KATE

THE BRUNCH IS SCRUMPTIOUS EJ’s has the best eggs Benedict I have ever had. This could quite possibly be the BEST diner in Manhattan- weekends tend to be more crowded. Service was fast and consistent- I’ve been several times and have always been treated courteously. Atmosphere- Casual diner. Prices are as high as the law will allow🤣…if only there was a law against high priced restaurants in Manhattan- I highly recommend at least one trip to EJ’s . Refinance your house if you need to.

Stephen Lavin

This place has been awesome for years and a neighborhood favorite. I am pretty sure they were busy through the entire pandemic and for good reason; they have great dine in, takeout, and do a ton of deliveries. The menu is diner safe, all good things that you will recognize, quality of the food is very good. EJ's is predictable which is what you want in a place that's good; they won't let you down. Staff is also good from the door to the back of the kitchen. The kitchen is exposed, everyone at their stations and well orchestrated. EJ's is clean and it appears everyone is always having a good time. Five stars for me because it's a great diner with awesome comfort foods. There are tables, banquets, and of course you can eat at the counter. Seating is in three main areas; the counter and enclosed dining room, a peripheral seating area towards the side street but still building attached and glass enclosed, and then a side street and a third avenue outdoor space in the streets. Plywood gourmet-type seating courtesy of NYC for restaurants during the pandemic. The bathrooms are downstairs (2 of them for guests) and the stairs are a bit narrow and steep, just hold the railing and all will be just fine. There is wheelchair access but the bathrooms will be a challenge. EJ's is a great place, eat here.

EJ’s Luncheonette, a beloved Upper East Side institution since 1992, is the perfect spot to refuel after a day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We arrived just in time to snag a table before the crowd rolled in, and I was relieved to find the booths spacious enough for my family. The menu, featuring nostalgic blue plate specials, was a delightful throwback. The friendly staff quickly took our orders, and I was thrilled to see cream soda on the menu—an NYC classic. I went for the meatloaf with a Caesar salad, mashed potatoes, and sautéed spinach. My sister enjoyed matzoh ball soup and eggs Benedict, while my brother-in-law opted for the same meatloaf. The kids chose chicken and waffles and chicken tenders. As we laughed and savored our meals, it became clear that places like EJ’s are what make New York’s culinary scene so special. We left full and happy, already planning our next visit. If you’re in the area, EJ’s is a must for classic comfort food.

Good place for a delicious and filling meal. Best sweat potatoes fried had for a while.

Stephen Morton

This was my second visit. I really want to give this place a five because the hostess and atmosphere was marvelous. The decor is fun, the bathroom was clean. My only issue was the service just seemed a little too rushed. NOt unfriendly, but rushed. When you are paying these kind of prices, I want service to be a little more on the upside. Never came by and asked how everything was, forgot my coffee I ordered (was not on the bill, though.) Overall, a nice place and I will go back again.

M. H.

A great choice to enjoy breakfast in the Upper East Side, where you can enjoy tasty Eggs Benedict and a delicious extra crispy French Toast. The waitstaff are friendly in a very casual setting.

+2

Jeff Rocco

A classic, NYC diner experience. Is it overpriced - a little, but the service is top notch, the portions are big, and the coffee is free flowing! Its got all of the diner plates you'd expect like omelets, burgers, sandwiches and the like. The servers were attentive, professional, and not overbearing. The GF pancakes were dry and crumbly, i used a half a bottle of the syrup they gave me and they were still dry. The bacon was cooked perfectly though. Also, heavy and fancy coffee mugs! You'll spend a little more than you want to, but it's eating out in NYC so you should expect that.

The food is good quality and taste, but the wait is awful. We went at 130 on a Saturday, not the rushiest of rush hours, wait was 30 minutes. But the wait for our food was 1 hour after ordering! Also would never have gone if if realized the one meal would take the entire afternoon. Didn't even ever get a refill on coffee. I think upper east side is just too tight on places to eat relative to local population, so everything is packed everywhere. As a result, there aren't many places you would go out of your way to go to, this place being no exception.

Evelyn Maria Gonzalez

EJ’s — Staff is great. Please do not blame this for this review! Corporate needs to stop thinking about expansion and focus a bit more on quality control of food preparation. Today’s takeout food: stale desserts; award- winning meatloaf is now tasteless. Excellent mashed potatoes, tho! I spent $140.00 on a huge takeout order , but that is too much money for excellent mashed potatoes! Unfortunately, I will need to look elsewhere for food for my elderly housebound mom. However, we are rooting for you! You can improve with a tweak here and there on the food preparation and I hope to return in a few months with my mom and her walker!

jkaw

Average diner food at fair prices, with a few unique creations on the menu. Very popular on weekends.

LoMo Phillips

Waited over 30 minutes for a table for 2 on a Sunday at around 1pm. It gave modern diner vibes, and it was a lil loud and crowded for my taste. It also didn’t help that we were seated close to the bathroom, so people were going back and forth by our table the whole time 😅 I saw they had a “famous” crunchy french toast, that included crushed corn flakes and slivered almonds. Thank god I ordered it with the homemade blueberry compote, because the toast was bizarrely flavorless, not even maple syrup saved it. I also thought the corn flakes and almonds would be crumbled on top, but instead it comes “battered” in that, creating a weird texture. I didn’t finish it, nor did I take it home. The service was good though! Nice, fast, and attentive.

Place is too crowded. Was constantly getting bumped into. But the worst part was the chicken and waffles portions. The amount of chicken is enough for a toddler. Not worth the price or the experience. Service was only bad because it seemed the waiter had too many tables to cover.

Elizabeth Sara Ross

The gluten free pancakes were so dry and crumbly they were nearly inedible. The sausage links were good and the home fries were decent. I would not go out of my way to dine here again.

Jan Capek (JC)

We’ve been coming here since the early 2000s — first as tourists, now as NYC locals. Back then, it felt like a real New York experience: big portions, fair prices, friendly service. Now? Prices are up, portions are down — fine. What isn't fine is that the old atmosphere of "good-eggishness" is dead. The service, especially from female staff, is cold, distant, and disengaged. Not rude — just entirely uninterested, like the tip is owed regardless. In contrast, the male servers are consistently warm and attentive. How sad that every time we visit we hope for a male server. And what a strange sentiment to be bringing to a restaurant! (And, naturally, there is one male server per 5 female ones.) There's also an older, officious-looking guy (never serves tables, possibly the manager) who’s just as cold — maybe he sets the tone. Whatever the reason, the place now feels indifferent and tired. We still come by, rarely, out of nostalgia. But each visit just reminds us of how far it’s fallen. My "EJ's Luncheonette" mug, which I bought some time ago, is a sad mug.

Gavin Rogers

I was there after a doctors visit and a waitress accidentally broke my cane walking by. She tried to fix it with masking tape. I was not worried about it but after the accident they never asked how they could help getting out or assisting with exit. The manager avoided the situation the entire time. I never went up to them for help or complained but their avoidance was very clear. Had to change my mode of transportation and wait for driver at their establishment for quite sometime. Will never return

Maru Stern

The only positive about the food was the size of the portion. Soup was not good (not tasty and I could tell the chicken was super old, reheated). Pastrami tasted like anything but pastrami, it was sweet somehow and I could swear this had butter in the meat or the bread because of the consequences after, having clarified I am lactose intolerant (the server certainly did clarify as it was even specified in the check but kitchen must’ve ignored it). Place is nice, the server too but certainly won’t come again.