✰PREMIUM
A piece of old culinary Brooklyn reopens in a new neighborhood

RED HOOK — Lundy’s, the iconic seafood eatery once located on the Sheepshead Bay waterfront, at its peak served one million patrons annually, and for a period of time, it was the highest grossing restaurant in America.

In 1978, Stan Ginsberg of New York magazine called Lundy’s, “the most famous and most popular restaurant on the bay.”  

The massive establishment, founded by Brooklynite Frederick William “Irving” Lundy in 1926, renowned predominantly for its fresh seafood and signature biscuits, could seat up to 2,800 people in its heyday and covered an entire block. 

In 1979, the restaurant shut its doors shortly after “Irving” Lundy died. In the late 1990s, Lundy’s reopened under new management but ultimately closed again in 2007. 

Sixteen years later, an attempt was made to breathe new life into the sleeping seafood giant, courtesy of hospitality industry veteran and first-time restaurateur Sandra Snyder (wife of Red Hook Winery’s Mark Snyder). Snyder, originally from Virginia, came to Brooklyn shortly after college.  

The goal was not to reincarnate the original Lundy’s, but instead to offer signature elements — some of the recipes, dishes and vintage cocktails of the Sheepshead Bay establishment — fused with something new, all while maintaining a high level of hospitality. 

“Nobody can ever be the old Lundy’s,” Snyder told the Brooklyn Eagle. “If you try, you’re going to fail. There is nothing that can bring back that place’s magic; it spoke of an era.”

Located at 44 Beard Street, Lundy’s Red Hook, which opened in December 2024, has multiple spaces, including a main dining area with a fireplace, a bar area with a small stage for live music and a patio slated to open up in April. 

With the addition of the patio, it will bring the restaurant’s capacity to approximately 140 — considerably less than the original Lundy’s. 

While Snyder admits that she is not a fully-experienced restaurateur, she said,“I have literally done everything in hospitality. Waiting tables was my first job, and I’ve been a part of many different restaurants throughout the years.” 

Beginnings 

Lundy’s in Sheepshead Bay was the destination for the second date with Snyder’s husband in 2002, “so it always had a special place in my heart,” Snyder said. 

“We had a wonderful time that night, but honestly, I didn’t think much about the establishment for decades,” Snyder continued. “Many, many years later, in 2023, a friend Mark and I knew — a big name in Red Hook — just in passing conversation, told us that a restaurant space had become available in the area.”

The available space was the former Rocky Sullivan’s, an Irish pub. Snyder wanted the space because she knew it was an emotionally significant place, especially to Red Hook residents. 

Then, Snyder was struck with an idea for the space: “I’m going to open a restaurant.” 

The goal, according to Snyder, was to bring back a spot that had simple, straightforward food and quality hospitality. 

As fate would have it, in 2023, a friend of a friend introduced Snyder to a gentleman by the name of Frank Cretella, who happened to be the restaurant group operator who revived Lundy’s and acquired its name rights in the late ‘90s.

“After some conversation about the business, [Cretella] sort of just handed things over,” Snyder said. 

According to Snyder, there was no monetary exchange at all.

“The name just expired. He let it go and nobody scooped it up, so he gave it to us,” Snyder said. “It was a tremendous opportunity and incredibly organic how everything came into place.” 

Something old, something new 

Snyder pointed out that perhaps one of the biggest challenges of Lundy’s Red Hook is living up to a former name and brand, but also taking it in a new direction.

“People come in, and they have that biscuit in mind,” Snyder said. “If you aren’t close to that biscuit in taste, that’s strike one. There are dishes people are looking for, and they will be staples on the menu.”

Snyder said that the clam bisque was entirely based on the original, as well as the biscuits.

“A gentleman named Neil, who made 80,000 biscuits for the former Lundy’s, steered us in the right direction with that.” 

The infamous three-course “Shore Dinner,” has also returned, as well as the huckleberry pie.

“As for new additions, we added a porterhouse steak to the menu, so we can do a proper surf and turf,” Snyder explained, adding that she also added a pork chop Milanese, calling it “an unexpected gem.”

Snyder knows there will always be purists who say, “Why bother opening another Lundy’s? It’s never going to be the same,” and she wholeheartedly agrees.

“The idea is to give people some comfort items from their past, in a new setting, and entice them with environment and service and some new dishes,” she said. 

The taste test 

Lundy’s famous biscuits tasted identical to the original, and they were followed by an arsenal of appetizers: clam bisque, with chunks of clams, smoked bacon, potato and cream; fresh jumbo shrimp on ice; fried calamari, served with a remoulade sauce, which was crisp, delicate and not overly fishy; and baked clams with roasted bread crumbs, garlic and white wine.

Main courses were lobster tail with drawn butter; pork chop Milanese, which was juicy, tender and flavorful on the inside, with a crispy exterior coating; and the “catch of the day” tuna steak, prepared with olive tapenade and cooked to perfection.   

For dessert, a huge, comforting huckleberry pie was served, which contained blueberries to offset the tartness, in addition to a homemade butterscotch sundae.

The service was excellent. Everyone was friendly, gracious and accommodating — including the hostess, Dominique Alleyne, and waitress Amy Sutton, who both seemed to have mastered the art of being attentive without being obtrusive.

The new Lundy’s in Red Hook is worth a visit from old patrons and new.

This article is dedicated to my mother-in-law, Fannie Dellegrazie (1933-2020), who frequented Lundy’s in Sheepshead Bay for many decades.