Even restaurants with longstanding community ties and decades of history sometimes find themselves having to say goodbye. That’s what happened last week to Donohue’s Steak House, a fixture of Manhattan’s Upper East Side for more than 70 years.<\/p>\n
Donohue’s closed its doors Friday night after 76 years in business. News of the restaurant’s pending closure broke during the spring<\/a>, with owner Maureen Donohue-Peters sending a thank you message to customers on Instagram earlier this month.<\/p>\n “I want to express my deepest gratitude to all of you for being part of such a wonderful journey over the years,” Donohue-Peters wrote<\/a>. “The closing of Donohue’s is bittersweet, as I feel I am saying goodbye to my second family.”<\/p>\n Old-school and unforgettable<\/p>\n Founded in 1950, Donohue’s was known for its classic American fare and for being “a Museum of What Bars Used to Be,” according to<\/a> the New York Times.<\/p>\n Over the years, the bar attracted celebrities and local regulars alike. In 2025, Donohue-Peters, who took over ownership from her father in 2000, and her niece opened a second location, Donohue\u2019s East in Westhampton Beach, which will remain in operation.<\/p>\n “While this is a difficult farewell, it is not a final goodbye, but the beginning of a new chapter in Westhampton,” Donohue-Peters said in her letter to customers. “I will carry with me so many cherished memories from this special place. You have all helped shape the person I am today, and I cannot thank you enough.”<\/p>\n One final goodbye<\/p>\n June 19 was the final night of operation for Donohue’s original establishment at 845 Lexington Ave. Donohue-Peters was behind the bar as usual, serving drinks to customers who wanted one last hurrah.<\/p>\n “If I could speak to everybody who’s walked in the door over the years, all I can say is thank you,” Donohue-Peters told Patch<\/a>. “You are the people who made me what I am today.”<\/p>\n This story was originally published by Men’s Journal<\/a> on Jun 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the News<\/a> section. Add Men’s Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n