damnlines.comdamnlines.comA cash-only Williamsburg steakhouse open since 1887, where the porterhouse is the point and getting a table is the hard part.
The line at Peter Luger is really the reservation. Forbes reports the Brooklyn location is 'notoriously hard to book,' with a waitlist that 'can stretch out for months,' while Mashed says you can reserve up to about a month ahead and that tables fill fast. The room dates to 1887 (per Wikipedia) and runs on a house-account system — Forbes counts roughly 100,000 Peter Luger Card holders who never touch the cash line.
Walk-ins are the other line. Yelp regulars say the restaurant takes walk-ins only from the 11:45am open until 2pm, then goes reservations-only; show up on a weekday around 2–3pm and the wait is often little to none, but at busier times regulars describe waits of 'more than an hour.' Mashed notes there's a large bar at the entrance where you wait — 'they'll serve a mean martini whilst you wait for a table to free up.'
Timing is everything. Luger VP Daniel Turtel told Forbes that 'early weekday lunches are a great way to sneak in' and the bar before 3pm is a good bet; for dinner he said '9PM is the right time to try to snag a last-minute seat,' when you'll wait but your name lands before they close out tables. And it stays cash-only: the restaurant's own site says it takes no credit cards, only the Peter Luger Card, US checks with ID, US debit cards, and cash.
No camera here yet — but these lines are on camera right now:
Lucinda's · 33 min walkclosedGolden Diner · 34 min walkclosedBánh Anh Em · 42 min walkclosedYelp regulars report little to no wait on weekday afternoons around 2–3pm, but say the walk-in wait is generally 'more than an hour' at busier times. Walk-ins are only accepted until 2pm; after that it's reservations-only.
For dinner, effectively yes. Forbes describes a Brooklyn waitlist that can stretch out for months, and Mashed says tables fill quickly within the roughly one-month booking window. Walk-ins are possible before 2pm.
Early weekday lunch. Luger VP Daniel Turtel told Forbes that 'early weekday lunches are a great way to sneak in' and the bar before 3pm is a good bet; for dinner he suggested trying around 9pm.
Yes. The restaurant's own site says it does not accept credit cards at either location — only the Peter Luger Card, US checks with ID, US debit cards, and cash.
Mashed says you can book up to about a month ahead and tables fill quickly, and Forbes notes the Brooklyn location is notoriously hard to book with a monthslong waitlist. Weekend dinners go first.