New York's Historic Keens Steakhouse
140 years ago when the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York City from France, Albert Keen opened Keens English Chophouse in the middle of Manhattan, where it was frequented by thespians, writers and composers, many of whom worked nearby.
Keens was a gentleman only establishment until the early 1900s, when the English actress Lily Langtry, in the mood for a mutton chop was denied entry into the steakhouse. She brought Keens to court and won. She got her chop and the upstairs room named for her.
The two-story restaurant is like a museum where there is many as 500 pieces of memorabilia: sports, New York, presidential, all collected over the years by Keens’ owners, including a menu signed by Joe DiMaggio, a birth chart from 1903 showing that more babies were born on the Lower East Side than the Upper West Side, etc.
The four dining rooms on the second floor each have their own character.
The Lincoln room displays a stained program that a nearby framed article claims Lincoln was holding at the Ford’s Theater on April 14th 1865, when he was shot by John Wilkes Booth.
Keens has the largest collection in the world (90,000) of church warden (extra-long stem) pipes on display. Too delicate to travel these pipes are reserved for members of Kings Pipe Club, where they are stored in the restaurant.
Those smoked by famous patrons include: Theodore Roosevelt, Buffalo Bill Cody, Albert Einstein, Babe Ruth, General Douglas MacArthur, JP Morgan, Will Rogers, John Barrymore and more.
Currently chef Thomas Keller is like a general overseeing more than fifty sous chefs, butchers, porters and laundry people.
The restaurant daily serves 500-600 meals a night.
There are two kitchens, one behind the main dining room and the other downstairs beside the cold aging room.
Today, Keens has a masculine atmosphere of booze and meat, a bit of a stronghold for guys and the steaks are still marvelous.
David Garland NY New York May 09, 2025 Back in Time Food Restaurants
May 09, 2025
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