B B King Blues Club and Grill

This place used to be the best for dinner and a live show, but it's gone to hell in a handbasket fast. First of all, their prices have gone through the roof ($10 for a few sips of wine - not a glass) and $30 for a piece of fish because all of the sides are extra, starting at $7 each. Second, the place is falling apart - chairs and carpet all ratty, bathroom a pigs sty, etc. To add insult to injury, the service is deplorable. We waited almost 40 minutes just to pay our bill and finally had to leave without a credit card receipt because their "machines are slow." Watch out because there are annoying helpers that come around constantly and take your plates and glasses before you're even through with them. Unless you REALLY have to see a performer there, don't bother. And when you do go, bring a flask and brown bag with you if you intend to drink or eat. Pros: Ocassionally good entertainment Cons: Cost, service and atmosphere the worst more

We went to BB King's to check out the "free" music at Lucille's Grill. I know that things are expensive in New York and we sure found that to be the fact at BB Kings! Dinner for 4 people and a few drinks....cha ching to the tune of $250..... I ordered their "Memphis Style" bar-b-que ribs. They were not even close! I got three very small rib sections that were mearly dunked in a generic BBQ sauce. The meat was fatty and grisley. They didn't even provide sauce on the side for dipping! The ribs came with a small scoop of cold potato salad, thats it!..... I wonder what Mr. King would have though if he were served this! My report card Music: SO SO Atmosphere: Clubish Service: Good Food: Poor Cost: On the High Side Recommendation: NOT (better choices abound in NY) Pros: Good Service. Cons: Below quality food. High cost more

This is the WORST spot in the entire city!!!! So tacky such a waste of time and money. And I was treated horribly by the security staff. The guy outside trying to act tough got too close to me when telling me where to smoke on a public sidewalk. First I listened then when he approached me while I was standing in the designated smoking area I told him that would be the last time that he got so close and told me where to stand. Then he threatened me with not being able to re-enter the club. I walked in and because he couldn't take it out on me he stopped the gentleman that was with me, that also had no words with him at all, and decided to rough him up. The security guard clearly had something to prove. He actually touched and pushed my friend and when I told him to take his hands off of him he proceeded to touch and push me. I must say in my whole life of living in this city and the many security guards I have come across I have never been treated this way. I was allowed to re-enter the club but I will never forget how poorly I was treated and all because the lil girl security guard couldn't handle a woman that told him to back off. I was in the right and he was a lil girl about it. Don't go to this club if you know any better!!! Pros: none Cons: pushy unprofessional security more

I love, love the B.B. King. They've got the best grill in all of New York! And if that wasn't enough, they have live jazz. The next time you are on 42nd street stop by the B.B. King. more

A few days ago my family and I visited New York for the second time, mostly sticking close to Times Square. We came to see Chicago on Broadway, which of course was wonderful, but afterwards we were starving and wandered around for a place to eat and relax a bit, since we're not really used to the New York pace. We had heard of BB Kings from a friend who told us about the music and the drinks, so we decided to check it out. We wound up going to Lucille's Grill which is the bar inside the club, and once we got there, we were actually really impressed with the food we got there. We were expecting the usual night club glop, but this was really good. I got the salmon and it was really well prepared, it didn't taste like the generic "BBQ" flavor you get at most places. I also had the Caesar salad, but you can't really go wrong with that. Both of my parents had the fillet mignon, and they said it was delicious. My brother had the burger and he seemed to enjoy it, once again can't really mess that up. Afterwards we had a few drinks and listened to the free music which was impressive and convenient. We're all serious blues and jazz fans in my family and we're used to all of the seedy blues spots with good music and crappy food, but for once we found a place that was all-around exactly what we were looking for. Lucille's definitely provided an entertaining conclusion to our night. Pros: Free music, great food, great drinks Cons: Music was a little to loud for dinner, but great for drinks more

I'm a big fan of the music at BB King Blues Club which is in the main room, and usually after the show my friends and I like to go into Lucille's for a drink. Due to unfavorable reviews and the fact that we usually eat before we go out on the town, I had stayed away from the food at Lucille's for all of the years I had been there. However, my girlfriend and I showed up over an hour before a show at BB King's a few weeks back, and after being informed that the menu had recently been restructured, we decided to eat our dinner at Lucille's. We started by sharing the Catfish Fingers (a little taste of home) which were properly cooked and tasty, not too heavy. For our main meals I had the brisket of beef and my girlfriend had the red snapper, and both of us were pleasantly surprised. We also shared a side of pureed sweet potatoes. The brisket was a large portion and plenty of food, and according to my girlfriend, the snapper was cooked perfectly. We had no room for desert but shared some Key Lime Pie anyway, and I'm glad we did, it was delicious. So we've decided we're changing our routine - instead of just coming in for drinks to Lucille's after seeing a show in the main room at BB King's, we're coming here first to have dinner. There's live music in Lucille's and it's free, so we plan to check that out as well. And by the size of the crowd at Lucille's when we were there last, it seems like others are catching on as well. Highly recommended. Pros: Great food, free live music, bluesy atmosphere, good drinks more

The phone representatives are very courteous, as is the security staff, but the wait staff? Everyone else looked like they may have had an attentive waiter - ours was only focused on getting phone numbers from the girls across the room. Also, he had an obnoxious attitude toward us, and we saw equally frustrated faces on other people in his section. On the plus side, the sound in the place is pretty good, so no matter where you sit, you'll hear the band really clearly.The food is costly, but good for the most-part. We ate there because we had a show and didn't feel like standing with the drunken rowdy crowd at the front. Our food was late and arrived at room temperature, which is a little perplexing considering the Mac N' Cheese was in a SKILLET, and he neglected our table and the table ahead of us for most of the night. Pros: good sound Cons: lazy waiter service more

I've lived in NYC for 5 years and eat out every single day. I don't understand all the reviews here. The food was awesome! We went last week to see Etta James - unbelievable performance!! Before she came on, all 6 of us decided to order dinner since we did not have time before arriving that night. Everyone kept commenting how good their food was and 2 of us specifically were pleasantly surprised after having read the reviews here. I ordered popcorn shrimp and a few others ordered catfish fingers and salads and we also got the raw oysters, etc for the table. All were outstanding. I followed with the pulled pork sandwich and having lived in the South for the 1st 18 years of my life - it was as good as it gets. Excellent!! Another couple ordered the Porterhouse which was huge and they said it was one of the best steaks they have had in the city. It was kind of expensive but that's NYC for you -- you never get used to it but have to sort of accept it. We had a great night and I definitely will be back. Pros: Awesome food, awesome music, and a NYC must! Cons: Tables could be a bit bigger for more room for drink/food more

I decided to treat my mother yesterday for her bday...What a dissapointment! While the "Choir" can really sing,(thats why I gave 2 stars instead of one) the food is certainly inedible. They should cut the ticket costs in half, and just have them sing minus the Brunch. How can you mess up breakfast foods? Well the cooks at BB Kings found a way!! Tasteless grits, salty bacon, and GREASY sausage. The Lunch items... runny baked mac n cheese, Catfish that was too breaded.and not seasoned, Collard Greens that were spicy enough to make your eyes water...should I go on?? Im from NY, but both my parents are from the south... so I know how good soul food should taste because WE make it..lol. I felt bad for the out of towners that looked like they've never had soul food before, I kept thinking "My goodness I hope they dont think this is how its suppose to be". I wish I wouldve read the reviews here before i went. I normally do, but i wasnt thinking .. more

As a BB King (and Blues) fan I was really looking forward to my trip to New York with the prospect of visiting another of B's Clubs (I've also been to the Memphis one). First visit to the club was just to have a drink at Lucilles Bar after a meal somewhere else. The barman was pleasant and friendly and the band were good, the atmosphere was nice and relaxed for a Monday night, my wife and I had a couple of drinks and left planning to return on our last night in NY for a meal. We arrived for dinner and were given the freedom to sit anywhere so we sat at the back as the music was pretty loud up by the bar, now don't get me wrong, I love loud Rock music, but maybe not while I'm out for dinner with my wife, there's a time and place for everything. We had a good time to look over the menu but were suprised by how expensive it all was for what really is nothing more than Fast Food ($7.00 for a side order of fries) but hey, it was our last night in NY before flying back to England so what the hell. I ordered the Pulled Pork sandwhich and my wife had the Cat fish fingers with the side of fries. The meal arrived and the Cat fish fingers looked good but I'm afraid the same can't be said for the Pulled Pork sandwich, it was dreadful, the bun it was served in tasted like it was at least a day old, the meat was warm at best (nowhere near Hot) and the BBQ sauce the meat was nearly coated in had a funny twang to it, I ate some of it but figured it best to leave the rest. When the waiter returned he was apologetic but didn't offer to have it replaced and just brought the bill. The Bill included gratuity which I asked for it to be removed, why should I pay even more for bad bad food, I told him he should take it up with the chef as the Chef had let him down. Overall a really disappointing experience. I feel bad for BB King, this place uses his name and thus reflects on him. I'm sure that he'd be really upset to know how people think. Pros: Good for a relaxed drink at the bar. Cons: Terrible food, should have more Blues memorabilia, should play Blues and Jazz Music not heavy Rock or Reggae more

I accompanied my mother to see one of her favorite blues performers here and I was EMBARASSED for New York. The food was not only overpriced, but INEDIBLE and on top of that it made me sick later that night. We were so cramped my chair was literally 3/4 in the aisle, and every time the waitress passed she knocked into my shoulder. This was the first time in a year that my mother has come to visit the city and BB King absolutely ruined it. They are the worst venue, the worst restaurant, and the worst tourist trap that I have been to in the world. Don't bother going here. Pros: Good performer, ok service Cons: Cramped, overpriced, inedible, and the list goes on... more

I had the unfortunate experience of attending BB King for an afternoon of inedible food and a performance by the "world famous" Harlem Gospel "Choir." We arrived 10 minutes early for the event, only to wait outdoors in the cold winter air for the next 35 minutes. Once inside, it seemed experience was carefully tailored to ruthlessly remove any possible enjoyment of the experience. We were seated in the most cramped fashion I have experienced at a restaurant (I do wish I were exaggerating). Upon rising from my seat, 7 others had to leave their own to allow me to pass. The gentleman next to me had to ask 9 people to get out of their seats when he desired to use the restroom. Next, we went up to the buffet. The line flowed acceptably, but we had to wait several minutes for plates once we arrived at the front of the line. I took a small amount of each of the foods in front of us, then returned to my seat and my newfound role as a sardine. When I tried the food, I found that several items were inedible, the raw and bloody fried chicken among the most memorable. After the audience chased down their food, the Harlem Gospel "Choir" came to the stage. I use quotation marks, as this group amounted to seven singers and three musicians. Therefore, their sound lacked the fullness of a real gospel choir, as they did not even amount to a double quartet. The show was mildly entertaining, but the experience felt contrived compared to a true gospel choir. Every moment of the lunch led me to believe the experience was carefully engineered to charge as many people as possible, while providing the least in quality imaginable. Whoever manages this establishment should be utterly ashamed of themselves. I would also like to note that while Citysearch bestows this club with 4.5 stars, the user reviews currently average 3.2. Upon reading them, I suspect they could be even lower if users were allowed to give a zero rating. Pros: None. Cons: All. more

We were walking through Time Square and were handed a flyer advertising a comedy show at B.B. King's. We paid $32 a ticket for Jim Brewer and the Korean Kings of Comedy. The show was awesome and worth every penny. I love Jim Brewer, and it was so cool to see him in person. However, the food was terrible and way overpriced. The service was good, the entertainment was great, the decor was cool, but the food was expensive and horrible. Pros: Great Venue Cons: Food more

I love Bob Marley and was waiting weeks just to hear some good live Bob songs. Little did I know all I would get was a bunch of stoned high school kids all over the place. The band played two songs and the majority of the night sat back stage getting high. This was the worst venue I have ever been to and I am not picky by any means. The waiter also agreed on the horrible music set so that has to tell you something. And dont think expressing your dissatisfaction to the owner because he brushes you off I guess he makes enough money off suckers like me so he didn't really care about how I felt. Okey enjoy! Pros: Waiter was very nice. Cons: Everything more

My friends and I (group of 8) got really hungry while exploring Times Square and we came across Lucille's Diner. It looked like a really fun place to go. However, it was around 4 or 5 which is a pretty weird hour. I know chefs HATE it when customers come in around that time, but we were hungry. The service was decent but the food was horrible. Everything came out cold to lukewarm. I ordered a caesar salad, ribs, and pecan pie from the prix-fixe menu. The ribs were very dry and they were cold. The pecan pie was decent and went well with the ice cream..but presentation was horrible. my crust was half missing. The chefs back there obviously didn't care. The only thing I enjoyed was my caesar salad. Despite having our large group come at 4, the food still should have been edible. None of us enjoyed our meals and we don't plan on returning. Pros: nice atmosphere at the bar Cons: horrible lukewarm food more

I knew I wanted to write something because this show was the exact opposite of what I read about the Family Stone performances here in November, but I'm so tired this morning. Luckily, the reviewer for the late show said it all. Ditto for the early show. It was amazing. This concert was incredible for the beginning to the end. The bass and drum combo was the definition of timing. The bass/drum/organ was devastating. The female singer was a perfect. Sly was on stage playing organ and singing for most of the show. Even during the limited amount of time that he was offstage was fine because the band is absolutely incredible. I don't drink, so I can't tell you about the bar. I didn't eat because I was at a concert. I was dancing; and I certainly had plenty of reason to do that. Five stars, unless they allow more. Pros: No place in the club is far from the stage. Cons: If there is a fire, everyone will try to run up the one stair. Some should run backstage. more

SLY STONE LATE SHow Dec 7. What a show. KILLER! One of those that you are going to tell your kids about and 10,000 people are going to say that they were there. Simply one for the rock and roll history books. After 32 years and all kinds of skuttlebutt, rumours, about Sly no shows, only gonna do pieces of 5 songs. Sly came out and held the crowd in such suspense for every song and just siled and performed like there was no tomorrow, as obviously there was no yesterdsay to compare him to. All the hits and what was amaizing WAS every band members eyes either directly on SLY or if not directly they were watching his every move outta the corners of their eyes on every moment of every song. Roadies watching. Supposedly live recorded WE CAN ONLY HOPE SO Stand. Thank You f' l't m' be myself agin, Everyday people. Sing a Simple Song. I want to take you . . . the crowd was screaming the lyrics all night long and Sly smiled all through the show. Like I said we can only hope someone recorded it. This show Can never be replicated. period. Pros: One of a kind Cons: hard to more

I went to the George Harrison tribute show with a group of out of town clients last night. While the show itself was enjoyable, my entire group was shocked by the truly awful food. We dined before the show and had high expectations based on the pricey menu. Despite the $800 tab, 3 out of 8 entrees were mixed up, all were cold, the appetizers were way too salty, and the $78 steak was just plain bad. Toppings for the baked potatoes arrived after the meal was over. We are not a picky bunch, but everyone was disappointed. Given the large selection of amazing restaurants in NYC, there is absolutely no reason to eat here. If you go, go for the music only. more

ABSOLUTELY ELECTRIFYING SHOW! Last night (Nov. 28) we saw the "All-Star Tribute to George Harrison: Concert for Bangladesh" and I can honestly say it was one of the best shows I've ever seen! Being just a so-so Beatles fan, I thought I'd be stifling yawns while my husband got his Beatle-groove on. Was I wrong! I wasn't prepared for what happens when you put high-octane musicians in the same room together, the end result simply blew me away! Music Director Tommy Williams (Long Island's Wonderous Stores frontman) brought together 23 top-notch musicians from around the country to replicate the music, spirit and energy from the original 1971 event. Tommy never left the stage during the 2-hour performance, and his enthusiasm and musical talent, ranging from lead vocals and lead guitar to mandolin, electric organ and harmonica, kept the adrenalin flowing and the audience members in their seats - when they were't giving standing ovations to the performers. B.B. King was jam-packed, and I mean there wasn't an empty seat to be found, so I was prepared to wait for service, yet to my surprise our waiter (Chase) provided attentive and rapid service. The menu is a bit on the pricey side, as are drinks, but it's New York City folks so be prepared to spend NY prices. Overall, I was blown away by the performers and the ambience, and I wasn't the only one as B. B. King's announced they would host the 2008 "All-Star Tribute to George Harrison: Concert for Bangladesh." I plan to be there next year people, if you want to be part of a spectacular night of entertainment you should be too! Pros: Atmosphere, live entertainment more

The show I saw at B.B.king was so so bad!!! Sly was so out of it he could barely stand up. The show was on November 20th. He shouldnt be on a stage, he should be at an intervention. When he started the show it took him about 20 minutes until he got it together enough to articulate an actual word and even that was not audible. The fans were very respectful but after a hefty tab including an 88 dollar ticket and food and drink, the night was not a cheap one. His performance was a disaster. Sly insulted his fans with his lack of professionalism. Maybe in his hayday he could keep it together, but he can't now. When i spoke to my friends with contacts in the music industry they were surprised that I would buy tickets to his performance due to Sly's "questionable reputation." This is someone who needs help. The band gives him defrence when they should be interveining. So if you happen to have tickets to his december 7th show, sell them, get rid of them, but don't torture yourself. I wish i would have known this information before attending the show, so i could have cut my losses. Bad drinks, bad food and a bad show. more