The Oyster Bar has been an important part of New York for over a century. The story goes that the railroad baron Cornelius Vanderbilt selected the site in his new Grand Central Terminal for a restaurant he named the Oyster Bar. That New York original opened in 1913. It’s location at the very hub of America’s long-haul passenger train system guaranteed its success.

After a half-century of service to America’s travelers, the Oyster Bar began to feel the effects of the decline of railroad passenger ridership in the 1960’s. The restaurant’s business declined as the glorious old Grand Central Terminal fell into disrepair. But a great idea and great location can’t lie dormant for long. Under the creative guidance of Jerome Brody, a new Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant was opened. He preserved the famous name in a landmark space while creating a new seafood emporium that is now celebrated as the premier seafood restaurant in the United States and perhaps the world.