Long-Awaited BBQ Joint To Open In Astoria On Sunday

ASTORIA, QUEENS — A long-awaited barbecue joint is finally opening this weekend at the site of a former event space in Astoria.

Pig Beach BBQ, is slated to open at 35 - 37 36th Street at noon on Sunday, Oct. 24, following over a year of pandemic-related delays, the eatery told Patch. The Queens Post first reported this story.

"After having to pause our initial opening plans due to the pandemic, the timing felt right to open this fall," Shane McBride, a Pig Beach BBQ co-owner and Astoria resident, told Patch in a written statement. "This way, we can take advantage of the last few weeks of outdoor dining in this great weather."

Plus, he said that the restaurant's opening coincides with "prime sports season," which is great for the sprawling venue, which has a "huge jumbotron outside and over 50 TVs inside so guests will have plenty of options for watching the games once it starts getting colder.”

Pig Beach BBQ will replace Studio Space, an event space that closed in Nov. 2018, after nine years of business, under "mysterious circumstances."

At the time, neighbors had been complaining about noise levels at Studio Space, which held concerts and parties and could accommodate up to 900 people, but it's unclear if that's what prompted the space to shutter, multiple outlets reported.

Pig Beach BBQ, however, is planning to operate differently, McBride told the Queens Post.

“We won’t be a nightclub or play ear-splitting music; it will be a mix of classic rock, singer-songwriter and oldies played in the background,” the co-owner said.

The Brooklyn-based restaurant's move to Queens comes amid plans for a nationwide expansion; Pig Beach BBQ is also planning to open a location in Palm Beach, Florida, soon. The Astoria location will be its second-ever outpost, and first in Queens.

A full menu of smoked and grilled meats, sandwiches with pulled pork, chicken, and brisket, plus BBQ-style sides, like baked beans, cornbread, and fries, will start being served up in Astoria from noon to 8:00 p.m. on Sunday.

During the week of Oct. 25 the restaurant will be open from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and noon to 10:00 p.m. on the weekend — which follows its regular hours in Brooklyn.

In the first few months of being open, however, Pig Beach BBQ is planning to adjust its hours to "accommodate the barbecue needs of the people," so the eatery suggests checking its website to make sure that it is open.