After 45 years of serving stacks of fluffy pancakes smothered in strawberry butter, Good Enough to Eat has officially announced its upcoming closure. The long-running Upper West Side brunch staple, located at 520 Columbus Avenue, confirmed it will hold its final service on Sunday, August 30.
The restaurant confirmed the news of its closure via a note to customers within the restaurant, which read “After 45+ years, Good Enough to Eat is closing its doors.”
According to reports, the decision stems from a combination of shifting neighborhood tourism patterns and an expiring lease that could not be renegotiated.
There is a sliver lining, though. While the restaurant itself will shut its doors to diners at the end of the month, its menu will live on.
An Upper West Side favorite since 1981
Founded in 1981 by chef Carrie Levin, Good Enough to Eat got its start on Amsterdam Avenue.
The eatery eventually moved to its current home on West 85th Street and Columbus Avenue in 2013 after Levin partnered with current owner Jeremy Wladis in an effort to keep the restaurant operating.
Over four decades, it transformed from a quiet neighborhood gem into an international brunch destination, earning spots in guidebooks worldwide and feeding generations of New Yorkers. Levin, who authored two popular cookbooks based on the eatery’s homestyle American comfort food, passed away in 2023 at age 65 after stepping back from daily operations.
Beyond its iconic strawberry-butter-topped pancakes, the restaurant built a dedicated following for its scratch-made comfort food staples, including:
- Cinnamon-swirl French toast
- Bacon-studded waffles and buttermilk biscuits
- BLT omelets
- House-crafted lavender mimosas
It’s not a complete goodbye–here’s where the menu is going
Though the physical space on Columbus Avenue is shutting down, Wladis is keeping the kitchen’s signature recipes alive just a few blocks away.
Starting after the closure, sister restaurant Fred’s (located at 476 Amsterdam Avenue at West 83rd Street) will begin serving Good Enough to Eat’s complete breakfast and brunch menu.
To accommodate the shift, Fred’s will extend its hours:
- Monday – Friday: 8 am – 4 pm
- Saturday & Sunday: Opening early at 9 am for weekend brunch
While the “Good Enough to Eat” name will officially be retired, the kitchen team and core menu items will remain intact down the block.
Plan your final visit
Diners looking to pay their final respects to the historic space have less than two weeks to do so.
- Where: 520 Columbus Avenue (at West 85th Street)
- Final Day of Service: Sunday, August 30, 2026
- When: Weekdays 8 am – 4 pm | Weekends 9 am – 4 pm
Consider it your official civic duty to eat your weight in pancakes before August 30th.