Joe Allen is a cozy theater district haven where Broadway fans and actors alike indulge in hearty American fare and expertly crafted cocktails, all while soaking up the vibrant pre-show buzz and the chance of a celebrity sighting.
"New York lost the restaurateur Joe Allen in 2021, yet after nearly 60 years, his namesake restaurant lives on; this Theater District staple remains a haunt for theatergoers and actors alike. Get the La Scala salad with iceberg, salami, and provolone; the Joe Allen burger or steak frites; and save room for the epic banana cream pie." - Robert Sietsema, Melissa McCart
"“It's definitely a staple and an iconic place. I love it half for the musical flop posters that are everywhere, because I always see one that I haven't seen before. It always starts conversations with people who happened to see the two-week runs of random shows that are on the walls and just feel super storied. It's become more theater fans than theater people over the years, but it's real theater fans. It tends to be people who are frequenting [shows]; it feels authentic. And the food, it's really yummy. I think it's a really good pre and post-show place, particularly family-wise. It's a really good, storied, New York, capital N, capital Y kind of spot.”" - brennan carley
"Broadway! Is! Back! Or at least that’s what your uncle has been texting the group chat for months. If you, said uncle, and a few genetically-similar people are meeting somewhere near Times Square, head to Joe Allen before or after dinner. This is the sort of old-school theater haunt that hangs up copies of the day’s newspapers by the bar for anyone’s reading pleasure. Get a couple of caesar salads for the table, as well as a nicely-cooked, thick-patty burger covered in cheddar. (And grab a round of cold vodka martinis too.) There’s a chance you’ll be seated next to a Broadway lead, Jimmy Fallon, or someone who is talking sh*t about Jimmy Fallon—and your family will probably be delighted by this." - hannah albertine, kenny yang
"As a huge Broadway nerd who has seen multiple shows a year for the last 25 or so years, it's kind of a crime that I’ve never made it to storied theater hangout Joe Allen before this. Their iconic La Scala salad, an antipasto dish, has proven one of the restaurant’s most popular items. A somewhat perfunctory plate of greens gets piled with a gargantuan mound of tiny cubes of chopped salami and cheese, plus other accents like chickpeas and pepperoncini. The creamy Italian dressing on the side is so thick you can’t really pour it, but all the flavors meld together successfully." - Eater Staff
"New York lost the restaurateur Joe Allen in 2021, yet after nearly 60 years, his namesake restaurant lives on; this Theater District staple remains a haunt for theatergoers and actors alike. Get the La Scala salad with iceberg, salami, and provolone; the Joe Allen burger or steak frites; and save room for the epic banana cream pie." - Eater Staff
