYC I probably went to 100 restaurants and this was by far the best AND it's in the terminal AND it's got a lot of history behind it AND you gotta go.
Edit: I'm back 8 years later and it's still just as awesome.
I got the combination pan-roast and some king salmon and a side of the mashed potatoes. The potatoes were better than they had any right to be and that's probably my new favorite side.
Reply from Grand Central Oyster Bar
2018.09.21
It's fantastic that you had a good visit, Sam! Hope we'll get to see you again soon. -Jessie Velez, Manager
Excellent shellfish.
The stews are the best
Service could be better
Reply from Grand Central Oyster Bar
2026.10.24
We're pleased you enjoyed our shellfish and stews, Gordon! Your feedback regarding our service is appreciated. We're continuously aiming to enhance all aspects of our guest experience. We look forward to welcoming you back soon.
Grand Central Oyster Bar
Grand Central Oyster Bar
The service gentlemen are super informative and helpful. I learned a lot of knowledge of oysters.
Reply from Grand Central Oyster Bar
2026.10.18
We're pleased our team could offer important information about oysters. Our aim is always to be informative and helpful. We look forward to furthering your knowledge on oysters soon.
Grand Central Oyster Bar
Grand Central Oyster Bar
Sloppy is the best word to qualify the experience.
Unfriendly hostess, unfriendly manager (the second one was nice and caring though).
Incompetent waiters. Know nothing about anything on the menus.
By the way, it’s you who have to “wait”, the service being soooooo slow.
Lobster not cooked enough, probably to save time on steaming.
Basically no one cares you’re there. “Just another day at the office, just another customer.”.
Not a single smile from anybody.
Go and rot in the tourist trap category where you belong.
Too bad because it used to be great though…
Reply from Grand Central Oyster Bar
2026.10.23
We're truly sorry to hear about your experience, Gael! We aim to provide exceptional dining experiences for all our guests, and we regret that we didn't meet your expectations. That this is not usual for us and we will try to address your concerns with our team. We hope for a chance to show you the quality service we're recognized for.
Grand Central Oyster Bar
Grand Central Oyster Bar
The restaurant was uncomfortably hot, as if the air conditioning wasn’t working. A few of the oysters we were served had gone bad, which was very disappointing. They replaced them with a different variety, and the servers were friendly and kind throughout the meal.
Reply from Grand Central Oyster Bar
2026.10.22
We apologize for the discomfort you endured due to the temperature and an issue with a few oysters. However, we're pleased our staff provided friendly, helpful service during your meal. We will try to address these concerns to enhance our guest experience. We hope for an opportunity to serve you better in the future.
Grand Central Oyster Bar
Grand Central Oyster Bar
Frequently asked questions about Grand Central Oyster Bar
How many reviews does Grand Central Oyster Bar have?
Grand Central Oyster Bar has 4,689 reviews on Trustindex, collected from Google and Trustindex.
What is Grand Central Oyster Bar's average rating?
Grand Central Oyster Bar is rated 4.2 out of 5 based on 4,689 reviews. 55% of reviewers gave five stars.
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