I was walking down 49th Street west of 8th Ave when I noticed an unusual building behind a construction barrier…
Clapboards, in Times Square?? Given that anything new in this area tends to be glass, steel, or less frequently brick, this is definitely an oddity, silly gimmick or not. But is this a new construction? A check on Google Maps Streetview reveals that a year ago, things were a bit different…
Now:
The address is 249 West 49th Street, which used to be a decently-reviewed old school Italian restaurant called Baldoria (closed a year ago). The four windows on the original brick structure seem to perfectly match up with the new look, suggesting this is just a new facade. But for what sort of restaurant?
Thoughts or guesses? I wonder how much they’re charging for the third floor space…The lack of roof should bring the rent down a bit.
Update! Alert reader David did some research and leaned that this is soon to be the “Smokehouse 49th Street” … so yeah.
-SCOUT
I checked the buildings department website for construction permits, and then propertyshark.com for ownership information (I guess I could have gone straight there, actually and skipped the permits). That got me the name of the LLC that owns the building. A Google search for the LLC found their liquor license application. Another search later, and I found the public notice posted in the Villager last month:
“Notice is hereby given that license number 1236020 has been applied for… at 249 West 49th Street New York, NY 10019 for on-premises construction [by] 49th Street Restaurant LLC d/b/a Smokehouse 49th St Pit”
So I guess the answer is a restaurant called Smokehouse. But the restaurant name doesn’t really say clapboard to me.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/24470528/12-23-9-VG
That should have said “on-premises consumption”. Not “construction.”
Yes, it is in fact Smokehouse BBQ, with multi regional Barbecue fare from all over the country… 3 Old Hickory smokers will be the workhorses that produce everythnig from pulled pork, brisket, pork ribs, beef back ribs, beef short plate ribs, tri-tip, hanger steaks, skirt steak, salmon ,turkey, pork loin, to aligator Should be open in about 2 weeks
place died today, no more BBQ
and to the building critics… look around the neighborhood…. there is much more than your percieved notion of glass and steel..
that’s what happens when you have a Lebonese designer, a Turkish contractor, and an Indian owner, who have nary a clue about real America BBQ, and the conceptual design needed to pull it all of
stick a fork in it.. it’s done.. will not open as Smokehouse… word is guy owns Lillys down near Union Square is renting it …
still not open, almost a year later!!!! Seems to be a few “issues” with various and sundry legalities, permits, and the like.. the mortgage/rent must be choking whoever owns/rents it
It looked like it was gonna be a real hindu down home german beer hall BBQ place… it was so bizarre… but now it is a tourist trap bar