Restaurant Review: Guy’s American Kitchen & Bar in Times Square

[Huss417]

Posted: 11/14/12 at 4:20pm

I am not a fan of this style restaurant but I believe the NY Post also panned it but this review from the NY Times was a great read.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/14/dining/reviews/restaurant-review-guys-american-kitchen-bar-in-times-square.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&pagewanted=all&adxnnlx=1352916277-GoJirB+pAYt+xghGxjs/Tw&

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 11/14/12 at 5:08pm

That was the best bad review I've ever read.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 11/14/12 at 5:13pm

I love that.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 11/14/12 at 5:14pm

The fact that this level of brilliant scorn is heaped upon someone so worthy of receiving it makes it all the sweeter.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 11/14/12 at 5:19pm

Absolutely brilliant--and yes, I feel less bad enjoying that since it is just one of dozens of places Fieri runs and probably cares little over.

[Scripps2]

Posted: 11/14/12 at 5:20pm

Excellent!

Thank you!

I've just sent the link to friends who are flying out this weekend.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 11/14/12 at 5:36pm

Also, this:

http://observer.com/2012/10/the-crispy-crimes-of-guy-fieri/

[Huss417]

Posted: 11/14/12 at 6:01pm

Here is the NY Post review.

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/food/not_our_type_of_guy_zEVBjNbOzqTXWiqWK4SpdK

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 11/14/12 at 6:11pm

To be fair, it does seem utterly useless to review a place like this.

[Jon]

Posted: 11/14/12 at 7:23pm

Typical tourist trap for folks afraid to walk a couple of blocks east or west of Times Square.

[StockardFan]

Posted: 11/14/12 at 7:39pm

Sounds like a really big TGIFriday's.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 11/14/12 at 8:06pm

My mother always forbade us wanting to eat anywhere in Times Square after our terrible time at the now defunct ESPN Zone. Too expensive and overpriced and much better off finding stuff around Hell's Kitchen, Chinatown, Koreatown, Little Italy or Curry Hill. But you know some people hate 'ethnic' food (I have relatives who fit the description of who this restaurant could appeal to). And Jon's right, even with the Disneyfication, people are still scared of NYC.

Honestly I've only gone to Times Square because there were huge Levi and American Eagle stores and to of course go to TKTS.

I think Anthony Bourdain (not one to mince words) called this particular restaurant a 200 lb. deuce dropped into Times Square.

Updated On: 11/14/12 at 08:06 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 11/14/12 at 9:38pm

Wow! I ate there a few weeks ago. Mostly apps and it was a pre-show thing with a group so we didn't pay for anything. I hate to say it but these reviews are pretty much on target. I had the nachos, pretzel chicken, tuna things and mozzerella sticks with peperoni. I was shocked at how tasteless the mozz sticks were. The place has tourist trap written all over it. Really standard fare. I expected the food to be spicey and tasty. That kitchen they mention is downstairs and appears to be huge and looks like a factory. The food wasn't nasty, but not worth what they are charging for the things I ate.

[Kad]

Posted: 11/14/12 at 9:53pm

How can you **** mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders, and nachos up?!

[uncageg]

Posted: 11/14/12 at 10:05pm

Kad, I wondered the same thing about the mozz sticks. They had absolutely NO taste. I had no clue there was peperoni in them until the waiter said so. The Pretzel Chicken really wasn't bad. Probably the best thing I ate.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 11/14/12 at 11:14pm

I think I recall Timeout NY giving it a 1 star review either in the last issue or the one before. Does not surprise me one bit that it's in the Times Square area. There are only 2 restaurants in that area that I like.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 11/14/12 at 11:33pm

I like the questions of ethics raised in The Observer review. Once people calm down with the overreactions about "the nanny state" perhaps we can have some serious discussions about portion size and ingredients in our messed up culture.

Having said that, the Hazelnut Rice Pudding and Salted Whiskey Caramel Fool sound delish.

[cupcake3]

Posted: 11/14/12 at 11:52pm

dISCONTINUED gUY fIERI RESTAURANT ITEMS - dAVE'S TOP 10 LIST TONIGHT.

[Huss417]

Posted: 11/15/12 at 8:51am

Was on the Today Show this morning defending his restaurant. They make it sound like only the NY Times gave them a bad review.

http://bites.today.com/_news/2012/11/15/15187700-guy-fieri-on-critic-he-came-in-with-a-different-agenda?lite

[Jane2]

Posted: 11/15/12 at 9:10am

The Today show just had their panel of "experts" with Guy Fieri on the panel and they discussed this review. The panel all felt that there was another agenda besides the food review. And Dr. Phil mentioned that the NYTimes had a huge party at that restaurant last night. So-who knows.

[Huss417]

Posted: 11/15/12 at 9:25am

Did they mention any of the other bad reviews if those critics also have an agenda? Would be interesting if they also looked at the Yelp reviews as many there must also have an agenda. :)

http://www.yelp.com/biz/guys-american-kitchen-and-bar-new-york-2

[Jane2]

Posted: 11/15/12 at 9:53am

I have no idea if the food is good there (probably not) but I also inferred more than a hint of over-the-top vitriol and sarcasm in that NYTimes review. Yeah, I thought the author of that review was either having an extremely bad day or hates Guy Fieri's guts.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/15/12 at 9:59am

There is food and then there is food critic food. I loathe Fieri (his shows, his food, his hair) but there is NO point to review this restaurant in the NY Times. Did they review Olive Garden? The only reason they did review it was to pan a popular TV chef's huge new restaurant.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 11/15/12 at 10:04am

The NYT review seems pretty much in line with the Observer and the Post reviews linked above. They actually use some similar adjectives. It sounds as though everyone from the Times to Uncageg is having pretty much the same experience.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 11/15/12 at 10:19am

Not as entertaining a review, but the review from Timeout NY:
http://www.timeout.com/newyork/restaurants/guys-american-kitchen-and-bar

They need to accept responsibility that the place isn't great.