Openings and Closings: Branzino, Birria, and Burgers

Saigon Spice’s new location on Church Avenue. Photo from @saigon_spice on Instagram.

We say goodbye to a few good spots this round, which is always hard. Take time to mourn, and then make your way to one of the openings. We’ve got gold-foil lobster rolls, even more birria, and several Park Slope newcomers. As always, let us know if we’ve missed anything, and stay safe. You can find the last edition of this series here.

BK Lobster

4th Avenue and 13th Street.

A new Park Slope location of this fast-food chain is coming soon. Once it’s ready, you can grab seafood boil, loaded lobster fries, or their famous gold-wrapped lobster roll.

Flatiron Restaurant

397 5th Avenue, between 6th and 7th streets.

Park Slope’s Fifth Avenue will soon be home to Flatiron Restaurant. The spot has truffle fries, shrimp cocktail, filet mignon, branzino, flatbreads, and desserts on the menu. No word on an exact opening date yet, though.

Halalbees

378 Myrtle Avenue, between Claremont Avenue and Adelphi Street.

The Myrtle Avenue BID announced the upcoming opening of Halalbees. Their storefront advertises burgers, fries, and shakes on the menu.

Peter’s Crunchy Red Tacos

348-416 Jefferson Street, between Wyckoff and Irving avenues.

Brooklyn’s birria craze continues with this Bushwick newcomer, Peter’s Crunchy Red Tacos food truck. In addition to the classic tacos, they’ve also got tortabirria, birria nachos, and quesabirria.

Saigon Spice

1021 Church Avenue, between Stratford Road and E. 10th Street.

Church Avenue recently welcomed this Vietnamese spot to the area. The menu includes banh mi, pho, spring rolls, and dumplings. The building housed Hunger Pang, a local favorite, until last Spring.

Taqueria El Patron

191 5th Avenue, between Union and Sackett streets.

This PLG taco spot had a soft opening on their Park Slope location last week. They’ve got a spacious backyard with colorful tables, and all the favorites like taquitos, enchiladas de mole, and spicy shrimp quesadilla.

Closings

Diamonds Bar

43 Franklin Street, between Calyer and Quay streets.

Greenpointers mourned the loss of neighborhood spot The Diamond bar on Instagram. The spot had over 13 years  in business, and closed early this month.

Lucianos

15 MetroTech Center, between Tech Place and Myrtle Avenue.

Eater reported that this Downtown Brooklyn spot has closed after more than 16 years in business.

Luke’s Lobster Park Slope

237 5th Avenue, between President and Carroll streets.

The Park Slope location of this chain has closed. A sign on the door announced the closure to locals, reading “we regret to inform you that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have made it impossible to keep our Park Slope shack open.” Their other locations, in Brooklyn Bridge Park and Manhattan will remain open.

Purple Yam

1314 Cortelyou Road, between Argyle and  Rugby roads.

This Ditmas Park spot has closed temporarily, and say they hope to reopen in a month. They’d posted a GoFundMe to help, which has already surpassed the $30,000 goal originally set. Owners cited the new restrictions as reasons for their closing on their Facebook page, writing that they “can come up stronger when the conditions allow us to reopen.”

Sugarcane

55 Water Street, off of Dock Street.

The Brooklyn outpost of this chain has closed, Eater reports. The spot has taken New York off of its list of locations on Instagram and their website, while the Miami and Las Vegas spots will remain open.

The Chocolate Room Park Slope

51 5th Avenue, between Bergen Street and St. Marks Avenue.

Park Slope’s dessert bar The Chocolate Room has closed permanently. Their Cobble Hill location will remain open.