Empire Steak House Times Square

Steak house · 233 W 49th St, New York, NY 10019, United States · United States

★ 4.9 on Google · 8,270 reviews · View on Google Maps

32 / 100

Manipulation score

Clean

Completed Jul 19, 2026 · 289 reviews flagged

How this score works

The score estimates how strongly this place's review record matches known manipulation patterns, from 0 (no signs) to 100. Verdicts: Clean below 40, Suspicious from 40, Likely Manipulated from 70; Review Drive when the flags are mostly staff asking customers for named reviews. It rises with the share of reviews flagged and how suspicious each one is.

Burst: — an abnormal spike of five-star reviews in a single day compared to the place's usual pace.
Low activity account: — the reviewer has almost no other reviews, photos, or Local Guide history; throwaway accounts look like this.
Duplicate text: — the wording is nearly identical to another review of the same place.

Verdicts are statistical estimates based on public review patterns, not accusations. Full methodology, signal definitions and known limits →

Case conclusion

What the numbers say

1,000 reviews examined

Google rating: 4.9★
Not-flagged average: 4.9★
Flagged: 29%
Coverage: 12%

“Not flagged” means no configured Revdict signal matched; it does not prove a review is genuine. Data fetched Jul 19, 2026.

Review brief

What reviews not flagged by Revdict say

Empire Steak House in Times Square is widely praised for its exceptional cuts of meat, generous portions, and refined atmosphere. Reviewers frequently highlight the attentive, friendly service and recommend the restaurant for pre-theater dining or special celebrations.

+ Repeated strengths

High-Quality Steaks

Reviewers report that the steaks, including the porterhouse, ribeye, and filet mignon, are tender, flavorful, and cooked to perfection.

3 supporting reviews

5★ · 2026-05-05
Beautiful atmosphere. AMAZING steak. The staff was incredibly attentive. If you’re looking for great steak in New York City: THIS IS THE PLACE!

5★ · 2026-05-14
Outstanding dinner from start to finish. The porter steak for 2 was cooked perfectly medium-rare with an amazing sear, and the sides were just as good. Service was attentive without hovering, and our server knew the menu inside out. The atm...

5★ · 2026-06-08
Had an amazing experience at Empire Steakhouse. Marjel took great care of us and the food was excellent. We saved this dinner for our last night in NYC and it was the perfect way to end our trip. Thank you to the team who took care of us!

Attentive and Friendly Service

Staff members are frequently described as welcoming, professional, and exceptionally attentive throughout the meal.

3 supporting reviews

5★ · 2026-05-12
Extremely friendly, amazing food!! Would highly recommend! Alex our waiter was professional, super helpful and funny, thank you for making our evening special. Appreciate it. 😊

5★ · 2026-05-13
You may assume this is a gimmicky times square place, but the food was well done snd service was excellent. Great option for a broadway night out!

5★ · 2026-06-21
We celebrated my birthday here, and it was an incredible experience from start to finish! The food was outstanding—our steaks were cooked perfectly and everything we ordered was delicious. The atmosphere was elegant yet comfortable, making...

Atmosphere and Special Occasions

The restaurant offers a classy yet comfortable environment that is well-suited for anniversaries, birthdays, and pre-theater dinners.

3 supporting reviews

5★ · 2026-05-11
A wonderful birthday celebration for my wife - the whole experience was first class. We had very friendly service and the food was excellent. We had the Theater special and it was great.

5★ · 2026-05-16
We dine here every time we come to NYC. The food is delicious, the service impeccable, and the atmosphere is classy. It's one of the few restaurants near Times Square where it's quiet enough to have conversation over dinner. We've tried sev...

5★ · 2026-07-01
Atmosphere that makes you feel like you’re not in the city, super quiet and romantic. Our server Cristian was very attentive and friendly and the staff was friendly as well. Definitely will be back.

− Repeated complaints

Pricing and Value

Some reviewers mention that the meals are quite expensive relative to the overall experience.

2 supporting reviews

4★ · 2026-05-20
We had a selection of steaks, surf and turf, and side dishes. The steaks were very good, however, I would rate the price/performance ratio as too high, as the service also didn't live up to the prices. We had a reservation, so there was no...

3★ · 2026-07-11
Way too expensive for the mediocure steak. Approximately $85 for a steak that was burned and came without vegetables. Service was great! I think the high prices are defined by the location of this restaurant.

Dessert Quality

A few reviewers felt that certain desserts, such as the tiramisu, did not live up to the high standard of the rest of the meal.

1 supporting review

4★ · 2026-05-09
Steaks are good but I was expecting more from deserts. We had Tiramisu and I won't recomend it. Haven't tasted the cheesecake.

Overly Attentive Service

A reviewer noted that the waitstaff could occasionally feel overbearing or rushed due to constant check-ins.

1 supporting review

4★ · 2026-06-01
The staff were very attentive, but slightly too much. I felt like I was being constantly asked how the food was. I like to be able to just enjoy my meal in peace. 2 staff were literally racing to get me water / menus, I imagine so they coul...

Good for

Pre-theater dinners
Celebrating birthdays and anniversaries
Sharing large portions of steak

Avoid if

You are looking for budget-friendly dining options
You prefer a completely hands-off service style without frequent check-ins

Review anatomy

Reviews per month

Reviews per month, total and flagged
Month	Reviews	Flagged
May ’26	407	117
Jun ’26	353	96
Jul ’26	240	76

Rating distribution

5★

4★

3★

2★

1★

Evidence

low activity account 289 reviews flagged weight 0.8

Flagged reviews

Showing the 10 most suspicious of 289 flagged reviews.

Yuriy Zvazhenko

2 reviews

★★★★★

2026-05-02

lauren shepherd

1 review

★★★★★

2026-05-03

Marjel was so friendly and attentive, such a great server! He was very kind and we enjoyed showing him photos of Red Rocks and the animals at the Downtown Aquarium and telling him to come visit Colorado!

Stacey Torres

2 reviews

★★★★★

2026-05-03

The food was amazing! It had excellent reviews! I dread steakhouses because it’s not cooked right. Tonight, the food was perfect and I did not have to It back! The staff from friendly and attentive.

Eric Beecher

1 review

★★★★★

2026-05-03

I’ve only ever been to New York City twice, but Empire will always be in contention for the rest of my life as a spot to dine anytime I come back. A restaurant full of people yet our server, Leon, made us feel as though we were the highest VIPs of importance. Unreal service, unreal food, unreal su...

Isabel MARTINEZ LOPEZ

2 reviews

★★★★★

2026-05-04

We ordered meat and it was spectacular, the service was very attentive and correct.

Stephen Evans

1 review

★★★★★

2026-05-05

Andrew McCormick

1 review

★★★★★

2026-05-06

Lorik was a very nice guy and a great server would highly recommend sitting with him

Kathy Giorno

2 reviews

★★★★★

2026-05-06

Our waiter, Ariel, was very attentive. Excellent service. The steaks were amazing. Thank you

Tory Rohelia

2 reviews

★★★★★

2026-05-07

freaky shakes

1 review

★★★★★

2026-05-08

Everything was so amazing!

Report generated Jul 19, 2026. Reviews change — you can request a fresh investigation.

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