Since 1884, the classic New York saloon P J Clarkes is steeped in Irish charm and has a fascinating history at its original location at 915 3rd Avenue.

 

The still standing red brick building was constructed in 1868 by a Mr. Jennings, before Patrick “Paddy” Joseph Clarke, an Irish immigrant started bartendering there in 1902.  In ten years he saved enough money to buy the bar and opened it himself in 1884.

 

The bar has catered to a number of notables over the years:  Nat King Cole proclaimed in the 1950’s that P J Clarke’s bacon cheeseburger was the “Cadillac of Burgers” (you can still order a Cadillac burger today)

 

Buddy Holly proposed to his fiancée Maria Santiago

there on June 20th 1958, while Johnny Mercer was said to have penned Sinatra’s hit “One More for My Baby” (and One more for the Road) — one of the great torch laments of all times–on a napkin while sitting at P J Clarke’s when Tommy Joyce was the bartender.   The next day, Mercer called Joyce to apologize for the line “So set them up, Joe” explaining “I couldn’t get your name to rhyme”.

 

In literature, P J Clarke’s appears in Truman Capote’s short story “A Beautiful Child”

about an afternoon he spent with Marilyn Monroe in 1955. Monroe had refused to enter the bar because she disliked the clientele.

 

Nat’s Bar in the Billy Wilder movie  “The Lost Weekend” (1945) was based on PJ Clarke’s and Popeye Doyle played by Gene Hackman in the film “French Connection II” (1975), asked the French police to get him a nice juicy P J  Clarke’s hamburger, while he was going through heroin withdrawal.

 

More recently in the  AMC series Mad Men”, the employees of the Sterling Cooper advertising agency frequented the bar.

 

While boxers Jake La Motta and Rocky Marciano frequented the bar,  Frank Sinatra,  Joan Crawford, Marilyn Monroe, Louis Armstrong and Jackie Onasis could be found there.

 

Today, P J Clarke’s has several locations with their signature red checkered tablecloths, still serving burgers, steaks and cocktails.