Amsterdam Diner, which replaced longtime diner EJ’s Luncheonette on 81st street and Amsterdam Avenue, closed its doors for good this week.
The diner had gone downhill in the past couple of years, readers tell us. EJ’s was a staple on the Upper West Side for decades (I remember going there often as a teenager in the 90’s.). It became Amsterdam Diner in 2011 after it was sold to the owners of West Side Diner. was apparently owned by the same people as EJ’s, according to a staff member we talked to at the EJ’s on the East Side. (the interior of the old EJ’s is pictured below)
Howard Freeman wrote this on Yelp last year:
“The old EJ’s Luncheonette (West Side; there’s still an EJ on the East Side) has gone way downhill. Upbeat blue classic diner decor has yielded to drab brown and beige, with some walls sporting spackled over spots right next to where you eat…Service was competent, but it used to be fun as well. There was no “vibe” in the place at all, perhaps because we were one of three tables filled. Place used to be packed all the time.”
The space will be replaced by something called Social House in mid-August.
Thanks to Shari, Ed, and Jeff for the tips. Photo by Ed.
Unlike the author, I have eaten at the Amsterdam within the last two decades (!) and can attest to the fact that the restaurant was packed on the weekends. Indeed, the most recent Yelp review from 3 weeks ago (not a year-old cherry-picked review) gave it 5 stars. It would have been more honest and professional to write, “Yelp reviews were inconsistent” rather than take this editorial tone.
And why does every restaurant on the UWS have to have a “vibe,” anyway? Why can’t a diner be allowed to be a diner? The Amsterdam wasn’t “great,” but we weren’t expecting that either. A decent place to bring kids, with a big menu that didn’t cost a fortune just closed down. A notable loss to our neighborhood, yet this piece was written without remorse.
I wrote the quoted Yelp review, and what I meant by “vibe” was merely that what made EJ’s “come alive,” IMO, was gone not long after it changed to Amsterdam Diner. Just felt different and a bit drab to my family and me. Vibe was gone.
Bravo! I hadn’t eaten there since it was EJ’s (at which time I would have agreed, from experience, with everything written here about the place), but I wholly, completely and totally agree with your general statement.
Well said!
EJ’s was sold around 2011 to the people who own the diner on Broadway and 69th Street. They kept trying to maintain the customers that came with EJ’s but it was not to be. They replaced the diner counter with a fully stocked bar and then eventually replaced the decor entirely. Now it felt sort of like a bar with 2 large screen TVs mounted on the wall(we have enough of those on Amsterdam Avenue). The wait staff was replaced and thus the feeling changed drastically.
EJ’s on the East Side has had nothing to do with the West Side EJ’s in years.
Social House in Mid-August… seems like a REALLY fast turn around!
Looking forward to hearing more about that development.
To the writer that did not do their proper homework, the owners of Ej’s Luncheonette sold the West Side EJ’s over three years ago. The owners of EJ’s Luncheonette had no ownership or involvement with the Amsterdam Diner. That is simply flawed reporting and deserves a retraction.
The good news for all those West Side EJ’s customers is that you all can simply cross the park and come over to the East side flagship EJ’s Luncheonette on 73rd and 3rd where you will find that after 21 years we are continuing to make thousands of people very happy each week.
Ej’s Luncheonette on Third Avenue continues to have the same great food and atmosphere that the West Siders are missing. Please come over and visit us and enjoy some of the best comfort food in the city.
Robert Eby, Owner EJ’s Luncheonette
In the tradition of EJ’s, the Amsterdam Diner sucked. Good riddance.
Amsterdam Diner had terrible food and poor service…of course they couldn’t last.