We’re not perfect, and to say we never get distracted by shiny new things would be an outright lie. But when we are looking for that classic New York experience we can certainly count on the fact that there are endless tried and true, decades-old establishments around the city that offer a unique glimpse into New York City’s past. One of our favs: the beloved NYC gem otherwise known as P.J. Clarke’s.
A brief history of P.J. Clarke’s
Established in 1884 in Midtown, Manhattan–making it one of the oldest bars in NYC–P.J. Clarke’s primarily served Irish immigrant laborers upon opening in its circa-1868 red brick building. A man by the name of Mr. Jennings converted the building into a saloon in 1884 and the taps started flowing, mainly serving Irish immigrant laborers.
The watering hole didn’t get its recognizable name, though, until 1912 when Irishman Patrick “Paddy” J. Clarke, a former bartender for the bar’s second owner Mr. Duneen, purchased the place himself. Once the Prohibition era hit, Clarke began making bathtub gin and bootlegging Scotch from Canada, serving only his most loyal customers.
P.J. Clarke passed away in 1948 and the bar was then sold to the Clarke’s neighbors, the Lavezzos. Between 2002-2003, new owners Philip Scotti and Arnold Penner closed the bar for a year of renovations, though you can’t spot any major overhauls.
Oh, and a fun fact: they fired up their grill before Lady Liberty lit her torch, or so says their website.
P.J. Clarke’s celebrity clientele
In the post-Prohibition 1940s, P.J. Clarke’s gained quite a reputation, with Mr. Frank Sinatra himself becoming a regular and often closing the place down at Table #20. Beyond Sinatra, additional famous regulars include:
- American lyricist, songwriter, and singer Johnny Mercer, who wrote the song “One for My Baby” on a P.J. Clarke’s bar napkin
- Charles Jackson, an American writer who wrote the 1944 novel The Lost Weekend
- Buddy Holly, who proposed in the restaurant (to a woman who he had known for all of five hours)
- Nat King Cole, who proclaimed in 1958 that P.J.’s bacon cheeseburger is “The Cadillac of burgers,” a name that has stuck
- Actor Richard Harris, who would regularly head over straight from the airport and have his regular order placed before him: six double vodkas
Various actors from the Paramount lot were also known to stop by for a cocktail.
P.J. Clarke’s today
Since opening in Midtown, the Irish pub has expanded to have two additional NYC locations: Lincoln Square and Tribeca. Their website states:
Since 1884, we’ve been serving up the same things: fresh food, frosty drinks and good, old-fashioned conversation. We could talk for hours about our history, our star-studded cast of diners, blah blah blah. But, for now, that’s beside the point. Grab yourself a stool at the bar and order a cold one.
As for which cold one to order, obviously it has to be a Guinness. Pair it with some of the freshest oysters and clams you’ll ever have, Newport Steak Frites, the NY Corned Beef Reuben, or, of course, The Cadillac, and you’ve got yourself a damn good meal that’s certainly something to write home about. After all, there is a reason it’s one of the places New Yorkers say they would eat at for the rest of their lives.
Learn more.