Small rental building on 51st Ave nears completion, Long Island City

While condo construction in Long Island City is tangibly stalled by the economic slowdown, some projects (new and in progress) are still going forward »

Mainco building on 51st Ave to host MetFoods, Vernon/Jackson, LIC

Yes, the rumors about MetFoods coming to the old Mainco elevator building on 51st Ave between Vernon & 5th St are true »

On 51st Ave btwn Vernon & 5th st, there’s what I like to call “The Cursed BBQ Place”. It’s no longer a BBQ place, and every restaurant I’ve seen in that spot has failed miserably (including the BBQ place). I will say I was not sad to see the neon lights of Smokey’s BBQ go dim… and was actually excited at the prospect of a new restaurant that’s not BBQ pop up in its place. As we all were. Hunters Point needs all the restaurants it can get until that glorious day when we get a full-fledged grocery store.

Turns out the new restaurant, Lucky Mojos, is sort of a BBQ place in disguise: Tex-Mex and Sushi. Yeah, sounds like a strange combo, and from the word on the street (the ACTUAL street), the union is not necessarily a marriage made in heaven. Lucky Mojos, I truly had high hopes for you…but that damn curse is a force to be reckoned with. (Aren’t they all?) Smokey’s BBQ brought a carnivorous, drunken crew to the hood, but Lucky’s touts itself as a family oriented place – which is GREAT. I’ll give them that much. 1 point for LM. But that’s all they get. »