You are reading

Rocky McBride’s, Which Was Closed for Flouting COVID Restrictions, Pays State $25K and Reopens

Rocky McBride’s (Photo: Christina Santucci)

April 6, 2021 By Christina Santucci

An Astoria tavern – that was closed for two weeks for violating pandemic restrictions – has reopened.

Rocky McBride’s, located at 27-01 23rd Ave., resumed service Saturday after paying $25,000 as part of a conditional no contest offer to the State Liquor Authority (SLA).

Members of the SLA had set that amount during a meeting Wednesday – about two weeks after the bar’s liquor license was suspended.

During the meeting, SLA Chairman Vincent Bradley noted a letter had been submitted by a lawyer on behalf of the bar’s owners that addressed violations found during three visits from investigators.

The bar’s license was suspended following a St. Patrick’s Day visit, when at least 20 mostly maskless people were seen by investigators standing outside of the tavern. Investigators also spotted staff wearing masks improperly as well as a musician was performing. Under its license, Rocky McBride’s is not permitted to have live bands.

Investigators had initially visited the bar in August and issued a warning about mandatory service of food with alcohol. During a follow up visit in October, SLA investigators said they observed a number of violations, including staff not wearing a face mask properly and patrons, who were drinking alcohol without being served food.

Martin P. Mehler, an attorney for Rocky McBride’s, addressed some of the most recent issues in a letter to the SLA.

“The entire [St. Patrick’s Day] ‘performance,’ which took place outdoors, lasted no more than 10 minutes. The licensee does not have ‘live bands’ and did not think that two people dressed in ‘traditional garb’ to honor the holiday was any violation,” Mehler wrote.

Later in his letter, Mehler noted that the staff member appeared to be adjusting her face mask in a photo taken that day. “Her nose was exposed but the photo seems to indicate she was pulling it back up.”

Mehler also wrote that, “The licensee deeply regrets that any transgression took place and will not allow a repeat of the activity to occur.”

Initially, two of the three SLA members said they were willing to accept a conditional no contest offer of $15,000, but Bradley said he thought the amount should be increased by $10,000–based on negative feedback from residents.

“I still was interested in giving them the benefit of the doubt until I then saw letters and pictures coming from the Citizens of Astoria – that backed up every one of their complaints,” Bradley said.

Those submissions argued that Rocky McBride’s had “destroyed the area with their non-compliance in regard to COVID restrictions, reckless behavior and allowance of their customers to party in the street.”

After Bradley spoke, the other two members agreed to the higher amount, with fellow SLA Commissioner Greeley Ford noting he had also found material provided by the group of Astoria residents to be “pretty harsh.”

It was not immediately clear who had submitted the letter from the “Citizens of Astoria” – asking that Rocky McBride’s be shut down.

But Mehler wrote that he believed the group consisted of one Astoria resident and called their complaints “meritless accusations.”

email the author: [email protected]

8 Comments

Click for Comments 
Eric Adler

Funny, “Citizens of Astoria” is a guise that was used by “ONE” person who made 99.9% of the complaints to NYC311. The REAL “Citizens of Astoria” are those who enjoy this establishment. Cheers!

44
2
Reply
Jeremiah Johnson

These “Citizens of Astoria” is a Google handle of ONE person, also known as Ethel60513432 and ethelborman1 on Twitter. This person has No backing nor support with his/her complaints (fact-check on Twitter)…..it’s a One person crusade to tarnish an establishment. Astoria establishments BEWARE!!!

Reply
Eric Adler

Funny that “Citizens of Astoria” was the guise of “ONE” person who made 99.9% of the complaints. The REAL “Citizens of Astoria” are the ones who enjoy this establishment.

44
1
Reply
Hell Gate Harry

I hope our neighborhood will retain this gathering place for working-class people.
They’ve been kind to my children, allowing them to use their restroom when we were passing by on our way home from Astoria Park.

19
1
Reply
I'm on Team Rocky

I’ll bet the “Citizens of Astoria” were not citizens of Astoria five years ago.

44
13
Reply
Never Left Astoria

Rocky got a raw deal. Up at Astoria Tavern on 33rd & 23rd customers are sitting in a tight outside enclosure – no masks or distancing.

Reply
Jon

Why should it matter if they are “citizens of Astoria” from 5-10-1 year ago? They’re still people who reside here.

11
Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Manhattan bouncer charged in New Year’s Day fatal stabbing in Elmhurst: NYPD

A Manhattan man was arrested on Saturday and charged in the fatal stabbing of an East Elmhurst man during the early morning hours of New Year’s Day in what notably became the city’s first homicide of 2024.

Torrence Holmes, 35, of St. Nicholas Place in Hamilton Heights, was taken into custody at his home and transported back to Queens, where he was booked at the 110th Precinct in Elmhurst on manslaughter and other charges on Saturday afternoon.

After surge of traffic violence, Queens leaders demand safer streets especially for children

Following a tragic week on Queens streets where three pedestrians — 43-year-old Natalia Garcia-Valencia, 58-year-old Elisa Bellere and 8-year-old Bayrron Palomino Arroyo — were fatally struck by unsafe drivers, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards announced that he has allocated $1.5 million in capital funding for street safety improvements on three of the borough’s most dangerous roadways.

Richards made the announcement at 82nd Street and Astoria Boulevard in East Elmhurst on Monday morning, about a mile from where the 8-year-old boy was struck and killed by an impatient pickup truck driver from Flushing on Mar. 13 as he walked in the crosswalk at 31st Avenue and 101st Street with him mother and brother, who was injured.