Hot Bird

Anyone ever eat there? Know when it closed? Was it really the best Bar-B-Q in New York?

I never ate there but I remember it. Let's see, it was definitely still there in 1992, and definitely gone by 1996. I am going to guess that it closed in 1994.

We probably took food out from there over 20 times. They were the only place you could get rotisserie chicken at the time (neither Met nor La Grande Castilla de Jagua offered it at the time). They also sold ribs, and the available sides were cole slaw, macaroni salad, baked potato, and fries, IIRC.

It was really only a take-out counter when you went in; everything was behind bullet-proof plexiglas, and your money and order went in/out on a revolving platter-cylinder.

There was also a degree of sophistication, as their computer had a phone number based database for when you called in your order, and they could simplify your ordering process by seeing, for instance, what your last order was.

I genuinely miss them.

Frank, so when did it close? I want to see if I am in the ballpark.

You're definitely in the ballpark, but I can't say precisely.

I remember once having an actual Hot Bird ceramic mug... Hmm. Have to check the basement for that special item!

And who could ever forget those yellow vans with the big plastic chicken on top? Does anyone have a photo of one of them?

Chicken and ribs with no oil? It was destined to fail. You need the grease!

Rumor was it was started by a Wall Street guy who lost his job when the market crashed in '87. So it was definitely the early nineties. The chicken was great at first but gradually declined in quality as time passed, then they closed, leaving only painted brick walls around PH. Who knows, maybe when the stock market improved he went back to the Street? He had a good thing going for a while though.

he used a quality sign painter, though - those signs are still clear as day! My wife remembers Hot Bird fondly from her high school years, so it must have closed no earlier than 1994...

someone should probably open up a new one, they already have the advertising in place.

Where was Hot Bird?



A little Internet archaeology turns up the following:

Hot Bird
665 Vanderbilt Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11238
718-468-2473
Fast Food American

What's at 665 Vanderbilt today? The former Hot Bird space is where you'll now find the (recently renovated/repoened) Aliseo Osteria del Borgo.

No longer!

After being closed for a while, Aliseo has re-opened. As of March 6, 2013:

2) Prospect heights: Jennifer Cole-Ruiz, an alum of a number of restaurants in Spain including Andres Madrigal's Balzac, has opened a new tapas restaurant called La Mujer Gala. In addition to hot and cold tapas, the menu also has a handful of larger plates, including roasted suckling pig and red wine stewed beef cheeks, along with a pretty killer Spanish wine list. Tapas are almost all below $10 and the larger plates max out at $22. Status: Certified Open; 665 Vanderbilt Ave., 718-783-3400.

http://ny.eater.com/archives/2013/02/thursday_opening_report_85.php

Pro-tip: The former owner of Aliseo, is soon going to open a restraurant on Classon, in the space that used to be occupied by Abigail's.