Top Long Island restaurant closures in 2024

A rundown of recently closed restaurants on Long Island:

Argyle Grill & Tavern, Babylon

The Argyle Grill & Tavern, a stalwart of Babylon Village since 2000, closed on June 30. Greg Bartolotta said he is retiring and that his partner, Bill Wolfe, will be full-time at the pair’s other Babylon restaurant, Barrique Kitchen & Wine Bar, across the street. The new tenant will be Dark Horse Tavern, the popular bar with locations in Rockville Centre, Farmingdale and Massapequa Park.

Biscuits & Barbeque

The throwback railroad car-style diner was an out-of-the-way place to find soulful Louisiana-style cooking along with slow-smoked meats. Beloved dishes included the flaky hot biscuit with andouille sausage gravy, blackened fish, shrimp and grits, mac-and-cheese and homey desserts like peach cobbler, pecan and Key lime pies. Owner Joan Gallo, who rented the premises, said the building has been sold and the last day of business would be June 29.

Bakuto, Lindenhurst

There was no place on Long Island remotely like Bakuto. It was probably the most authentic Japanese restaurant around even though it served no sushi. Its menu drew inspiration from the Japanese small-plates tradition of izakaya that centers on robata (skewered, grilled meats), noodles (ramen and udon) and steamed buns. In the manner of a true Japanese kitchen, it was also inspired by local produce. “Maybe the concept was too ‘niche,’ “ said chef-partner Zachary Rude, of the restaurant's closing.

CoreLife Eatery, Farmingdale and Garden City

CoreLife Eatery, based in Syracuse, opened two locations on Long Island in 2018, the first in Farmingdale's Airport Plaza and the second in the main dining district of Garden City. Both sold their last salad, broth and grain bowls in late March, said CoreLife's president. The stores were owned by the same group of local franchisees, which will “continue to look for other opportunities in the area,” he said.

Red Lobster, Stony Brook

Seafood giant Red Lobster, which has nearly 650 restaurants nationwide, closed at least 50 of them — including 14 in New York and New Jersey. The only Long Island store shuttered in the mass closure is in Stony Brook. Long Island Red Lobster fans can still get their fix at the six restaurants still open, in Hicksville, Ronkonkoma, Deer Park, Valley Stream, Carle Place and Copiague.

Burgerology, Patchogue

Burgerology, opened in 2020 with the goal of offering takeout and outdoor dining to pandemic-conscious customers, has closed. With the lease up for renewal, it was decided that a 200-seat venue deviated from Burgerology’s brand identity. The decision, said the company's president, is a prelude to expansion on and off Long Island.

The Rolling Spring Roll, Farmingdale

The Rolling Spring Roll in Farmingdale has served its last Vietnamese spring roll. Owner Joe Bui, who operates sister locations in Syosset and Commack, said that running three restaurants was “just too much stress.”

Friendly's, Ronkonkoma

Friendly's restaurants, once a mainstay chain on Long Island, have slowly been marching toward extinction — the Friendly's in Miller Place closed last year joining a half-dozen other shuttered locations from Levittown to Middle Island. Its Ronkonkoma location served its last ice cream sundae in March.

Stone Street Grill, Garden City

After a year as an independently owned American grill, 30 Stewart Ave. in Garden City is reverting to its former identity as a national wing joint. The soaring space had been a Hurricane Grill & Wings from 2013 to 2021 before Art Gustafson opened his ambitious Stone Street Wood Fired Grill last March. Now, he says, the building has been leased by Buffalo Wild Wings. Gustafson’s “partner in crime” at Stone Street was executive chef John Brill, who died in January.

Joanne's Gourmet Pizza, Roslyn

This iconic Long Island slice shop, which claims to have invented the Buffalo chicken pizza, has closed in Roslyn after 32 years. The restaurant was a pioneer in the creative slice movement, and was reportedly visited by celebrities such as Bella Hadid, LL Cool J and Jennifer Lopez.

Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Smithtown and Central Islip

Carrabba’s Italian Grill, a nationwide chain that bears a passing resemblance to the Olive Garden, shuttered its last two Long Island locations — in Smithtown and Central Islip — as of Feb. 23. “Deciding to close a restaurant is never easy,” Elizabeth Daly, the spokeswoman for Bloomin' Brands, which owns Carrabba’s, Outback Steakhouse and Bonefish Grill, said in an emailed statement. “This was a business decision and is not a reflection of the management or staff.”

Osteria Morini, Garden City

Osteria Morini, the ambitious regional Italian trattoria opened in 2019 by Michelin-starred chef Michael White, has closed its location in Roosevelt Field in Garden City. White left the restaurant's parent company, Altamarea Group, in 2021. His former partner, current CEO Ahmass Fakahany, said that Altamarea “enjoyed being part of this community, even through the difficult period of the pandemic.” But, “in the end, in discussion with our landlord, we agreed a different concept for the location would be best served for all.”

Boston Market, Selden

This once-dominant chicken chain, founded in 1985 as Boston Chicken, has slowly been closing one location after another, not only across the Island, but also the nation. Selden’s outpost, at 966 Middle Country Rd., was Suffolk County’s last. It was replaced by Tex’s Chicken and Burgers.

Blondie's Bake Shop, Centerport

Things in Centerport are a little less sweet: Blondie’s Bake Shop, the sunny, independently owned bakery that opened in 2011, has closed. “I'm crushed,” said owner and baker Jess Riordan. “Unfortunately, the increasing costs of running a small, scratch bakery have made it impossible to continue operating while maintaining the level of quality our guests are accustomed to seeing from us.”

DJ's Clam Shack, East Northport

DJ’s Clam Shack, a pioneering lobster roll specialist, has closed in East Northport. That leaves the original location, which opened in Wantagh in 2017, as well as Huntington (operated by a franchisee) and Stony Brook, both of which opened in 2021. Owner Paul Riggio attributed the closure to a constellation of factors. “It was the lowest-performing store,” he said. “But I also lost my manager and couldn’t replace him, and I’m getting older — I decided I need to take it down a notch.” A new restaurant, Twisted Greek, has since opened in that space.

Frank's Steaks, Jericho

Shortly after Frank’s Steaks in Jericho opened in 1988, a review by Newsday food critic Peter M. Gianotti noted that “for all in need of iron, plus zinc, protein and a dose of cholesterol, Frank's could become a hangout.” It indeed became a hangout that endured until January 2024, when the kitchen grilled its last steak. “We did everything possible to stay open,” owner Richard Gerzof said. “We just couldn’t find a way.” Gerzof, who joined the business in 1992, said COVID “struck a terrible blow that we never recovered from.” Like so many other longtime restaurateurs who have closed their establishments recently, Gerzof found that “the rising costs of ingredients, labor and rent” made recovery that much more difficult.”

Chuan Tian Xia, Westbury

This ambitious second location of a Brooklyn Chinese restaurant was in business just short of a year before it closed up shop. With its large, fanciful space and enormous photographic menu, Chuan Tian Xia was a main player in the new Asian “Restaurant Row” at the Samanea New York Mall in Westbury. The unapologetically Sichuan menu catered to Chinese nationals, with fiery dishes like Wanzhou style fish hot pot, Chengdu cold noodles and green pepper fish with white bass swimming in a pickled broth of spunky green peppercorns. The original Chuan Tian Xia location in Sunset Park, Brooklyn is still open. 

Ruby's Coop, Deer Park

Ruby’s Coop got a lot of attention when it opened in Deer Park, but that didn’t translate into enough sales — the eatery closed after seven months in business. “Unfortunately we weren’t hitting the numbers that we anticipated even though we were receiving great feedback,” said managing partner Justin Aronoff. Aronoff, better known as the butcher behind Center Cuts (in Roslyn Heights and Mattituck) and the seasonal Curated Fine Meats in East Hampton.