The food here looked better in photos. Coming here, I expected large, fluffy, pancakes. The ones I received were very average, a bit dry, and not as large as I expected. The vanilla milkshake was great, to contrast the pancakes though. Burger- was average. We also tried the mozzarella sticks, which were not very good at all. I wouldn't suggest them, or this restaurant. read more

has gone way downhill... i ordered a farmers market egg white frittata and what i got was a burnt sad looking omelette.... used to be a fav spot, not anymore. maybe w the credit card machine came lower quality food. read more

EJ's Luncheonette - doesn't look like an egg white frittata to me :( gross and burnt - Diners Near Me - New York, New York

On my visit to EJ's at first was part of my revisit to the area which was always great. However after being seated it was a while before we was given the menu . The waitress made it apparent she was in no hurry to serve us. As we watched her movements she went on to take orders of others who came in after us . Not sure what to make of it I requested a server . read more

I've been to EJ's Luncheonette a few times. It usually ends up being the place I go to if I can't think of anywhere else to go on the Upper East Side or if I have a picky eater with me. The food has always been good but nothing spectacular. Basically a little more upscale and tasty than your run of the mill diner food. Which brings me to the pricing. The food here is really expensive for what you get. The sandwiches, which don't come with fries, are already pretty pricey. I would say you could go to a diner elsewhere for the same quality food for half the price. read more

An average diner if you're just looking for a quick bite. They attempt to be like an old school diner, but the menu does not really go with it. This place is CASH ONLY. I've only eaten here because I used to work nearby and it was a quick place for some diner food. The food is a just average, and I did not appreciate the service here. Prepare to get ignored and rushed out of the restaurant. Seating can also be a little tight along the walls, I have sometimes bumped into people while trying to get in my seat. You will not really get your money's worth here. I do like their grandma's chicken noodle soup though. read more

I figured some place that had such a big line outside should have been better. The food was just okay, nothing great. The service was quick though. read more

This is my first time coming here. I haven't had the food yet. All I'm having this morning is a bagel and coffee. But the MAJOR reason why they only get one star from me is THEY DO NOT ACCEPT DEBIT/CREDIT CARDS!!!! That is a major disappointment for me regardless of who the food and service is. For me, accepting debit/credit cards IS apart of the service. They have an atm but atms have fees and most banks charge u on top of that. My bank is up the block so I withdrew money to avoid fees. But that is very inconvenient. So they get 1 star from me. DO BETTER! read more

I use to eat there all the time, and the food use to be good. I think now is the worst food on the upper east and service is the worst and waiters are rude. read more

While I have been a fan of EJ's and I loyal customer since I was a kid, I have been very disappointed the past few times I have been there. The quality of food has gone down significantly and the staff is extremely rude. Today, the waiter dropped the check two minutes after giving us food, hovered over the table as we ate, and then cleared the entire table (including placemats) soon after the bill was paid even though we were still drinking our coffee. I understand that you're busy and need the table but we were literally run out of the restaurant. I raved about the place to my friends and now I am extremely embarrassed that I took them there. read more

Dear EJs, It's been a long 4 year run as our neighborhood spot but I have to say, I'm officially done with you. I've seen a few too many cockroaches on your floors, been frowned at or yelled at by a few too many of your unhappy servers, and been robbed blind almost every time (how does breakfast for 2 come to $50? at a diner?!) I'm glad you accept credit cards now, but get it together, the quality of your food ambiance and service is just the pits. read more

ew. why did I come here? because it was convenient. my mom is not a vegetarian, so I opted not to walk 3 more blocks to candles cafe. wrong choice. great menu, but everything I had tasted bland! I ordered homemade mac and cheese (tasted like cheez-wiz and a sprinkle of bread crumbs, no flavor and it was runny, not thick) I also ordered a granny smith chicken salad. a bunch of romaine lettuce cut thick, diced chicken tasted fishy, a few slices of granny smith apples got camouflaged by the romaine lettuce, a glob of gorgonzola cheese, and a handful of golden raisins.. WHAT?! you would of thought it was made by a 5 year old. My mother had the roast beef special, followed by creamed spinach which was ok, and mashed potatoes with no gravy?! Our server was bitchy. She didnt even look at me to take my order. My mom had to remind her I existed at the table too... never again...shouldn't of even paid for the crappy food. read more

Sorry EJ's, you just don't measure up to all the other brunch places in NY. My most recent visit yielded disappointingly syrupy blueberry compote on my pancakes and dry scratchy chicken parm. I do like your milkshake though it won't bring me back to the yard. read more

Absolutely awful customer service. After an error by the host, our party was blamed. The host started loudly muttering about how the situation was our fault. And would not admit or apologize for his rude comments that were clearly meant to be overheard. Not how you treat paying customers. read more

We used to eat at this location of EJ's often--until we saw a cockroach the size of an aircraft carrier crawling on the back wall. A waiter flicked it with a towel and sent it skittering into the kitchen, so I couldn't choke down my turkey burger (they're actually very good) that day and haven't been back since. I know this is NYC and you'll get the odd bug, but this was ridiculous. And the waiters acted like it wasn't a big deal. read more

Very authentic feeling breakfast place. Perfect for a casual old school breakfast with a twist, with better than average food. After looking around it looks like the French Toast is the must order. That's on the docket for my next visit for sure. The service was very friendly and un-rushed, which isn't always the case around here. Enjoy! read more

i finally made my way here for breakfast , some free time on my hands.its a nice looking place with the old fashion luncheonette/ diner of the past look. inside more modern decor,however, it has good amount of seating from cushion benches and chairs to some of the smallest and tightly made booths that i have ever sat in, but i ask the lady a booth please and booth it is. our server a tall gentleman was ready to take our order pronto as soon as we sat. place was filled with folks, but notice service is quick,i order pancakes with banana and strawberries with turkey links. the cakes were fluffy ,but could have been cooked a little more,the fruits were fresh and lite,as for the turkey links, cooked well and had a smoked taste that i like. a decent breakfast i had, never felt rushed and i got use to smaller seating booth , a good selection of breakfast items , with a nice working staff, and place that is kept clean, i will be back again to try the lunch menu, and also for breakfast when time permits. read more

So I went to EJ's one night with some of my coworkers (my friend is slightly obsessed with breakfast, so if a restaurant has French Toast, she's all for it) and decided to step outside of the box and order one of the blue plate specials. Big Mistake. I ordered the fish and chips because I was not really in the mood for breakfast at 7 PM. We placed our orders, and after waiting for around 15 minutes or maybe 20, their food finally arrived. And I say "their" food because no matter where I go with my friends, my meal always comes out last! So I look around at the bacon, toast, eggs, burgers, and pickles in front of me and I'm like ooook, where is my food?? After around 3 minutes I just told my friends to start eating because I didn't want their food to get cold. After another 2 minutes or so, the waitress comes by and I asked her about my food. She says, "yea your food is not ready yet. If it was up to me you would be eating it by now, ha-ha". So I said, "yea if it was up to me, I'd be full by now." Shortly after he not so funny comment, my food arrived. At this point, most of my friends were halfway through their wonderful meals. When the fish and chips arrived, thank God it was piping hot, but the fish was kind of greasy. It was placed on a bed of lettuce and the top of the fish was crispy, but the bottom on some pieces were kind of soggy. The meal was a 3/5, but they need to work on their service. I guess the chefs are thrown off, if they have to prepare something besides omelette's and pancakes. If I do try EJ's again, I will order breakfast, And EJ's is a CASH ONLY RESTAURANT!! I forgot that my meal also came with a side salad, which was mediocre. And the "balsamic dressing" looked like poop in a cup smh. read more

alot of hype here and certainly not worth the wait. average food for above average prices. stay away on the weekends. read more

Had a late lunch there last week; the place was full considering the time of day, but there was no wait and had attentive service throughout my meal. The Greek chicken salad looked fresh and beautiful -- copious amounts of lean all-white meat chicken, great lemon pepper dressing, and superfresh and crispy lettuce. I couldn't finish it in one sitting and it kept well enough to be eaten the following day. I've also ordered the Granny Smith chicken salad in the past and was very pleased with it. Maybe the salads are their strong point? read more

Good reasonable food on the Upper East Side. I am not familiar with a lot of the restaurants up there so I hawve nothing there to compare it to. Across the street is a place named Tbar I was looking for a bite to eat and Tbar looked nice, hmmmm $18.00 for a hamburger listed on the menu outside the door. The whole reason I was on 73rd was to move my daughter in to an apartment there so since Daddy and Mommy will be helping her out no Tbar for me. right across 3rd ave was E&J's with a line out the door. waited only about 10 minutes and got seated. Nice mix of patrons young and old, rich and those helping out their kids living in NYC, Whole wheat wrap with chicken, avocado and sprouts was really good and cam with cole slaw. Cost $8.95 very affordable for me. Of course I am sure my daughter will be eating at Tbar, maybe she'll save me some leftovers. read more

I think I like their sandwiches more than their breakfast. I'd recommend going for lunch or for a quick dinner. For breakfast I had two eggs over easy which was a little more runny than I had expected. I also tried the almond whole wheat pancakes which wasn't very flavorful but hey what would you think almond whole wheat pancakes would taste like? The staff was friendly and the waiter was very helpful. I wouldn't recommend sitting in their "outdoor" sitting area just because its always colder there. However, if you like feeling a cool breeze from the AC then you'd like sitting out there. Also the bathroom could use more of an up keeping. read more

I honestly just never understood the hype surrounding this place. I do like the old school diner feel - blue tiles, bright sunny corner location, steel counter top. That's about it. Man oh man do they know how to cram people in there... except maybe not, since there is always a ridiculous wait - especially on the weekends. I'm a big fan of brunch but this is not the place to have it. Something is up with their eggs... I don't know what they use but they're not fresh and always have a funky taste. None of their omelettes are very good, their pancakes are blah, and their sandwiches even worse. Their milkshakes are pretty decent though. Oh, and its cash only... super annoying... they offer an ATM - which will charge you an arm and a leg in fees - if you're out of cash. I hate places that do that. read more

I had brunch there and it was good. I had the Classic Eggs Benedict and it was what you would expect for this brunch staple. The food came out super fast, probably within about 5-10 minutes of us ordering. The service was decent - not super friendly but nice enough. And they were accommodating about where we wanted to sit. Although we went at 11am on a Saturday, it wasn't too crowded so we didn't have to wait, possibly because it was Yom Kippur. read more

Forget going their on the weekends, unless you get up early enough to avoid the yuppies with their spoiled nannyless offspring running around. If you on off times its actually pretty good.. busy times.. forget it read more

I ate in the restaurant once and I thought it was disgusting...maybe because the diner is run down but my office orders delivery from them all the time and we are alway delighted. My favorite is the french onion soup and the veggie sandwich on toasted 7-grain bred! YUMMY!!!! read more

I was really surprised how fast we got a table considering how many ppl were squished in the entry way waiting. I wanted to go here bc the lines looked worse everywhere else and i like diner type food. typical cramped ny seating arrangement, but fast and friendly service. I left full and happy. read more

This was the cutest place to stop in for brunch with delicious, huge portions at reasonable prices for the location (other places around had way smaller portions for the same price or more!). Ordered the turkey club and the homemade basil mayo and fresh baguette were something I'll think about for a long time, plus the sweet potato fries...didn't even need dinner after a meal like that. My table also ordered the burger with fresh mozzarella and an omelet, all of which we gave five-star taste reviews. Service was great considering the rush, and the wait was not bad at all considering it is just a short walk from central park. I would recommend to anyone visiting the city, it was adorable and so delicious, plus eating there for brunch means no need to eat out again for dinner because you'll still be full. read more

Love this place!!! One of the best places for brunch in NYC. Such a great selection of all of my favorites and the nicest people that work there. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone read more

I go to EJ's at least 4x a month. The service is unbelievable as are the people who work there. It is consistently a fun and nice environment to have a weekend brunch or stop by for a nice dinner. The food is amazing. From French toast sticks to French onion soup, EJ's has it all! I fully recommend it to anyone! read more

Okay so, I came here SO EXCITED to get the chocolate chip pancakes and I was given plain pancakes. I told the waiter I asked for chocolate chip pancakes so he proceeded to bring me a small cup of chocolate chips and expected me to make my own pancakes. Sir, if I am paying you for chocolate chip pancakes, then YOU make them not me the paying customer. Good iced coffee and subpar fruit. Overall 6.7/ 10 read more

Nice UES neighborhood breakfast/brunch/lunch diner with '50s nostalgic feel, throw-the-diet-to-the-wind dessert menu, and whole homemade pies and cakes available for take-home. My son and I ate a late Sunday brunch there Sunday (Aug. 21, 2011) after a long walk starting south of Times Square, winding through the park and up 5th Ave. and east into the upper east 70s, then back down to EJ's. Satisfying and unpretentious. read more

Great Food! Great milkshakes! A little cramped though. DO NOT order a burger for take out or delivery. They still don't understand the concept of soggy buns when they are in the same container. read more

Food is very bland, home fries soggy , oily and unappetizing. Wanted fresh orange juice& when I asked the waiter if their orange juice was freshly squeezed he said "yes of course we fresh squeeze it here" , he lied. The OJ it tasted just like Tropicana with pulp. I drink fresh OJ at home all the time and can taste the difference. Extremely disappointed and even more so at the deceit. Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else, even if you don't care for the juice the food is tasteless & oily. So many better places on UES to explore. read more

A classic diner, with friendly service and good reasonably priced food. I've had pancakes with bacon and their bacon cheeseburger which they cooked to a perfect medium rare. The waiters are attentive when you need drinks or if there's anything else you want. The only thing it's cash only, but worth it for a good diner read more

I came here for the flapjacks and was not disappointed. I got the chocolate chip flapjacks and they were delicious! They were certainly not being stingy with the amount of chocolate chips they put on their flapjacks. I did get it with a side of eggs and home fries and it was just too much food for me. My only reason for not giving this place a 5 star rating is because the place is very loud and some of the tables I feel like people are on top of one another. read more

I was attracted to the diner atmosphere of this place but it disappointed me greatly. I came here for lunch and ordered a veggie burger that came with guacamole and sprouts on top and sweet potato fries on the side for about $11. I was let down when my food arrived and I found my veggie burger to be a Dr. Praeger's frozen veggie burger that I currently have in my freezer at home. I HATE going to places that offer a veggie burger and its just a defrosted patty I could make myself at home. The sweet potato fries were just okay- they seemed overcooked. My boyfriend ordered the chicken quesadillas and a side of waffle fries. The side of fries cost $5 and it was a really small basket. Their sandwiches don't come with fries, just a pickle and slaw so thats pretty lame. I know this place is on the Upper East Side but its not like its a fancy place so I don't know why they charge so much for crappy food. Its extremely cramped in there too. read more

I've been coming here since around when they opened. They are a very tasty little luncheonette that have many different options for everyone. I went there for brunch today with my family. My step-dad ordered the farmer's egg white omelet, my mom had the oatmeal and I had the Veggie Benedict (eggs benedict with veggies, no ham or bacon). Everything we at was very tasty. The service is always good. Get there early because they do get very crowded! read more

This is a good solid diner in this region of the UES. Classic diner food, good staff. Very good pancakes, and solid turkey for dinner. Only downside is they don't take credit cards. But if you're looking for a good diner space, this is the one to go to. read more

I stopped in here on Saturday with a friend because we were craving milkshakes! The staff was very enthusiastic and made us feel welcome. They took our milkshake order and let us sit at the bar to wait for them. They were ready really fast and pretty good! No complaints here, but I haven't tried their real food yet. read more

My wife & I ordered The Pastrami Reuben today at EJ'S Luncheonette on 73rd & Third Avenue it was OUTSTANDING! The best we ever had much better than Carnegie Deli's Reuben. Bravo EJ'S we give you 5 Stars lunch was amazing once again & the coffee was the best we have had in Manhattan. Best Regards, Charles & Karen read more