One Of New York City's Most Iconic Steakhouses Is Closing For Good And We Don't Know Why

As if the mass shuttering of chain restaurant locations – like Red Robin – nationwide wasn't depressing enough, now we can add a locally owned and well-renowned New York City steakhouse to the list of failed eateries. This time it's Porter House Bar and Grill, located on the fourth floor of the Deutsche Bank Center, or One Columbus Circle — formerly known as the Time Warner Center — on the edge of the Upper West Side in Manhattan.

Porter House Bar and Grill has been in business since 2006, which is not an inconsiderable tenure in the modern restaurant industry. Porter House's chef and co-owner, Michael Lomonaco, was previously the head chef at lower Manhattan's Windows on the World. That venue was an institution in its own right owing to its incredible location on the very top floor of the World Trade Center's north tower — since lost to a 2001 terrorist attack.

Since its debut nearly 20 years ago, Porter House has been regarded as one of New York's best steakhouses across multiple sources. And unlike some other steakhouses that tend to have a more stereotypically dark ambiance, Porter House's dining room is light and airy, with excellent views of adjacent Central Park and Columbus Circle. Some of the eatery's regular customers include former Goldman Sachs head Lloyd Blankfein, as well as former New York mayor and one of America's biggest donors in 2023, Michael Bloomberg.

So what exactly went wrong for Porter House? No official reason has been provided, but some industry insiders speculate that declining business had a lot to do with high-rolling Time Warner executives leaving the building to relocate to the company's ambitious Hudson Yards property in Midtown. Besides the loss of a captured audience, increased competition from nearby Bourbon Steak may have also influenced Porter House's demise. Adding on to this was a reported kitchen and management shakeup in 2024, which some claimed affected the dining experience for the worse.

In an early June Instagram post, chef Lomonaco shared, "This September, after nearly 20 years, Porter House Bar & Grill will close its doors and serve its last meal." He then continued, "To our loyal and prized guests – thank you for making Porter House Bar & Grill part of your lives and your special family moments and allowing us the privilege to serve you." The storied restaurant is slated to close sometime after Labor Day, although a precise closing date wasn't provided. In 2025, the Labor Day holiday occurs on Monday, September 1. If you live in the New York area, or plan to visit over the summer, you can drool over Porter House's tempting menu or make a reservation for the last time.

Although the restaurant business as a whole has struggled in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it's worth mentioning that a few nationally operated steakhouses appear to be on the mend as of late. That list includes Fogo de Chão, LongHorn Steakhouse, and Texas Roadhouse — all of which have utilized strategies varying from price cuts to selling additional seafood items to help boost revenues.