One of UWS’s Last Remaining Diners Appears to Have Closed for Good

Classic Upper West Side diner Old John’s Luncheonette appears to have permanently closed after nearly 70 years, the West Side Rag reports. A large for rent sign now hangs in the restaurant’s window, and calls to the restaurant went unanswered. A call to the store’s owner went straight to voicemail.

The diner, located above Lincoln Square at West 67th Street, near Amsterdam Avenue, has been a neighborhood fixture since the 1950s. The diner had reopened in July for takeout, delivery, and some outdoor dining after initially shutting down in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Customers banded together in March to start a fundraiser to save the diner, which ended up raising $8,700 for the establishment.

The diner was beloved by local residents as well as Eater critic Robert Sietsema who praised its diner-style hamburgers, Belgian waffles, and two-egg breakfasts. Up until its closure, the diner was still-considered one of the go-to destinations in the neighborhood with famed Spanish chef Ferran Adrià having a meal there in 2011.

Old John’s Luncheonette now joins more than 1,000 NYC restaurants and bars that have closed since the start of the pandemic. It was also one of the last remaining diners on the Upper West Side — once an area thriving with diners — and adds to the ever-increasing list of old-school diners that have closed citywide.

Robert Sietsema/Eater

• Old John’s Luncheonette Appears to Have Served Its Last Waffle After About 70 Years on the UWS [West Side Rag]