Pig Beach’s Brooklyn Location Closing at the End of 2022
Pig Beach Brooklyn, which has one of the best restaurant backyards in NYC, announced it will close at the end of the year.
In a shocking announcement this week, the owners of Pig Beach NYC said that its Brooklyn location would close on December 30. The Brooklyn location opened in 2016 and has grown into one of the top barbecue destinations in the NYC area, so it will be a considerable loss for the BBQ scene.
“Despite our greatest efforts, what has been our flagship home for the last eight years was sold to a local Brooklyn developer, Tankhouse, along with their partner, MacArthur Holdings, as part of the Gowanus Rezoning project,” Pig Beach owners Shane McBride, Matt Abdoo, Rob Shawger, Gary Kravetz, and Dennis Lu posted on social media on Wednesday. “Progress is always the way in NYC — and perhaps that’s part of its dynamic charm, the shiny new flipside to its timeless patina. But along with the major facelift the whole Gowanus Canal area is about to undergo, so go many of the local businesses and the employees that made them such an essential part of the neighborhood."
Pig Beach Brooklyn always offered up high-quality barbecue and strong drinks.
Pig Beach’s partners have said they are working to find a new home in Brooklyn. They hope they can eventually come back to the same block they are on now after the area is rebuilt.
“Knowing how much Pig Beach means to the neighborhood (and vice versa), we’ve left the door open with the new landlords to one day reopen Pig Beach in the new 480 Union Street development,” the owners wrote. “We’re staying hopeful those future stars will align — but in the meantime, we’re vigorously seeking out a new place in Brooklyn, whether it be temporary or permanent, where we can light up our smokers again.”
While Pig Beach’s Brooklyn location was the operation’s first joint, the founders have since opened locations in Queens, New York, and West Palm Beach, Florida. The crew also are working to open a new Louisville, Kentucky, restaurant in 2023 as well.
My wife and I hosted our wedding at Pig Beach Brooklyn in 2021.
What makes Pig Beach’s Brooklyn closing a gut punch on a personal level is that it is where my wife and I got married in June 2021, and it was a place we spent a lot of time with our friends. We’ll always have great memories of our wedding and of all the other times we partied there, including celebrating the legacy of chef Jeff Michner, stuffing our faces at Brisket King NYC, and watching my hometown Kansas City Chiefs win the Super Bowl. I’ll also be celebrating my birthday there one last time later this month.
Pig Beach’s Queens location has a huge space and will continue be a destination for BBQ lovers.
As for what the future holds for Pig Beach, I have no doubt the owners will find a new spot in Brooklyn that will feature a lot of what made the previous spot so fun. But it is a blow for the NYC BBQ community nonetheless.
Thankfully, in the meantime, BBQ lovers and groups can spend time at the Queens location, which also has a massive outdoor space. The Queens location will also play host for the next editions of Brisket King NYC and the Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit in 2023, so keep an eye out for those.
My most ordered item at Pig Beach Brooklyn was likely the joint's outstanding wings.
Additionally, Pig Beach’s owners note that some of their Brooklyn employees will be moving to other locations, including in Queens.
“We will be moving as many of our team members as possible to our awesome Queens location to keep the Pig Beach fires burning here in NYC,” the owners wrote. “Some will join us at our new West Palm Beach, FL location, while others will join us in opening a new door in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2023. Without our team, these locations wouldn’t exist."
I hope you all can stop by for one last party at Pig Beach before it closes. The owners promise a lively time if you do.
“We hope you all will join our team in celebrating our last few weeks at Pig Beach BBQ in Brooklyn,” We’ll be cooking up a lot of great stuff — and I promise it will be fun! Because that’s what BBQ is all about, after all: food, family, and fun.”
Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ
EAT ALL ABOUT IT
Dinosaur BBQ founder John Stage (left) was featured on ABC World News Tonight this week.
Here are the top BBQ and related food news stories you need to know about this week:
This week, Dinosaur BBQ founder John Stage spoke with ABC News’s David Muir about his restaurant’s history and how they make their sauces using only ingredients from America. Stage also talked about how Dinosaur’s barbecue chips are made with New York potatoes, and sales go toward helping the Food Bank of Central New York. WATCH HERE.
NYC staple Dallas BBQ will be closing its East Village location at the end of the year. The location has operated on St. Mark's Place and 2nd Ave since the 1980s. READ HERE.
If you’re looking to give a BBQ experience as a holiday gift, consider getting tickets to Brisket King 2023. This edition of Brisket King will be held at Pig Beach’s Queens location in April and offer tons of delicious brisket dishes. BUY HERE.
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