Murray's Sturgeon Shop

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Murray's Sturgeon Shop
Murray's Sturgeon Shop.jpg
Murray's Sturgeon Shop
Interactive map of Murray's Sturgeon Shop
Restaurant information
Established1945 (1945)
LocationNew York City, New York, United States

Murray's Sturgeon Shop is an appetizing store [1] and neighborhood fixture in Manhattan's Upper West Side. It is located on Broadway between 89th Street and 90th Street. [2] [3]

Contents

The shop was founded by Murray Bernstein in 1945. [4] A few years later, his brother, Sam, became a co-owner. [4] The Bernsteins were born in Poland and immigrated to New York in the 1920s to escape antisemitism. [4]

The store specializes in smoked fish, especially sturgeon, and caviar. [4] [5] In 1964, The New York Times described it as "one of the busiest places on Broadway" and praised its products as "first quality". [5] The store ships their fish all over the world, and in 1980 Murray's appetizers were being sold at the Neiman Marcus Epicure Shop in White Plains, New York. [6]

Show business personalities Sammy Cahn and Zero Mostel were regulars at the shop. [7]

In 1974, the shop was sold to restaurateur Artie Cutler. Artie took in a partner, Harold "Heshy" Berliner, in 1979. They sold the business to Ira Goller in 1990. [8] Goller continued to own and operate the store 34 years later in 2024 and prides himself on maintaining continuity with its origins. [9] [2]

Sam Bernstein died in 1977 and Murray Bernstein died in 2000. [4] [7]

See also

References

  1. Glaser, Milton (July 22, 1968). "A Gentile's Guide to Jewish Food Part 1:The Appetizing Store". New York .
  2. 1 2 Ringler, Rachel (March 14, 2023). "This Upper West Side appetizing shop stands apart by standing still". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Archived from the original on August 12, 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  3. Tannenhauser, Carol (April 17, 2018). "Small Business Focus: Murray's Sturgeon Shop". West Side Rag. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Martin, Douglas (February 23, 2000). "Murray Bernstein, West Side Sturgeon King, Dies at 87". The New York Times . Retrieved December 2, 2012.
  5. 1 2 Claiborne, Craig (March 10, 1964). "Food News: Smoked Fish Delicacies". The New York Times . Retrieved December 2, 2012.
  6. Fabricant, Florence (September 6, 1980). "...Together With the Taste of New York; Chill at $5 a Pound". The New York Times . Retrieved December 2, 2012.
  7. 1 2 "Sam Bernstein, Founder of Murray's, the Store Specializing in Sturgeon". The New York Times . May 18, 1977. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
  8. "MURRAY'S STURGEON SHOP, Upper West Side". Forgotten New York. July 3, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  9. Beck, Robert (February 15, 2024). "West Side Canvas: Murray's Sturgeon Shop". West Side Rag. Archived from the original on April 20, 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.

40°47′26″N73°58′30″W / 40.79063°N 73.97504°W / 40.79063; -73.97504