Steakhouse · Manhattan, 1885
Keens Steakhouse
Keens Steakhouse is a chophouse at 72 West 36th Street in Manhattan, opened in 1885 by Albert Keen, known for its mutton chop and for a ceiling hung with tens of thousands of clay pipes.
At a glance
- City
- Manhattan, New York, USA
- Founded
- 1885
- Style
- American chophouse
- Beef
- USDA Prime, dry-aged on premises
- Known for
- Mutton chop, clay-pipe ceiling
A ceiling of clay pipes
Keens is an American chophouse on West 36th Street, in the Garment District near Herald Square. Wikipedia describes it as the second-oldest steakhouse in New York City, after the Old Homestead (1868).
The restaurant is known as much for its interior as for its food: the ceilings are lined with long-stemmed churchwarden clay pipes associated with its Pipe Club.
Lillie Langtry's lawsuit, 1905
Albert Keen, who had managed the Lambs Club in New York, opened Keens Chophouse in 1885. In 1905 the actress Lillie Langtry was refused entry to the restaurant, which at the time admitted only men; she sued, won, then came in and ordered the mutton chop.
Herman Zuch bought the restaurant in 1928. It closed in 1977 and was bought and reopened in 1981 by George Schwarz and Kiki Kogelnik. In November 2024 it was bought by Tilman Fertitta, reportedly for about $30 million.
The pipes are associated with the restaurant's Pipe Club. Keens states that the club roster holds more than 90,000 names, including Theodore Roosevelt, Babe Ruth, Albert Einstein, J. P. Morgan and Buffalo Bill. Wikipedia counts more than 50,000 pipes on the ceilings; the restaurant calls it the largest collection of churchwarden pipes in the world.
USDA Prime, aged in house
According to the menu, all steaks are USDA Prime grade, "hand-picked and dry-aged on premise". The number of days of dry-aging is not stated.
Grill and fuel: not published
The restaurant's published materials do not describe the type of grill or broiler, or the fuel used.
The mutton chop, at $73
The house dish is the mutton chop, listed on the menu as "Our Legendary Mutton Chop" at $73. Sources disagree on a milestone from 1935: Wikipedia says the restaurant served its one millionth mutton chop that year, while Keens' own history page, citing The New York Times, gives the figure as the 100,000th.
Steaks include a Prime porterhouse for two ($143) or three ($177), cut from the short loin with the strip and tenderloin on the bone, and a Prime Rib "King's Cut" ($89). Prices are those of the dinner menu as checked in October 2026.
No. 58 on the 101 Best Steak list
Keens was ranked no. 58 in the World's 101 Best Steak Restaurants list for 2025.
Frequently asked questions
How old is Keens Steakhouse?
It opened in 1885. Wikipedia lists it as New York City's second-oldest steakhouse, after the Old Homestead (1868).
Why are there pipes on the ceiling at Keens?
They are churchwarden clay pipes associated with the restaurant's Pipe Club, whose roster Keens puts at more than 90,000 names. Wikipedia counts more than 50,000.
How much is the mutton chop at Keens?
The dinner menu lists "Our Legendary Mutton Chop" at $73 (October 2026).
Who owns Keens Steakhouse?
Tilman Fertitta bought it in November 2024, reportedly for about $30 million. George Schwarz and Kiki Kogelnik had owned it since 1981.
Sources
4
- Keens Steakhouse. "History of Keens." www.keens.com/historyofkeens
- Keens Steakhouse. "Dinner menu." www.keens.com/dinner
- Wikipedia. "Keens Steakhouse." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keens_Steakhouse
- World's 101 Best Steak Restaurants 2025 (list, via En Primeur Club). www.enprimeurclub.com/lists/2025-worlds-best-steaks-101-best-steak-restaurants
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