Guy’s American Kitchen & Bar – The Premier Custom Travel Staff Review

A recent New York Times review of Guy’s American Kitchen & Bar was not just negative – it was almost downright mean. But was it accurate? Three members of the Premier Custom Travel team – Chris Grum, Scott McAlister and Michelle McAlister, stopped by the new Times Square eatery to see for themselves. Here is their review.

After reading the scathing Times review, we decided to try the restaurant during our Thanksgiving week visit to NYC. We made an 11:30am reservation for lunch on Wednesday, November 21st via Open Table. We arrived a few minutes prior to 11:30am to find a significant crowd waiting outside the restaurant. After opening the doors a few minutes late, we had to navigate through the rush of the crowd to the host stand. However, the hosts were relatively quick and we were seated within a couple of minutes.

We were taken to a booth and immediately asked if we could switch to a table. They were happy to do this — the first of many times the staff showed their friendliness and willingness to accommodate our wishes. Our new table was in a really cool back room of the restaurant (likely the private room) called The Studio, with decor similar to what you might expect at a Hard Rock Cafe.

While reading the menu, we were greeted by Ivan Cordero, whose business card lists him as the company’s “Brand Ambassador.” He spoke with us for a few minutes about the restaurant, Guy Fieri and even the negative review. He was very nice and we enjoyed hearing about the new venture. During our meal, we were also greeted by the restaurant’s General Manager Albert Chin, who was also very friendly and quick to solve a small issue we had with our Open Table reservation. He was even at the front door and wished us farewell by name. Very classy.

Our waitress was also very upbeat and friendly, helping us with some of our decisions. As you can see from the menu below, the choices aren’t easy.

Lunch Menu
Click to Enlarge

With a little help from our server Shelly, we decided on two appetizers:

Pepperoni Mozzarella Stix with Marinara

Chris: – The sauce had a hint of pepperoni which gave the app a unique flavor you usually don’t see with standard cheese sticks. The panko breading also made this a neat twist on a traditional favorite.

Scott: – Much lighter than I expected from mozzarella sticks, probably due to the wonderful panko breading.

Michelle: – The thing I liked most was the sauce. It had a nice pepperoni flavoring without being overpowering.

Vegas Fries

Chris: – This was definitely my favorite of the two apps we sampled. These were addictive with a nice spicy kick to them.

Scott: – Ivan was right – definitely addictive. Could eat a few pounds of these while watching a football game and drinking a cold one.

Michelle: – AWESOME. They were just the right amount of spice for me and I agree with Scott – they’d be perfect with a cold beer.

When it came time for our mains, we each decided to try something different so we could get a good sampling of the available items. Here are our selections:

Bacon Chicken Mac n Cheese

Scott: – Comfort food with a twist. Guy continues to amaze, taking kitchen classics and making them his own. They were very generous with the portion, too. The rotisserie chicken is a nice addition to a southern American dish. Except growing up, Mama always used Spam. Guy didn’t.

Unyawns Cajun Chicken Ciabatta

Michelle: – I liked the sandwich because the chicken was grilled perfectly. The pickles and tomatoes were thinly sliced, making the whole thing easier to eat. The bread was excellent.

Guy’s Big Bite Burger & Rojo Ring

Chris: – I love a good cheeseburger and this one definitely satisfied. It was topped with a tasty onion ring, your standard veggie fare and what they call “donkey sauce.” My only regret was getting more fries with this order, as the plain fries didn’t live up to their spiced-up app counterparts. The restaurant would do well to offer an option of a plate of the onion rings instead – I could have eaten those all day long.

Handcrafted Beers

We were headed to a Broadway show so we skipped the home-made brews (listed above) and dessert. Below are our final thoughts on the restaurant.

Chris: – I’m not sure where the NY Times went for lunch, but it must not have been Guy’s. I enjoyed the restaurant very much and would definitely return again. The staff was super friendly, the food very good and the atmosphere fun and casual. Everything we were served was executed well and prepared as expected and ordered.

Scott: – The location is perfect – right off Times Square. Prices were very reasonable, especially for the Manhattan location. The staff was incredible and accommodating. Props to our waitress Shelly for treating us like old friends, including participating in our playful banter. We’ll definitely be making time before we leave to return and try the handcrafted beers. And probably more Vegas fries to go with them.

Michelle: – A great place to go if you’re looking for a casual experience. The staff made us feel welcome and definitely made us want to return. Oh and we loved the super-fast free wi-fi. Nice touch.