Openings & Closings: Tiki Chick, Au Jus, Sneaker Pawn, Joie
Tiki Chick plans to open at 517 Amsterdam Avenue (84th-85th) on December 31, management announced on Instagram. It’s the latest restaurant from Pickle Hospitality, which also runs Jacob’s Pickles, Maison Pickle and Lucky Pickle Dumpling. They call it “a retro tiki bar bringing all the tropical vibes and fun to the Upper West Side.” The restaurant is expected to serve various small plates and a fried chicken sandwich. There’s been quite a bit of anticipation of this restaurant, given how much people love Jacob’s and the other spots, and there’s been some controversy over the restaurant’s sign. “Bring a friend or 2 or 3 to a street we have proudly called home these passed 8 years,” management wrote. “Stay tuned. We have so much in store for you. 2020 is going to be a whole new world.”
A new restaurant called Au Jus is opening on Broadway and 99th in the spring of 2020, according to a sign on the door. There are other Au Jus locations on the Upper East Side, in Harlem and in Brooklyn. It’s an Oklahoma barbeque joint, and several Yelp reviews argue that it’s pretty authentic. “We prepare delicious comfort foods – luscious roasted meats and chicken to be sure – plus soups, salads, sandwiches, sides, and desserts,” the restaurant says. See the full Upper East Side menu here. Thanks to Simon for the tip.
Sneaker Pawn, a collectible sneaker shop that was only open briefly on Broadway between 105th and 106th street, appears to have closed for good with a “For Rent’ sign on the door. Thanks to Above_96th for the tip.
Clothing and accessories boutique Joie at 201 Columbus Avenue (69th-70th) closed earlier this month, advising people to go to the store’s downtown location. Thanks to Colleen, Margaret and Deborah for the tips.
Oklahoma barbecue? There’s no such thing! Anyone knows you have to go south of the Red River for real barbecued meat.
Oklahoma BBQ is nothing more than sun-dried armadillo roadkill. Sauce don’t help.
Ahem. We have great BBQ in Oklahoma. Especially when we roast some longhorns every second Saturday of October.
Thanks for the trash talk with Bevo! You made me laugh!
Well, technically, you STILL have to go south of the Red River for that.
Yesterday’s menu had a distinctly cajun dry rub to it though.
Guess you have never been to Kansa City for some of the best BBQ in the country. The South is not the only place to get BBQ, good or bad, and they have their share of roadkill too. 😄
LOL…
“Armadillo roadkill” hahahahahahahahaha
The Mandee a few doors up from Au Jus is closing, btw. “Everything $5” is posted on the windows, and the interior is down to the bare bones.
Mandee is closing stores in NJ and elsewhere; they aren’t doing very well at all.
I feel bad for all of the people who live near any of the jacobs pickle bar Tiki Chick.
It is a bar, yes a BAR not a restaurant as his PR spin says. It will drive people who live nearby crazy.
What fun you are!
There is a way to complain about scofflaw bars and restaurants outside of the city’s 311 number, and it is to the license issuing authority itself. They receive online complaints about sales to minors, sales to drunks, assualts/fights, noise and ‘others’.
Here is their website: https://slacomplaints.ny.gov/clientapp/
there is also the New York State Liquor Authority here: https://www.tran.sla.ny.gov/JSP/complaintreg/ComplaintRegistryPage.jsp
general information about filing complaints can be read here: https://www.cb5.org/cb5m/resources/for-people-who-live-or-work-in-o/explainer-resource-number-1/
Isn’t there a bar called E’s a couple doors down? At least that’s what their big highfalutin rootin tootin lawyer PR spin doctors say when I call ’em up on the telephone. A bar! And I don’t mean a mashed potater bar, or even a sody pop bar. No sir.
Must drive the folks way down in 10024 craaaaazy!
The pickle places, Terrible service , Ridiculously noisy , food overrated , Still hoping for some good restaurant openings
“Passed 8 years,” eh? I will LAUGH my you-know-what off if the manager had been an English major. Anyway. This place will probably do well given its location. But the tiki concept makes me uncomfortable. Still, people will flock there, I am sure.
The east side of Amsterdam between 84th-85th will be fully unnavigable soon. Jacobs Pickles does nothing to manage it’s crowds on the weekend and dozens of people mill around in a big packs making it impossible to pass through without shouting excuse me a dozen times. Unlike other brunch spots that create orderly lines, Jacobs Pickles doesn’t bother no matter how much I’ve complained to the management and the community board. With this new establishment, I’m sure weekends will bring even more tourist hordes who don’t realize people actually need to walk on the sidewalk.
I just researched the concept of “tiki bar” on Bing and it says that these places serve mostly RUM, the carnal sauce. Not only that, but these RUM DRINKS are served in large, flamboyant ceramics that pay homage to pagan gods! And they light them on fire and expect people not to get hurt?! I was outraged about the topless Polynesian Princess on the sign, but this really gets my knickers in a twist.
C’mon West Siders! We can’t sit by and watch our neighborhood become Rum Alley. This is the kind of thing that only happens on the rat-infested streets of the Upper East Side!
This reads as tongue firmly in cheek. I hope that was the spirit in which this comment was written? If not, puleeeeze! 🙄
Use the bicycle lane. No one else does.
You should start a CB7 petition demanding more empty storefronts. They don’t block the sidewalk at all.
So glad that harry’s burritos made way for joie a few years ago !!! -_____-
Harry’s Burrito became Iro, which is still open on 71st Street.
I’m looking forward to Tiki Chick providing an exciting new cocktail option for the neighborhood. If crowds and noise remain pretty manageable outside of all the other bars on Amsterdam in the 80s, I doubt there will be an issue at Tiki Chick. Always amazing how the people who complain about neighborhood vacancies also complain about interesting new bars and restaurants coming in — drawing more foot traffic and supporting other local businesses
Talk about a bunch of negative nelly’s 🙂 You either complain that there’s too many empty store fronts or complain that a business is thriving bring packs of people to the neighborhood.
The comments here are not indicative of the UWS as a whole. These are just the people who like to shake fists at clouds for the most part.
Agree 100%
Definitely agree.
There is a message this blog is trying to get across and it comes through the the messages they chose to allow.
Where on 99th and Broadway is this opening? Old Starbucks spot? Do you have address?
thanks!
The Au Jus restaurant at 101 and Lexington is delicious and very good prices. I’m excited.