Saturday, July 20, 2013

Dukes-- Talk about Vintage Diner Places!

Well, you can't get more ARDENTLY retro and vintage than this place, but I think now it is more than just a real old diner, which, while keeping itself spruced up, has never given up its original feel or look...because there are other Duke's in Manhattan which means this part of a chain probably, like Johnny Rockets I guess.

I know younger people love it, but I am not so sure about its appeal to older people-- who may have had enough of this kind of place when they were young!

And Yelp says... 

Duke's

2.5 star rating
152 reviews Rating Details
560 3rd Ave
(at 37th St)
New York, NY 10016
Neighborhoods: Midtown East, Murray Hill
(212) 949-5400
Make a Reservation
Nearest Transit Station:
Grand Central - 42 St (7, 7X)
Grand Central - 42 St (4, 5, 6, 6X)
33 St (4, 6, 6X)
Hours:
Mon-Fri 12 pm - 2 am
Sat 11:30 am - 2 am
Sun 11:30 am - 12 am
Good for Kids:
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Parking:
Garage, Street
Attire:
Casual
Good for Groups:
Yes
Price Range:
$$
Takes Reservations:
Yes
Delivery:
Yes
Take-out:
Yes
Waiter Service:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
Yes
Wi-Fi:
Free
Good For:
Lunch, Dinner
Music:
Background
Best Nights:
Fri, Sat, Sun
Happy Hour:
Yes
Alcohol:
Full Bar
Smoking:
No
Coat Check:
No
Drive-Thru:
No
Noise Level:
Average
Good For Dancing:
No
Ambience:
Casual
Has TV:
Yes
Caters:
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes
Dogs Allowed:
No

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152 reviews in English

  • Review from

    4.0 star rating
    7/16/2013
    With their great happy hour special, half off apps and beer, my friend and I just had to stop by. Both of us started with Stella but soon changed when we found out Brooklyn Summer was on tap. We started with the spinach dip which was nice and hot and the waitress even brought out extra chips to finish it off! My friend got the southwestern caesar salad which was a great portion for the price but she had no problem devouring it. I got the Roadhouse sandwich which is made with chicken fried steak. It was a bit messy but worth every bite.
    I wish I could give it 5 stars but the music was the only down fall. Maybe I'm just to much of a youngin' but I would of loved to have listened to the hits of today, and not of 10 years or so ago. But still not  a deal breaker!
    Our waitress was amazing, very attentive and had good suggestions. I don't know about most people but I love it when I can get a good meal and interact with the people that work there as well. We will definitely be back for more and next time I'm going to have to go with the mac and cheese!
  • Review from

    • 772 friends
    • 848 reviews
    3.0 star rating
    7/6/2013 1 check-in here
    Grabbed lunch with a friend a couple of weeks ago (I'm so behind on my reviews).  The place was once called Earl's, but had the same menu as Duke's and eventually was changed to Duke's a few years back.

    I always get the old kentucky club: Chicken, bacon, russian dressing, avocado, cheese, lettuce and tomato.  Served with a side of fries.  It's a huge sandwich, so consuming only half won't make you a girly man.

    They have a full bar and margaritas and lots of tvs.  The wait staff are not the greatest.
  • Review from

    1.0 star rating
    5/21/2013
    It started with waiting 10 min before we finally just asked for water.  I mean isn't that restaurant 101?!  And then there was the waiting for our drinks.  Which we saw sitting at the end of the bar.  It must have been a half hour before we got those.  Did I mention that they were already made and just sitting at the bar?  Oh and btw,  it was a Monday night aka not busy AT ALL.  So since we waited for our water, then our drinks, it would only make sense to wait for our dinner as well.  Which was, eh, definitely not worth all the waiting we were doing.  Here's one of the best parts.  Server - "mac and cheese is half price on Mondays."  Well then we got mac and cheese.  What she "forgot" to mention was that it was only the large.  Um, if we knew that, we would have gotten the large instead of the small which ended up costing more than the large.  This is so dumb, I can't believe I'm writing about mac and cheese.

    The check.
    Which we had to waaaaaaiiiiiiitttttttttttttttttttttt forever for.
    The total was $70.  We give the dude 3 cards to split.  He puts $30 on each card.  And tries to convince us it's right.
    My friend - "No, 30 + 30 + 30 is 90"
    "oh" he says.
    We wait more...  and more...  and more...  now we're convinced that intelligence isn't a requirement here.
    He comes back and says he took off the mac and cheese and one margarita.  We looked at the bill, they are both still there but way too exhausted to do anything about it.  I put $20 on my card and I swear I never do this, $1 tip.  Just check my account.  There are two $29 charges on there.

    i mean...  come on.
  • Review from

    4.0 star rating
    7/15/2013 1 check-in here
    Dukes is amazing. The bartenders and servers are great, very attentive and involved! Would recommend to all and will be back soon.
  • Review from

    • 119 friends
    • 148 reviews
    3.0 star rating
    7/6/2013
    they think their beer list, food list, service and ambiance are all much cooler than they actually are, which is passably boring, salty regulars, somewhat slow and a bit too loud and smelly. That said, it beats a diner any day and trumps normal bar food. However, if eating and drinking are needed in this area, go down to Hop Devil.
  • Review from

    • 68 friends
    • 489 reviews
    4.0 star rating
    5/21/2013 1 check-in here
    Good place to go for brunch, or a causal dinner. Liked the sweet potato fries.

    If you have to be around sports fans, this grill makes it bearable.
    Listed in: M for Murray Hill
  • Review from

    2.0 star rating
    4/11/2013
    I must've walked by Duke's for years without giving it more than a glance.  Then I was invited here for national fried chicken day several months back (yes, that is a thing).  The place is trying to bring a Southern vibe to NYC, which isn't easy to do.  At the same time, they overdo the decor inside in a big way.  Thus, Duke's ends up feeling like more of a bar.  The place was dead for lunch, and service wasn't good.  Our waitress actually forgot about a special they had going on that day and overcharged us, but the manager promptly took care of that.  She was also slow the whole meal.  Decor and service aren't the reason I come to restaurants, fortunately, but then the food also didn't measure up.

    I had the miss dixie's buttermilk fried chicken.  It wasn't bad, but nothing noteworthy either.  The batter they used was too thick, and while the meat was good quality, I would have appreciated a thinner, more tenderized cut.  The cream gravy was a little too salty for my tastes and the carrots were okay, but the mashed potatoes were good.  It was too much food for lunch as the portion was very large.  Then again, for almost $20, you better have a good portion size.  If I was invited here again for international fried chicken day, I may give it another shot.  Otherwise, I'm not going to bother coming again.
  • Review from

    • 3 friends
    • 32 reviews
    3.0 star rating
    6/20/2013
    It was A'irt , it was A'irt , it was A'irt (mad rapper voice) anyway...  It's Murray Hill so expectations should be kept low for culinary delight anyway. Burger was okay, fries were edible, the soda was not as drafty (no bubbles).  Now the waitresses were cute so there's that 3rd star.... Enjoy
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 3 reviews
    1.0 star rating
    5/20/2013
    This review is for the weekday happy hour service. That being said, I've been to this place twice.

    The one star is for the horrible service. Both times I came here on my lunch break. The first time I placed my order very quickly, food came at a normal time. Waters filled meh, normally once or twice over a 20 min period. However, it took 35 min for the waitress to get my check, and then another 10 min to bring back the change. I figured, whatever, bad day.

    I went back a second time because happy hour they do have a good deal, half off appz and half off beer. I was seated and it took them 15 min to get my drink order. Actually scratch that, I don't know how long it'd take because I left 15min in because they never came. The place was not packed at all I think there was about 6 tables being occupied.

    Do yourself a favor and don't bother with this place, it's a joke. Food is ok if you are on a budget. Go down the street and grab yourself 2 slices of pizza and a water for 7 bucks.
  • Review from

    2.0 star rating
    Update - 5/20/2013 4 check-ins here
    A few bad experiences in a row is bringing Duke's the 2 stars it truly deserves. While there are still some good menu items, the place itself has become unbearable. What could be a fun neighborhood spot, is just a large dive bar unworthy of even a playoff sports game viewing (you can do this ANYWHERE and be entertained). Unless you want to chill at the outdoor seats and rock the $15 AYCD brunch (which is more than respectable), there are literally dozens of places close by you should be at (well, unless you hate yourself and love filth).

    1 Previous Review: Show all »

    • 4.0 star rating
      4/2/2012
      Headed into Duke's expecting to relive my post-college 'Slurry Hill' days but to my surprise the… Read more »
  • Review from

    4.0 star rating
    7/11/2013
    We came here to watch the eastern conference finals.  No issue with getting a good view of a TV when you are sitting down to eat.  I truthfully don't expect much service wise or food wise when I eat in Murray Hill but I was pleasantly surprised in a couple ways especially considering the service.  Our server was Elle B and she was (I know this isn't saying much) the best server I have ever encountered in Murray Hill.  She brought waters quickly.  I asked her very specific questions on the food when I was ordering and she shared her own opinion as well as laying out my options for me which made the whole process a lot easier.  I got a huge mac and cheese which was half price that day as well as chicken tenders that she offered to bring different types of dipping sauces for.  No issues waiting for the check or anything else.  My friends and I all left full and pretty happy overall.  I was a little confused to why our server had such a good attitude but like I said earlier it was a pleasant surprise.  I would eat there again just to avoid being reminded of all the other terrible meals I have consumed in Murray Hill..
 

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