I'm not entirely sure this belongs in the Vanishing Downtown section -- as, truthfully, I hated the place -- but the age-old BBQ restaurant on the corner of East 8th Street and University Place closed quite unexpectedly this week. Its affiliates are still around (there's one on St. Mark's Place & 2nd Avenue and a couple uptown), so I don't think it's indicative of the demise of the whole chain, but this one seems gone for good.
I don't know when it first opened, but it must've been in the early 80's at least, as it's been on that corner since I first started coming downtown. I once literally ran into Run-DMC on their way out of the restaurant, narrowing avoiding stepping directly on their blinding white Adidas. My wife loved BBQ and often ordered from there, but I never thought their fare was all that special. In fact, I thought it was pretty cruddy. Mass produced on the cheap with precious little attention to any semblance of culinary finesse. But, y'know, what the hell do I know about barbecue cookin'. Actually, on a similar tip, Tennessee Mountain over on Spring Street -- another long standing downtown barbecue joint - just shut its doors for good too. Is there some new fatwa against greasy, artery-cloggin' chicken going on that I wasn't informed about?
In any case, another neighborhood staple bites the dust. I can't say I'm sorry to see it go, but I shudder to think about what might take its place. I hope to God it's not another bank or another Duane Reade. Say what I will about BBQ, at least the place had a bit of character.
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