Hours
Mon–Sat 9am–3pm, closed Sunday
Region
Northeast
The Review
Shopsin's is a New York institution of a particular and unrepeatable kind. Kenny Shopsin, who died in 2018, ran his restaurant as a controlled experiment in what happened when a cook decided that rules existed for his benefit rather than his customers'. The menu had, at its peak, over 900 items. Parties of five or more were not permitted. Complaints were not welcome.
The sandwiches at Shopsin's were never quite the point — the point was the experience of Kenny's cooking as a whole, which ran toward a fever-dream version of American diner food with no particular attachment to genre. But specific sandwiches — the griddled-and-stuffed versions, certain club configurations, the breakfast assemblages — achieved something that pure technique could not replicate: they were made by a person with very strong opinions about flavor.
The current location in Essex Street Market is run by Kenny's family after his death. The menu is simplified, the rules slightly relaxed. It is still worth going.
What to Order
Ask what's good that day. The breakfast menu changes. The mac & cheese pancake is a non-negotiable experience. Any sandwich Kenny's family says is worth having, is worth having.
Tips
No large parties. Patience is required — the kitchen is one person cooking everything. The Essex Street Market location is easier to navigate than the old West Village space. Arrive at opening.
Our Rating
★★★★☆
Price Range
$$