Photo by Ethan Harfenist
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Mighty Quinn’s BBQ has quietly closed its Upper East Side location at 1492 Second Avenue, ending a nearly decade-long run on the block between 77th and 78th streets.
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The closure doesn’t come as a total surprise. Back in January, East Side Feed reported that the restaurant’s future was uncertain, with a corporate representative acknowledging that their ten-year lease was expiring in 2025 and that they were “not 100% in either direction” on whether to renew. At the time, they hinted that inflation and lease negotiations could influence the decision—now, it seems, the decision has been made.
Signage is now plastered in the window thanking the neighborhood for its patronage.
Photo by Ethan Harfenist
The UES spot first opened in February 2016 as part of the fast-casual BBQ chain’s rapid expansion across New York and beyond. Launched in 2011 by pitmaster Hugh Mangum, Mighty Quinn’s began as a Smorgasburg stall in Brooklyn before opening a brick-and-mortar location in the East Village in 2013. That original location shuttered in 2023 after a ten-year run.
In its heyday, Mighty Quinn’s carved out a loyal following for its smoked brisket, pulled pork, burnt ends, and southern-style sides like mac and cheese and sweet potato casserole. The brand even reached as far as Dubai and began franchising in 2021, branding itself as one of the fastest-growing BBQ concepts in the U.S.
Reviews for the UES location were mixed, though it still served as a go-to for neighborhood BBQ cravings and late-night bites.
There’s been no public statement from the company about the closure, but as of this week, the UES storefront has been shuttered.
No word yet on what might be moving into the space but we’ll keep you posted.
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The food was good, but prices were out of control.
“began franchising in 2021, branding itself as one of the fastest-growing BBQ concepts in the U.S”
So it wasn’t GreedyLandlordSyndrome?