Review of 'Junior's '

With our hotel located a few blocks north of Times Square we were looking for somewhere to have breakfast. Our first morning we visited “Applebees” which was OK but we were certainly not impressed so swore to try something better. Walking down towards Times Square it was not easy to miss the fact that Junior's large interior was absolutely packed so we gave it a try. Junior's is a bit of a NYC institution well known for it's cheesecake (which is heavenly, more about that later…).

We visited for breakfast on two separate occasions. Both of which were absolutely incredible. The large interior is done up as a classic diner with comfortable diner seating at basic wooden tables which, it has to be said, are crowded quite close together. Their breakfast menu is a thing of beauty, offering pretty much anything you can think of divided into “Brunch Cocktails”, “Eggs” (served any which way along with a large number of sides), “Omlettes”, “Griddle Cakes and French Toast” (“Griddle Cakes” being pancakes), “Chef’s Specialties”, “Yogurt, Grains & Fruit”, “Side Orders”, “Toast, Rolls and Danish” and, of course, “Beverages”. It is nice to see that you can go for a full plate or pick and chose what you want but everything we had was delicious.

Eggs Benedict

On our first visit I had the “Eggs Benedict” (“Poached Eggs on English Muffin, Canadian Bacon with Home Fries, Grits, or Sliced Tomato”; $16.95) which I chose to have with home fries. The hollandaise (sauce) was absolutely delicious without being acidic on two perfectly poached eggs. The home fries were also very good, not being too greasy but seasoned to not require any salt or any sauce added.

NEO

My companion spotted an unusual item in the menu that she chose to try: “NEO” (“Scrambled Nova, Eggs & Onions with Home Fries, Grits, or Sliced Tomato and Choice of Toast”; $17.95). We did not know what “Neo” was and it turns out this is salmon which she very much enjoyed. The entire dish was a bit too much for her though with a lot of her fries left behind.

Oat Raison

On our second visit my companion went for “Oatmeal with Raisins & Cinnamon” ($6.95) which was quite good and filling though for some reason ordered a second dish…

Fruit Cup

Her “Fresh Fruit Cup” (“Served with Strawberry Sauce”; $6.95) was packed with fruit but had a bit too much pineapple which she is not a big fan of.

Egg Cream

For her drink, she had the “Fox’s U-bet Brooklyn Egg Cream ” ($4.50) which is a particularly odd local NYC drink consisting of milk, carbonated water and flavoured syrup (making it's name a bit deceptive, having no cream or egg). She likened this to “fizzy milk” which, I have to admit, did not sound appealing but she very much enjoyed it.

Griddle Cake with Pork Sausage

I chose the “Griddle Cake” ($12.25) with sausage (+ $3) which came with a small bowl of spiced apples. The wonderfully buttery table syrup went very well with the deliciously fluffy, though large, griddle cakes. Really delicious.

Interior

Our breakfast visits averaged about $42 (without tip) which is quite good considering the quality and quantity of food. The service was friendly and relaxed on both occasions despite the restaurant being so busy.

Cooler

We had to, of course, try their cheesecake but after our breakfasts we never had enough room so we returned late one evening to give it a try. Even at 10 pm at night it was extremely busy so we instead chose to get some cheesecake slices for “takeaway”. Their coolers at the front of the restaurant are crammed with various cheesecakes (including a very nice looking red velvet). They do such a huge trade in cheesecake even in store they have special self-serve order kiosks along the windows.

Strawberry Cheesecake

We decided on the strawberry cheesecake rather than the non-topping traditional pie (though surely delicious). At $8.95 a slice it was certainly not cheap but it was…well…heaven on a plate. We sat in the hotel room enjoying every mouthful and, despite it's size, it was really filling.

Though we never did return for dinner, the traditional American breakfasts at Junior's were really good and served with a friendly smile. You can probably get something cheaper elsewhere but it would not be the same.

Rating: “I have absolutely no complaints”

Review Date: 2020-02-28


Cuisine: American/British

Address: 1626 Broadway, New York, New York 10019 United States

Public Transport: NYCSUB 50 Street

Location: New York (USA) - Broadway

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Telephone: +1 (212) 365-5900

URL: https://www.juniorscheesecake.com/blog/restaurants/49thstreet/