The Smith - New York (NY)

3 /5 Won Joon Yun: We had a reservation, but were seated in a corner table near the restroom, which was a bit disappointing. We started with sparkling water and fries served with blue cheese as a starter. We ordered the avocado toast and the mussel pot, sharing all the dishes between the two of us. Unfortunately, the avocado toast was genuinely disappointing and lacked flavor. It felt like the dish could use more thought and refinement. On the other hand, the mussel pot was decent — glazed with white wine, herbs, and garlic butter, and enjoyable enough. The seating arrangement was another major drawback. The table felt too small for three items for two people, and the corner location seemed to trap noise. It was so loud that having a proper conversation with my wife was nearly impossible. While seating may vary, it was disappointing that there was no effort to address the situation. Overall, the experience felt uneven: a few decent dishes, but notable issues with food execution and seating comfort.

5 /5 Paulo Vitor: I had a great time with two friends at this restaurant. The service was excellent, and the food was delicious. The burger was particularly tasty. We ordered The Smith burger, and I also had a refreshing cucumber cocktail. For dessert, we enjoyed some apple pie and chocolate cake. I highly recommend this place and will definitely be returning. The waitress was very experienced and friendly.

5 /5 Eloy Yip: Exactly across the street from Lincoln Center and in the heart of the Upper West Side, The Smith is filled with everyone from pre- and post-theatergoers to neighborhood families to global travelers, where my partner and I decided on brunch last Saturday. The reservation was easily made with OpenTable. Each location of this establishment boasts a unique ambiance, blending modern design with classic elements - a nod to old-school New York. Upon entering, the interior is characterized by open layouts, communal tables, and a lively atmosphere, making it suitable for everyone. We were greeted by the host and got a table in a private room usually held for special events. Their menu features a variety of classic American dishes, emphasizing fresh, locally sourced ingredients. As an appetizer, we opted for the Mac & Cheese and Crispy Calamari. As a main meal, we decided on Avocado Toast and a French Dip Sandwich accompanied by Fries. Complimentary sourdough bread with salted butter and one bottle of spring water and one of sparkling water started our meal. The Mac and Cheese served in a mini skillet was phenomenal. The cheese was dripping, and the noodles were perfectly chewy, with the top having that crust, too. The food was fresh, well-prepared, and perfectly portioned. The cost didn’t break the wallet. We had the pleasure of having Adonis as our server, and the service was quick. He was fantastic and would check on us. This place provides satisfaction.

1 /5 Becca S: TL:DR- The Smith has really gone downhill Perhaps they have been unable to handle the additional customers with the various Daniel Boulud restaurants around the corner closed for renovation but my last 3 trips to the Smith have featured low quality dishes, exceptionally high wait times for food, and poor customer service. On the last 2 occasions I did politely bring my concerns to the attention of management. The first time I dined for brunch- they previously had a delicious steak and eggs My dining companion and I both ordered our steaks medium rare. The steaks took a very very long time and arrived medium well- with the medium well toothpicks in them. Our server did not check on us for a while so they sat, though we were hungry, we requested medium rare as we had ordered, they obliged but the steaks we received another 25 min later clearly had not rested at all. It was not busy we were there for a late lunch you can see from my photos the room was half empty, ive been to the Smith for brunch fully packed and had a perfectly cooked steak many times A few weeks later my parents wanted to dine at the Smith for dinner. We were seated at the same time as a table behind us and the 3 tables around us were all seated 10-20 minutes after us. We did not order apps or drinks went straight to entrees. My parents split a burger and salad and I made the grave mistake of Ordering the Braised Short Rib Mafaldine. Our food took FOREVER. The table to the left of us received their appetizers, entrees, their bill and left before our waitress even came back to us. The table to the right had their drinks apps and steaks. Our waitress Madison checked in on every table but was avoiding our attempts to flag her down for an update. When we finally got her attention she said “oh I just checked with the kitchen a few minutes ago, your food is coming soon”- surely she could have checked in with us or at least offered us more bread? Another 15 min elapse and our food arrives. My parents enjoy their salad but their burger was cold. My braised short mafaldine has absolutely no meat. At first, my mom just assumed they brought the wrong dish and asked the expediter if he was sure that was the right dish. As our server Madison was of course no where, the expediter just took the plate and said he would check. He came back a few minutes later and said it was correct wheres the short rib? I poked around, no meat anywhere barely any sauce, no meat in the sauce, no meat period. Tried to flag down madison in vein. My parents werent happy with their meals and we decided we just wanted to pay and leave. We finally got madison’s attention and explained we were dissatisfied with the service and had not had this experience the past 30+’times dining here. She offered us a complimentary dessert which we declined and we asked for the bill. The Manager arrived with the bill- and honestly we all would have been content with a “I heard you didnt have a great experience tonight, I hope we can welcome you back in the future” Instead it was a rapid fire storm of excuses-the other tables around us weren’t all Madison’s tables- with all due respect, my mom and I together have several years of waitressing experience who the server is shouldnt impact not receiving your food. Then manager says those tables just ordered salads- categorically false- and my parents also ordered a salad? The cherry on top- he blamed the customer fot the short rib malfadine- he said first the kitchen prepared it with short rib chunks and “people complained” so they switched to ground short rib, “then people complained about that” so he assertted that the bowl I was served was a combo of ground short rib and short rib chunks and they added extra chunks for me at my request……