Steakhouses›Steakhouses in New York›Smith & Wollensky
American chophouse · Midtown East · New York
Smith & Wollensky
Opened in 1977 in a building that had housed a chophouse since 1897, under two surnames picked from a phone book.
OpenNot yet visited · facts from 6 sourcesNo paid rankings
By Hugo Ledger · Steakpedia editorial voice · Who writes
Why go
In 1977 Alan Stillman, who had created T.G.I. Friday's, and Ben Benson opened a steakhouse at Third Avenue and 49th Street, in the building where Manny Wolf's Chop House had served since 1897. The names on the sign belong to nobody: the house says Smith and Wollensky were picked at random from a New York phone book, late at night. The chain that grew from this corner was sold in 2007, but Stillman kept the original, which still dry-ages and butchers its own USDA Prime. It is a working chophouse in the old Midtown sense, with a late-night grill next door.
What to order
- Bone-In Rib Steak
- Porterhouse for two
- NY Cut Sirloin
Not published: fire, breed, price.
01What to order
- Bone-In Rib SteakUS$82 on the dinner menu online in October 2026 (file dated May 2025). In 2021 Nick Solares described the 32 oz Colorado rib steak from the 107 rib; the current menu gives no weight.
- Porterhouse for twoUS$155 on the same menu.
- NY Cut SirloinUS$64 or US$72 for the two sizes listed.
- Classic 26 oz prime ribUS$82; the only steak on the menu with its weight printed.
- Hash browns and creamed spinachUS$17 and US$18.
- Split pea soupUS$16. The menu calls it famous; Steakpedia only reports the claim.
02The beef
The house history is precise about the cellar. The beef is USDA Prime, dry-aged for about four weeks in a box held at a constant 36 °F, with 7 to 12 tons aging at any time, then hand-butchered on the premises. In 2021 Nick Solares put the aging at 28 days and described ultraviolet light in the aging room when the door is shut. He also reported that purchasing director Danny Kissane accepts only the top 25% of Prime, and that one rib primal yields nine 32 oz steaks.
03The fire
Solares reported Southbend broilers, gas and electric, searing at about 800 °F, with black-and-blue orders finished on the flat top; the steaks leave the butchering room for three kitchens and Wollensky's Grill.
04The story
The New York Times critic Ruth Reichl called it, on Dec. 24, 1997, "a steakhouse to end all arguments"; the chain still quotes the line. The company went public in 2001, and in 2007 Patina Restaurant Group bought it after a contest with Landry's, while Stillman retained the New York unit. The room appeared in American Psycho (2000) and The Devil Wears Prada (2006), and the Warren Buffett charity lunch for the Glide Foundation, held here, has run for 16 years and raised more than US$25 million, per the house. The brand has since spread to other US cities and to Taipei, Taichung and Seoul; a Ginza, Tokyo, house opened in May 2026.
05The practical
797 Third Avenue at 49th Street; (212) 753-1530; bookings on OpenTable. The website does not print the main room's hours. Wollensky's Grill, next door, opens daily from 11:30 to 1:00 and serves a Strassburger hanger steak at US$39 and carrot cake at US$13. A Weekend Wine Dinner runs Thursday to Saturday after 20:00.
- Address
- 797 3rd Avenue (at 49th Street), Midtown East, New York, NY 10022
- Phone
- +1 212 753 1530
- Website
- smithandwollenskynyc.com
- Directions
- Google Maps ↗
Who are Smith and Wollensky?
Nobody. The founders picked the two surnames at random from a New York phone book.
When did Smith & Wollensky open?
In 1977, at Third Avenue and 49th Street, founded by Alan Stillman and Ben Benson.
How long does Smith & Wollensky dry-age its steaks?
About four weeks, at a constant 36 °F, per the house; a 2021 report gives 28 days.
What is Wollensky's Grill?
The casual grill next door, open daily from 11:30 to 1:00, with its own menu.
06In New York’s selections
07Sources
smithandwollenskynyc.com · smithandwollenskynyc.com · nicksolares.com · smithandwollenskynyc.com · en.wikipedia.org · smithandwollenskynyc.com
Last verified Oct. 29, 2026.
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