Openings

The New J.G. Melon Stays True to the Iconic Original

Just like uptown.
Just like uptown. Photo: Melissa Hom

It took 43 years, but J.G. Melon’s iconic burgers will be available downtown today with the opening of a new location at the corner of Bleecker and MacDougal. Spearheaded by veteran Melon manager Shaun Young along with restaurateurs and brothers Danny and Steve Abrams, the new location looks like a faithful reproduction of the original. This location, though, will just be the first of many if all goes according to plan, and will test the city’s appetite for the old-school pub.

The plan was always not to mess with a good thing, and it’s nice to see the partners sticking to that maxim and executing it well. The tables are still covered in green checker cloths; there are plenty of images of watermelons; and the place generally looks like a tavern where you could hang out with your pops. The menu will be the same, save for the addition of desserts from Steve Abrams’s Magnolia Bakery, but it’s not like New Yorkers would have it any other way.

They would've never left the watermelons behind.
They would’ve never left the watermelons behind. Photo: Melissa Hom
They're ready for you.
They’re ready for you. Photo: Melissa Hom

J.G. Melon, 89 Macdougal St., 212-460-0900

Inside the New J.G. Melon