Connaughton’s Riverdale Steak House — Restaurant in New York

It's exactly how it's advertised. Local, inviting, unassuming, great food and pleasant service. If you're looking for the latest innovations in food, Connaughton's isn't the place, but if want to feel welcomed, appreciated, leave completely satisfied and contributing to a local business that has been an anchor in the community for 40 years, you'll be right at home. After living in Riverdale for over a year, this was my first trip to the restaurant. I usually choose my dinner spots, so I can walk, but I'm glad I hopped in the car. I read about Terry Connaughton and had to try it. I had a chance to meet him. He's a regal looking Irishman. There's no question that he's the patriarch of the clan. I couldn't believe he was 86. I went for a steak, but was handed the specials. Codfish Cakes! My waitress comfortably recommended the special and told me that I wouldn't be disappointed. I'm a Codfish aficionado ( usually salted, but these were fresh ) and was hesitant, but took a chance. EXCELLENT! Crisp veggies and mashed potatoes. A perfect meal for a cold winter night. It was also very affordable, especially for NYC standards. I think the most expensive steak was $32. I purposely exited through the bar to catch the vibe of the locals. Folks just seem so happy to be there, eating or drinking. Young, old and everyone in between will love it. Let's hope they don't change for...

The food here is pretty good in general but there are some weak points. The key lime pie doesn't have good flavor one would expect. The soups are inconsistent, either great or nothing special. I love their potato coconut soup but they haven't been serving it as of late. They make a delicious panko-breaded deep fried sole. The Connaughton’s Salad is very good. The staff here are very friendly and conversational but not attentive enough when it comes to collecting the signature slips for credit card payments at the table. Verdict is I would eat here again. Good place to relax with company in a homey old world pub setting. Well, I ate here again on July 2, 2025 and the food was great. I had a delicious cod patty, which was perfectly seasoned and came with fresh tomato slices, spinach leaves, mixed greens and avocado slices on a quality hamburger bun. I got with it some perfectly seasoned rice. I had a potato leek soup before the main course, which helped my mood and was very flavorful. I got a Samuel Adam's Summer Ale, which was light and flavorful. My partner got a piece of chocolate moose cake that looked really nice and fresh. She ate it all with delight. I got the cake on the house since it was my birthday. They sang me the "happy birthday" song. It was all very nice and an improvement over...

We left there pretty disappointed. Our appetizers were delicious but the most important part of our meal (the steaks) were very disappointing. I got the special which was the filet on the bone and although it was okay, it was not prepared the way I asked. I ordered it medium and it came out well done around the outside and very rare in the middle. I'm not an expert in this area but I don't think a filet is suppose to prepared like that. It was just cooked very uneven. I could be wrong, but you can see pic below and judge yourself. Perhaps it's normal. My husband got the 22 oz. ribeye. He is the son of a butcher so is very critical. He absolutely hated it. I tried a piece and had to spit it out because it was very rare and rubbery. He is a fan of rare so that didn't bother him. I couldn't even chew it. Also Grease is no enemy to my husband but there was just so much that he felt very uneasy on the ride home. French fries were good, and being a big fan of onion rings, I did not like them at all. Bland and too much coating. The positive part of the meal... The staff was excellent and attentive, and our waiter seemed very knowledgeable. Perhaps it was just a bad night and poor...