Our first meal in New York City was at a diner that has been selling cheesecake since 1950. It ended up setting the bar for every burger I ate the rest of the trip.
This Junior's Times Square review covers our first dinner of the trip. We landed at LaGuardia on a Friday afternoon in late October, cabbed to the Marriott Marquis, and had a 6:30 p.m. dinner at Junior's before our 8:00 p.m. Top of the Rock tickets. Junior's on 49th and Broadway is a short walk from the Marquis and on the way to Rockefeller Center, which made it an easy first night pick with our 2.5-year-old.
Below is what we ordered, what it cost, and how each dish scored. It is one stop on our 3.5 days in New York City with a toddler.
Junior's Times Square Review: Is It Worth It?
Yes. The steakburger beat my expectations, the original cheesecake lives up to the name, and the room is a cool old-school diner that works for a family. It delivers on what it is known for.
Here is the quick version of our scores:
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Steakburger with onion rings and steak fries (John): 8.2/10
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Chicken salad sandwich on challah (Colleen): 7/10
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Kids chicken fingers and fries (Johnny): a little overpriced, but it was what Johnny liked
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No. 1 Original Cheesecake (shared): absolutely amazing
Which Junior's Did We Go To?
We went to the Junior's at 1626 Broadway at 49th Street. There are two Junior's locations in Times Square, which trips people up.
The first Times Square location opened in 2006 on Broadway and 45th Street, by Shubert Alley. The 49th Street restaurant opened in 2017 as the second one. The original is still in Downtown Brooklyn on the corner of Flatbush Avenue Extension and DeKalb Avenue, where Harry Rosen opened Junior's on Election Day 1950 and named it after his two sons, Marvin and Walter. You can see all the locations on the official Junior's site.
How Do You Get a Table at Junior's 49th Street?
Use the waitlist. The 49th Street location runs a Yelp waitlist you can join from your phone. If you have a toddler and a timed ticket after dinner like we did, join the list before you leave the hotel instead of standing in the lobby.
Hours at 49th Street are 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday and Monday, 7 a.m. to midnight Tuesday through Thursday, and 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
What Is the Junior's Steakburger Like?
The Junior's steakburger is a 10 oz char-broiled burger on an oven-toasted bun with lettuce and tomato. I got the version with onion rings and steak fries for $20.95. For burgers, I always ask how the chef recommends it, because it varies from kitchen to kitchen. At Junior's, the recommendation was medium rare, so that is how I ordered it.
I scored it an 8.2/10, and I would absolutely order it again. It definitely exceeded my expectations.
That 8.2 ended up being the highest burger score of the trip. I also had burgers at P.J. Clarke's and Tavern on the Green, and neither one caught Junior's. I put all three head-to-head in our NYC burger ranking.
How Was the Chicken Salad Sandwich?
Colleen ordered the chicken salad sandwich on thick-cut challah ($17.50) and gave it a 7/10. Her one knock was that it was too dilly.
I had a bite, and I would have scored it higher. The dill did not bother me at all, but I like dill, and Colleen does not, so take her score with that in mind. The challah bread was amazing.
Is Junior's Good for Kids?
Yes. It is a casual diner that worked well for us with a toddler, and there is a kids' menu for children under 12.
Every kids' meal on the Junior Menu is $15.95, served with a soda, juice, or milk. Johnny got the chicken fingers and fries, which was two chicken fingers and some fries. That felt a little overpriced for the portion, but it was what Johnny liked, and on night one of a trip that matters more than anything else.
I had a bite. If I had ordered the chicken fingers for myself, I would not have been the biggest fan. Chicken fingers became a running theme on this trip, since Johnny ordered them almost everywhere we went. Junior's was round one of what turned into the chicken finger wars.
Is Junior's Cheesecake Really That Good?
Yes. We split one slice of the No. 1 Original Cheesecake ($9.50) for the three of us, and it was absolutely amazing. It is what Junior's is known for, and it earns it.
The recipe goes back to 1950, when Harry Rosen worked it out with baker Eigel Peterson. One thing that sets it apart is the base: Junior's uses a thin layer of sponge cake instead of a graham cracker crust.
This was not my first time with Junior's cheesecake either. A couple of years ago, I ordered Colleen a whole red velvet cheesecake from Junior's for her birthday.
If one slice is not enough, there is a bakery counter at the 49th Street location where you can grab a slice or a whole cake to go.
What Is the Vibe at Junior's 49th Street?
The vibe is an old-school diner, and the atmosphere was great.
The artwork on the walls was a nice touch. The section we sat in was Brooklyn Dodgers-centric, which makes sense for a restaurant that started in Brooklyn while the Dodgers were still playing at Ebbets Field.
How Much Does Dinner at Junior's Cost?
Our order for three comes to $63.90 at current menu prices, before drinks, tax, and tip. Here is what each item costs on the 49th Street menu:
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Steakburger with onion rings and steak fries: $20.95
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Chicken salad on thick-cut challah: $17.50
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Junior Menu chicken fingers and fries with a drink: $15.95
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No. 1 Original Cheesecake slice: $9.50
The kids' meal was the one that felt a little overpriced for what you get.
Would I Go Back to Junior's?
Yes, and I would order the exact same burger. Junior's did what we needed on a travel day: it was close to the hotel, it had something Johnny wanted, and the cheesecake was absolutely amazing.
If you are staying near Times Square, especially with kids, it is an easy first-night dinner. Join the waitlist, get the steakburger medium rare, and save room to split a slice of the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get a table at Junior's in Times Square?
Junior's 49th Street offers a Yelp waitlist you can join from your phone before you arrive, so you can wait at your hotel instead of in Junior's lobby.
Where is Junior's in Times Square?
There are two. Junior's 49th Street is at 1626 Broadway at 49th Street, and the original Times Square location is on Broadway at 45th Street by Shubert Alley.
What is Junior's best known for?
Junior's is best known for its cheesecake, made from a recipe that dates back to 1950 and baked on a sponge cake base instead of a graham cracker crust.
How much is a slice of cheesecake at Junior's?
A slice of the No. 1 Original Cheesecake is $9.50 at Junior's 49th Street. Flavored slices run $9.75 to $10.50.
Is the Junior's steakburger good?
Yes. The 10 oz char-broiled steakburger with onion rings and steak fries ($20.95) earned an 8.2/10 from me, the highest burger score of our New York trip.
Is Junior's kid-friendly?
Yes. Junior's is a casual diner with a kids' menu for children under 12. Every kids' meal is $15.95 and comes with a soda, juice, or milk.
Final Thoughts
The best first-night dinners on a trip are the ones that do not ask much of you. Junior's was close, casual, and good enough that every burger I ate the rest of the trip got measured against it.
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