Armando’s to reopen in late July

By on June 5, 2009 2:32 pm in Food
(BHB/Sarah Portlock)

(BHB/Sarah Portlock)

Plans to reopen Armando’s Restaurant at 143 Montague St. are sailing along, owner Peter Byros told BHB this week, and he hopes that the Italian restaurant will reopen by the end of July or early August.

“We started [construction] about a month ago, and it will take a couple of months. Everything is new — we gutted the whole place out, and everything is going to be new,” Byros said.

As for a return of the famous lobster sign, Byros says it’s currently in storage and he’s working with the city to bring it back. The neighborhood is now of course landmarked, which makes its glowing return tricky as the sign was grandfathered in before. Now, it’s up to the Department of Buildings and Landmarks Preservation Council to decide if it will come back.

“The owners must apply to DOB to demonstrate the sign is grandfathered before Landmarks may consider it for re-installation,” explained Buildings Department spokeswoman, Kate Lindquist.

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  • Homer Fink

    I pledge that we will mobilize all of Brooklyn Heights to bring back the Lobster sign. If landmarks allowed that stinkin’ pickle to be hung on Montague Street only the LOBSTER will wash away the stench of those carpetbagging dead bests.

    Who is with me?!!

  • bornhere

    Yaaaaaaay, Homer AND Peter! (Of course, my position didn’t prevail on the pathetic Two Trees debacle, but maybe this will be an easier fought battle.) May the neon shine on and on!!

  • Publius

    Toga, toga!

  • josh

    i guess this means it’s going to be too late for soft-shell crabs :(

  • AEB

    How ’bout the sign returns without the restaurant?

  • nabeguy

    I can sink my claws into this fight. The fact that the sign was relegated to a brief hiatus should not diminish its grandfathered position. Good luck and welcome back Peter.

  • C.

    This food was terrible before and it will be terrible again. Very upsetting we couldn’t get something new in this space. I hope they fail again…quickly. I would take Spicky Pickle over this any day!

  • MadeInBrooklyn

    C. I disagree. Armando’s was good, classic no-frill NYC red sauce Italian… Much welcomed back by me.

  • nabeguy

    C. instead of being a hater, why not come up with some constructive input? And maybe a little history lesson would help…Armando’s didn’t “fail”, it was closed by it’s owner after 60+ years in business. By anyone’s judgement, I think that’s called a success, regardless of whether their fare met the standards of your discriminating palate. And if your idea of good food is Spicy Pickle, well….

  • ABC

    I never cared for Armandos either.

    Just bein’ honest.

  • AliG

    I didn’t care for it either but I’d much rather have Armando’s than Spicy Pickle in that spot.

  • Bobs ur uncle

    Mr Byros – look up gastropub in the dictionary and do that. Anything else is a waste